With that, he took up and rang a small brass bell, and a slender and barefoot youth appeared. "Now then," Hadjidakis said, "where are you staying?" I told him, and he relayed the information to the young man, speaking in a language I did not understand. The youth nodded once and darted away into the thronging marketplace. "You may return to your friend in confidence: Theodore of Sykeon will be with you shortly. Unless," he said hopefully, "there is anything else I can do for you?"
"A small matter comes to mind," I said. "We have business with the governor. I am told he resides in the city. Is this so?"
"Indeed so," he answered. "Even now Exarch Honorius occupies a palace in the street next to the forum. It is not difficult to find. Ask anyone, they will tell you the way."
I thanked Hadjidakis again, and we made our way back to camp, returning only a few moments before the physician himself appeared. A man of mature years, small-boned and neat-featured, he was dressed simply and impeccably in a white linen cloak and mantle. A gold chain hung heavily around his neck and a blue hat of soft cloth sat far back on his head. He arrived in a covered chair borne by four Ethiope slaves led by the youth in Hadjidakis' employ. Upon ascertaining that he had not been led astray, the physician paid the youth with a bronze coin, then ordered his slaves to lower the chair.
"I am Theodore," he said simply, making a small bow. "If you would kindly take me to the sufferer, I will make my examination now."
I conducted the physician to the amir's tent and entered to find Kazimain and Ddewi, as always, by his side. "Here is the physician," I told them, "he has come to tend Amir Sadiq. We will leave him to make his examination."
"There is no need," Theodore replied affably. "Please, stay, my friends, if you will. I may have cause to question you about his care."
This impressed Kazimain, who, when I had translated the physician's words, replied that Theodore put her in mind of Farouk, which she considered a very auspicious sign. Ddewi favoured the newcomer with a sharply appraising glance of his solitary eye, but said nothing.
As the tent was somewhat crowded, I elected to wait outside and instructed Theodore to come to me when he finished. Upon emerging from the tent, I met Faysal lingering by the entrance. "I believe we have done the best for Lord Sadiq," I told him.
"Pray Allah it is enough."
Leading him a few paces from the tent, I said, "Faysal, I would like your opinion of a thing I have been considering." So saying, I began to relate my suspicions regarding the governor's place in Nikos's treachery.
He listened, nodding now and again to himself. "You have learned something of subtlety, my friend," he said appreciatively. "If the governor stands at the heart of the mystery, then we must go to him and see what we can learn."
Theodore emerged from the amir's tent just then. Stepping quickly to where we stood, he said, "I have concluded my examination." He spoke with clipped efficiency. "The amir is in distress by reason of a head wound-as you know. The bone at the base of his skull has been crushed. It is my belief that bleeding inside the skull has brought about his unfortunate condition."
"Will he live?" I asked.
"The injury is severe," he said with smooth evasion. "That he remains alive even now is a credit to the young man who attends him." He looked from me to Faysal and back again. "Yet, I am puzzled."
"Yes?"
"The wound is in no way recent;" he said, "and I see by your camp that you have been travelling. Is this so?"
"We have come from Amida," I told him. "There was no help for him there, so we came north to obtain the best care for the amir."
Theodore shook his head in amazement. "Then the young man's skill is more extraordinary than I imagined. Together we will undertake the healing of Lord Sadiq." Placing his palms together neatly, he said, "I trust this meets with your approval?"
"As you will," Faysal replied. "We defer to your learning and judgement."
"Then, if you will excuse me, I must send for certain of my tools. This evening we must perform a most delicate operation. I need time to prepare." With that he hastened to speak to his slaves, two of whom departed on the run. Returning to the tent, Theodore bowed once in our direction and then entered.
"Come, Faysal," I said, "I think we must pay a visit to the governor."
We found our way to the forum quickly and easily; the many-pillared colonnade in the heart of the city could be seen from any of several approaches. Once there, locating the street Hadjidakis had mentioned posed no greater difficulty. The governor's house was large, with a single door opening almost directly onto the street, save for two steps rising between two ornate columns. A guardsman stood outside in the street, spear in hand, a shield slung over his shoulder. People passed him without a glance, however, and from this I deduced that he was a familiar feature of the place. Leaving Faysal to watch the house from across the street, I strode to the house.
"I was told the governor is in residence," I said upon greeting the guard, who regarded me with bored suspicion.
"He is receiving no one," the guard replied in a tone that suggested he had said this too many times for his own liking.
"That is truly unfortunate," I sighed. "I have travelled a very great distance to see him. Perhaps you might allow my name to be put forward."
Without bothering to reply, the guard motioned me on with his spear. Clearly, his was not the final authority. Once inside however, I was met by another, more formidable obstacle in the person of an official in a robe and mantle of faded green; he wore a braided thong around his neck on which was affixed a large metal box, and sat at a table in the centre of a spacious vestibule, writing on a vellum roll. He deigned not to notice me as I came to stand before him. Two more equally bored-looking guards stood either side of a door directly behind him.
"If you please," I said, "I was told the governor is in residence."
The official raised his eyes from the document before him and all but yawned in my face. "He is seeing no one. Leave your name and come back tomorrow."
"I have travelled a very great distance." Leaning close, I confided, "It is a matter of some delicacy involving a very great deal of money." Reaching into my sleeve, I pulled out one of the silver coins Faysal had given me and placed it on the table. "I would be most grateful if the governor could be notified."
Obtaining no response, I placed another coin beside the first. The official finally lay aside his pen. His lips curled in a smile, but his eyes remained cold. "Perhaps I may be of service. My name is Casius; I am Proconsul of Sebastea. What is the nature of your business with Exarch Honorius?"
Thinking quickly, I said, "It concerns property belonging to my betrothed wife."
"Property, you say?"
"Yes, it is a delicate matter, and I should not like to say too much about it to anyone except the governor. When do you think he might see me?"
"This is not a matter for the exarch's arbitration," Casius informed me flatly. "I suggest you place your matter before the magister or, better still, your local apographeus."
"Ah, yes, well, it was, in fact, the magister who suggested I come here." Once given to the lie, I became brazen. "He said that inasmuch as Honorius was a friend of my father's, the governor would want to advise me personally."