"Daulo and Perto Matrolis, eh?" Akim murmured as they walked. "Do I assume that the files matching those names will show us highly suited for this work party?"
"This whole exercise would be a waste of time if it didn't, wouldn't it?" Daulo returned tartly.
"Agreed. Interesting, too, that you got Mayor Capparis himself to take a hand in this."
"Is it that hard to believe?"
Akim shrugged. "Perhaps not in this part of Qasama. For myself, I find it refreshing to see cooperation between city and village leaders. More often we see you at each other's throats."
"Um." Daulo looked around the buses, estimating their capacity. If they were to be filled completely, it looked like the work party would be something on the order of a hundred-fifty men. Odd that they'd elect to go through this routine every two weeks, he thought. Permanent workers would be a lot easier... though perhaps they don't have any long-term housing facilities out there. His eyes drifted to the area near the table... "Uh-oh."
"What is it?" Akim murmured.
"Over there-those men watching the proceedings?" Daulo said, turning his head partly away.
Akim glanced the indicated direction. "That's the group from Mangus," he identified them. "Drivers and a couple of higher officials."
"One of the officials is the director's son, Radig Nardin," Daulo growled. "He knows me."
Akim frowned. "How well?"
"Well enough to identify me," Daulo gritted.
"Is he likely to keep you out if he spots you?"
Daulo thought back to the attacks on him and Jin. "I think so, yes."
"Um." Akim considered. "I suppose I could identify myself to him... but that would probably start rumors floating around Mangus, and I'd just as soon avoid that. All right. Wait here; I'll go find one of our people and arrange for a distraction."
"Good." Daulo looked back over-
And felt a shock run straight through his core. In the center of the group from
Mangus, talking earnestly to Nardin, was a smallish man. Or rather, a smallish figure wearing a man's clothing. Clothing he recognized...
It was Jin Moreau.
God above. The scene seemed to waver before Daulo's eyes. Right there, in the middle of Azras, with people all around. If Akim turned to look-if he identified her-they would both be dead.
But Akim was already gone.
Licking his lips, Daulo tried to still the shaking of his hands. Whatever Jin's purpose in doing something so insane, if she would just hurry it up and get out of here, she might still have a chance.
And as he watched, Jin did indeed turn away. Accompanied by Nardin and one of the other men, she walked to the end of the line of buses-
And got into a car parked there.
Daulo watched the vehicle pull away onto the street; watched it disappear behind the buildings surrounding the city center; and was still gazing after it when
Akim returned. "All set," he reported. "Which one is Radig Nardin?"
"He's gone," Daulo said mechanically. "Drove off a couple of minutes ago."
"Oh? Well, that solves that problem."
Daulo took a deep breath. "I guess so."
Chapter 34
Azras was twenty kilometers north of the section of forest where Jin had hidden
Daulo's car-a healthy run even for a Cobra, and one that allowed plenty of time for worrying about what lay ahead. Just one more reason to be thankful that the predawn jog itself was totally uneventful.
Her timing, for a change, was good, and she arrived at the city just as the sky to the east was growing light. Already some of the shopkeepers in the nearest marketplaces were beginning to prepare their booths for business, and she drifted through the streets pretending to be on various errands, feeling safer than she had since landing on Qasama. Disguised in lower-class male clothing, her hair covered by a carefully trimmed wig and her features altered slightly with face-shaper gel, she ought to be totally unrecognizable, especially to people who thought they had a good picture to go by.
That was the theory, at any rate... and as the morning progressed, it appeared to work in practice. She bought herself some breakfast-a nice treat after a day of emergency ration bars-and spent an hour wandering around the marketplace, observing the citizens of Azras as they began their new day.
She'd forgotten to ask Daulo when the work party selection would get underway, but when she made her first pass by the city center she saw that timing wasn't going to be critical. The park-like open area was teeming with men, most of them standing in a ragged and snaky line running up to a set of tables at one end.
She watched for a few minutes, timing the procedure and estimating how long it would take to process the entire line, and then wandered off. Without Daulo it would be foolish to try and get into the work party in any straightforward way, and there would be little opportunity to try anything less obvious until the workers were ready to move out.
An hour later she returned, to find perhaps thirty minutes' worth of line left.
Easing through the milling crowd of those who'd had their turns at the tables and were awaiting the results, she made her way across the center toward where a line of buses were parked along the street. Transport to Mangus, presumably.
Also the simplest way for her to penetrate the place, assuming she could find some private hiding place atop, beneath, or inside one of them.
And with most of her attention on the buses, she suddenly found herself walking directly toward Daulo.
Fortunately, he was nearing the front of the line and seemed to have most of his own attention on the tables ahead. Bless the angel who watches over fools, Jin thought to herself, shifting her path to give him a wide berth. Beyond him, near the buses, another official-looking table had been set up; beyond that, a group of men were loitering near the vehicles. Together they effectively canceled any chance for approaching the buses from this side. If she swung around to the other side, made her approach from there-
Her thoughts froze in place. One of the men in that group, eyes ranging alertly over the crowd...
Was Radig Nardin. Watching, presumably, for Daulo.
For a half dozen heartbeats she just stood there, oblivious to the men milling around her. With Moffren Omnathi and the Shahni occupying her worries lately, she'd almost forgotten Mangus's own attempts to discourage her and Daulo. But
Mangus obviously hadn't... and having seen Daulo in Milika less than four days ago, there was little chance Nardin would fail to recognize him.
At least, assuming he was able to continue looking...
She chewed at her lip, thinking hard. Step close and stun him with her sonic, hoping the others would assume he was ill and rush him away for treatment? But she would have to be practically up against him to deliver that kind of jolt without the others feeling some fringe effects. Use her lasers to set one of the buses on fire? No good; with his rank Nardin wouldn't be one of those fighting the fire. Besides which, any large-scale trouble she caused would more than likely just hold up the loading of the workers without guaranteeing that Nardin wouldn't still be around to watch it.
Unless...
She gritted her teeth. It was a borderline crazy idea... but if it worked, it would solve both her problems at one crack.
Across the city center, near the rearmost of the line of buses, was a small shedlike building, possibly a public toilet. Jin crossed to it and, positioning herself facing the wall away from the would-be workers, she worked her fingernails under the edges of the face-shaper gel and began tearing it away. It wasn't a pleasant task-the stuff wasn't supposed to be removed except with a special solvent-and her cheeks and chin felt raw by the time she'd finished. The wig and men's clothes she would have to leave as is; but if Nardin had been paying attention during his trip to the Sammon mine it ought to be enough.