“And at worst?” Lakshmi asked with foreboding.
“I think we all know that.”
The little group was silent awhile, looking at one another helplessly.
Matt spoke first. “After all, the messenger didn’t say I couldn’t try to find the kids.”
“Sure,” Saul said with a mirthless grin. “Easiest way to set a trap for you.”
“I might return the favor. After all, did your magus and his helper say anything about my not trying to track down Arjasp?”
“Nothing,” Jimena confirmed. “But did not the Caliph take offense at your leaving?”
“He understood our dilemma instantly,” Matt said, “and was all sympathy—nervous at the thought of facing the horde without our help, but since we had hung around long enough for Tafas to catch up, he wasn’t exactly left in the lurch.”
“Therefore we left the city together,” Alisande said, “but did not plan to remain so.”
“We hadn’t planned to split up quite so soon,” Matt said, “but since you folk are here, we might as well.”
Alisande nodded. “I shall ride west with my army.”
“But nobody said she had to hurry,” Matt pointed out. “Armies march notoriously slowly, and here in strange territory, European soldiers might come down with all sorts of minor ailments that wouldn’t do them any real harm but would force them to go at a snail’s pace.”
That coaxed a tiny smile from Alisande. “Verily, it is so. Why, even a knight might be prey to such illnesses. I would not be surprised if, in a week’s time, a quarter of my force had to be hauled in horse-drawn wagons.”
“Ox-drawn,” Matt offered. “Oxen go more slowly. Gee, and it’ll take forever to find wagons and teams to buy when you’re already on the road.”
“Hey, I wouldn’t play games with these guys,” Saul said nervously.
“Oh, I think we have some leeway.” Jimena smiled, amused. “After all, our enemies will rejoice in our ill fortune, will they not?”
Matt was sure they would—which left him wondering why Arjasp hadn’t demanded that he stop tracking him, especially since the renegade magus had already tried to trap him twice, and failed. Was Arjasp really that sure of the next snare?
They made the arrangements quickly and prepared to set off again.
“I appreciate your staying with Alisande,” Matt told his mother as he helped Saul into his own doublet. “Thank you, too, Saul, for wearing my outfit.”
“Nobody said I couldn’t,” Saul returned, “any more than they said your going home was part of the ransom. So what if I decide to wear your dress-up clothes for a while? It’s not as though I were carrying your shield with your coat of arms.”
“And if Arjasp and his boys have the mistaken impression that I’m with Alisande for the next week, is that our fault?”
“Definitely not!” Saul said. “Of course, the trick won’t work any longer than the first magical probe, or scrying by a spy who knows your face.”
“Sure, but why should they take that close a look?” Matt countered. “They’ll probably scry the whole army, maybe zoom in for a close-up of the head of the column, but when they see a woman with long blond hair under her crown, and someone my size and build in a doublet and hose beside her, why should they check the details?”
“I suppose a brief glance might make Arjasp and his boys overconfident,” Saul allowed, “maybe enough so they won’t check to make sure it’s really you riding at her right hand.”
“Can’t hurt to try.” But Matt felt his stomach sink and tried not to think what Arjasp might do in a rage. He consoled himself with the idea that the sorcerer would try to parley first, send a message telling him to turn back. “At any rate, it might buy us some time.”
“Even an hour or two would help at this point.” But Saul eyed Matt doubtfully. “You sure you know what you’re getting into, man?”
“As much as I ever did.”
“That’s what I meant.”
“Hey, there shouldn’t be more than a few thousand guards left behind to protect Arjasp,” Matt told him. “I’ve got that much going for me.”
“Sure, what’s a thousand or three against one?” Saul said airily, and shuddered. “Did I ever talk to you about your sense of proportion?”
“Only during that art history class. After all, the vast majority of the horde will be out conquering. They’ll probably have left the walking wounded as home guard.”
“Hey, man, from what they say about these people, I’m not even sure I’d want to tangle with an octogenarian.”
“Yeah, but these don’t have tentacles.”
“Look,” Saul said, “I know you want to make sure Alisande is safe, but she feels the same way about you. Couldn’t you maybe take one of us with you just as a sort of good-luck charm?”
“Or a chaperone.” Jimena eyed Lakshmi with misgiving.
“There is certainly no need for your concern,” the djinna said huffily. “He is nothing compared to my Marudin.”
“Your husband is a most handsome male,” Jimena agreed. “Not as handsome as my Ramon, of course …”
Lakshmi started to argue, but Matt said quickly, “Isn’t that the way every spouse should think about a mate? Besides, folks, I’m scarcely going without protection.”
“Sure, a djinna who’s distracted about her children and her husband,” Saul said with skepticism, “and a little white cat. That’s real great odds against a few thousand bloodthirsty nomads, yeah.”
“But they’re octogenarians,” Matt reminded, “and my little cat is fairly bursting with the enthusiasm of youth.”
“Hidden talents, huh?” Saul shook his head, but gave a sigh and slapped Matt on the shoulder. “Good luck, man.” He cocked an eye at Lakshmi. “Don’t drop him, okay, Highness?”
“Drop you!” Lakshmi seethed. “What sort of fumble-fingered nanny does he think I am?”
“Saul just worries too much.” Matt gave an uneasy glance at the landscape far below, so far below that it seemed to be moving slowly. Balkis watched it wide-eyed, peering out from the collar of Matt’s shirt—even more secure than a seat belt, and secure she seemed indeed, without a worry in the world. In fact, she even closed her eyes and, purring, dropped off to sleep.
Matt envied the cat’s nonchalance—one flight, and she took it as routine. Not that he had anything to worry about, being snuggled tightly against a firm and beautifully curved bosom. Once again he wondered why it stirred not the slightest trace of desire in him—possibly because it was bigger than he was. “By the way, Highness, where are we heading? In particular, I mean, not just east.”
“To Baghdad,” Lakshmi answered. “If the gossip of the Muslim army is true, the horde still holds that city. Surely they will have my Marudin at the front of battle!”
“And you‘re hoping I can free him from their compulsion-spell.”
“At the very least, you should be able to shield me from falling victim to the same spell myself,” Lakshmi replied. “I could not venture so close as to aid him before, but with a mortal wizard to ward me, I can chance it. Besides, you can free him, can you not?”
“Unless they’ve come up with a spell that’s completely different from anything I’ve ever dealt with, yes,” Matt said slowly. “But surely they know that!”
Lakshmi frowned, and her huge voice echoed about him. “You think they will not have him at the front, then?”
“I wouldn’t,” Matt said, “especially since they’re planning several different fronts. It would make more sense to station Marudin’s current master at the frontier of China or India, where they’ve never even heard of djinn.”
Far above him, Lakshmi’s face darkened. “Let us hope you are wrong.”
“I’ll try to keep a freedom spell ready.” Matt looked away from the brewing anger in her face, and saw far below him a long curve of dots facing a sort of M-shape of other dots. “Princess! Can we go down for a closer look?”