"While I was out rounding up messengers I got a few reports from the street.
The Darters left men in the maze overnight last night. And last night, while we had the traitor out on some sort of exercise, his wife left the house. The man on watch lost her in the fog. In this part of Char Street. A man brought her home later, a few minutes before the traitor returned." "What the devil was he doing?" "I don't know. The old man had me blindfold him and take him up to Scars Comer. Somebody else took him over there. I ran off on other errands."
"We'll talk to the woman. Though she wouldn't seem a likely candidate."
The Witch summoned Torgo from his repose. "I have to see Ishabal bel-Shaduk. Do you know how to reach him?"
"Yes, my lady. But why?"
"I have a commission for him."
"I suspect that Ishabal agrees with Azel. He just doesn't want to argue. He hasn't been around."
"Find him. Tell him he can name his price on this one. It'll be the last."
"My lady?"
"I found him, Torgo! I think. I stumbled right over him in Char Street, while I was out. It's almost over with, Torgo. We're almost there."
Torgo did not seem pleased.
"Three, four more days, Torgo. Things will be back to the way they were. Come. Why so glum?"
"I'm afraid we're doing too much to attract attention to ourselves."
"Foo! I'm surrounded by old women. Get your writing instruments. I'll give you the instructions you're to relay to Ishabal. Then we'll examine the boy theLiving want, just to make sure he wasn't Ala-eh-din Beyh in his lastincarnation."
"Why bother, my lady?"
"Azel will come for him. I don't want him or the Living to suspect what I'veaccomplished on my own. It'll take Ishabal a while, anyway, so I won't lose much time. And once we're sure we have what we need, we won't have any more use for Azel or the Living. Will we?"
She watched Torgo mull that over, begin to smile. "We won't at all. Not at all." "So let's get to work. Get your writing materials."
Aaron left home groggy and distracted, unsure how he felt about Reyha's visit and revelations. He was concerned for Reyha and Zouki, yet resented this ominous certainty that a vortex of events, to which he was indifferent, was sucking him in, making him a blind player in a deadly game where there was no chance he could win or even get out unscarred.
What was all that up around bel-Sidek's place? Comings and goings like he'd never seen.
He turned uphill instead of heading for the harbor.
Bel-Sidek's door stood open. He paused on the threshold, not quite sure what he was doing there or if his interest would be welcome.
Bel-Sidek saw him and limped to the doorway. "Yes, Aaron?"
"I saw all the people. I thought ... Is it your father?"
"Yes. During the night.
"I'm sorry. I really am."
"It isn't like it was a surprise. Maybe it was a blessing. He had to live with a lot of pain." "Maybe. Is there anything I can do? Could Laella and her mother come up and help?"
"No. No, Aaron. We'll manage. Thanks for offering."
"I'm sorry," Aaron said again. "Well, I guess I'd better get to work."
"Yes. Thanks again. Oh. Aaron. Did Naszifs wife drop in on you last night?"
"No." He answered immediately, surprising himself. He walked away before there were any more questions, wondering if he had been protecting Reyha or himself.
Only when he was halfway down the hill did he realize that he should have stood his ground long enough to find out why bel-Sidek had asked. General Cado dressed while Colonel Bruda reported his midnight visit from Vice-Colonel bar bel-Abek. "Did he seem rational? I wouldn't want to waste him. Should we pull him out whether he wants it or not?" "He was completely self-possessed. And quite determined. I don't think he's at risk as long as they think they control him. Leave him where he is. They might get overconfident and let him close to something they shouldn't." Cado grunted. "Time to see Sullo off to his new country home. Let's talk on the way. Did you look into the kidnapping?"
"I did. If it weren't that it's being used against our man, it would be just another of a rash of similar crimes."
Cado descended a stair without speaking, headed toward his work office. "A
rash? Of kidnappings?" "More than thirty in the last six weeks."
"The Living twisting arms?"
"I doubt it. Hardly any of the children belonged to families who mean anything. However, there's a chance bel-Abek's child was taken before the Living found him out."
"Suggesting that the Living knew who took him? So they were able to recover him for their own purposes?" "Yes."
Cado completed his office business, started moving again. "I smell something dirty, Bruda. Look into it. We can't allow a trade in stolen children. And I won't tolerate human sacrifice."
"I've started already, sir."
"Good. Are the guards down front?"
"Yes sir. They'll walk us over."
"Good. So. What's really bothering you this morning?"
"A messenger from Marcellino in Agadar. Just came in by boat. Says a force of Turok tribesmen, maybe two thousand strong, is pillaging east of Agadar, moving our way. They caught our troops in the open, by surprise, during anexercise, and slaughtered them. Marcellino barely has men enough left to guardAgadar's walls."
Cado stopped. "Turoks? Not Dartars or Dartars in disguise?"
"Turoks. Marcellino questioned a prisoner. They circled the Takes to the west, around Dartar territory. They think we're too slow and too weak to stop them."
Cado resumed walking. "Turoks, you say."
"Yes."
"I wonder. Did our comrade the Eagle have anything to do with them showing up?"
"I don't follow you. Dartars hate Turoks. And vice versa."
"Not always. Turoks sometimes visit Qushmarrah. They cross Dartar territory to do it, so there is some kind of understanding at some level. And they workedtogether in our grandfathers' time, during the first war. Qushmarrah employedauxiliaries from both tribes against Lepido's armies. Their fleet landed amixed force in Tiguria that came within sight of Herod's walls twice. Fa
"tad's father commanded that expedition."
"You sure you aren't seeing conspiracy where greed would explain things?"
"Probably. Still, the options the raiders leave us aren't attractive."
"So?"
"The obvious move is for us to loose our Dartars. But suppose they are workingtogether? Fa'tad strips the country of livestock and valuables and retires tohis mountains. We couldn't do anything, because to field enough men we'd haveto strip Qushmarrah of every Herodian soldier.
"If we send one of our own legions instead, Fa'tad is a match for us here. Hecan attack us with every expectation of initiating an uprising. He can thenback off and let Qushmarrahans do his dying while he saves his people toplunder whatever is left.
"If we don't do anything but wait for the Turoks to go home we get unresteverywhere this side of the sea because we haven't kept our promise to protectthe people. Over on the other side we're in hot water because we haven'tprotected their property."
They were outside now, moving through the dawn-splashed acropolis. Ahead, acolumn of Dartars came out of the Hahr and crossed the heights to the Shu.
Cado wondered what they were up to but did not ask. Bruda would tell him assoon as he found out.
Bruda said, "It all depends on what's going on inside the head of the onecrazy old man, doesn't it?"
"We have to trust him. Whether he's trustworthy or not. And hope he won'tchange his colors again without at least as much provocation as he had lasttime."
They approached the Residence, practically passing through the shadow of thecitadel. Cado shuddered. The place still gave him the creeps.
Bruda said, "Fa'tad started his herd moving south yesterday."
Cado watched Sullo's army of servants load a train of carts and wagons. "Itwas time, wasn't it?" A flashy donkey cart, carrying a large brown trunk, rolled up and worked its way into a gap in the line. The boy drivingdismounted and walked up the line to talk to another driver.