The doormen wasted no time conducting him to Colonel Bruda, who took himstraight to General Cado. Cado said, "Thanks for coming. You heard about theTurok raiders at Agadar?"
"It's all anyone's talking about."
"Bad news gets around fast. How are people reacting?"
"Like they think the Turoks will ride in and sack the city."
Cado snorted. "In a moment I'll go downstairs to thrash out a plan for dealingwith them. I want you to.come along in case I need an opinion on how theQushmarrahan people will react."
"I don't like that. I'm a spy, not ..."
"You'll be a bodyguard again. No one there could compromise you. There'll bemyself and Bruda, senior officers from the legions, the civil governor, Fa'tadand his top men. You're my only touchstone with the Qushmarrahan in thestreet."
"Crap. You take me into a big-time meeting, one of those guys-probably thatnitwit lard-ass civil governor-will spot me on the street later and tell theworld, There goes that guy that hangs around with Cado pretending to be abodyguard.'"
"There's that risk. But indulge me, Rose. This will be tricky, balancing aresponse between Fa'tad, Sullo, and the Living. Have you heard what happenedto Sullo?"
"I guess not."
"He sent twenty Moretians to take over Hanno bel-Karba's country house yesterday. Today the Living sent their heads back in a trunk." "Really? A little last-gasp derring-do."
"I warned Sullo. He didn't listen. Watch him close. I may have to ask for a special favor soon. He's going to become an embarrassment." Azel grunted. "Watch Fa'tad, too. I have trouble reading him. Have any idea what he's up to in the Shu yet?"
Azel shrugged. "I've heard stories. I don't believe any of them."
"Tell me a few."
"There are caverns under the Shu. That's a fact. In some of the stories the bosses of the maze have filled those with stolen treasure and Fa'tad wants to grab that. In some other stories one of the caverns is a secret passage into the citadel, which Fa'tad plans to loot." "Are these fantasies?"
"I lived in the maze when I was a kid. I never saw no treasure and never heard of no secret passage. Which don't mean they ain't there. Nobody tells a kid nothing."
"Fa'tad thinks he's on to something. He has half his men on it today. You think he's learned something from the prisoners he's taken?"
Azel shrugged.
"I hear he's executed most of them."
"They ain't model citizens."
Cado shook a little silver bell. Colonel Bruda came in. "Sir?"
"I need Rose in a bodyguard costume. Rose, I'd be very grateful if you could find me even one of the men who did in Sullo's Moretians."
"They won't go around bragging."
"That's why there's still a group called the Living. But try."
The other children did not say much but they eyed Zouki in wonder. Some came to touch him quickly, lightly, as though hoping his luck would rub off.
Of all the children taken out of the cage he was the first to be returned.
But then the big man came again and Zouki knew that this time there would be no unexpected reprieve. This time they would do whatever it was they did with children.
Azel was in a foul mood when he entered Cado's meeting. He did not want to be there and he did not like holding his tongue the way he must. He thought a lot about getting out of town.
It was a nice fantasy but not one he took too seriously even though it seemedthe most intelligent course to follow.
Cado nodded to the men who rose to greet him. There were fifty or sixty. Theyranged to either side of a massive table six feet wide and twenty long toppedby a colorful miniature of the north coast from Ocean's shore to Aquira in theeast. Two thirds of the men were Herodian. They stood on the seaward side.
Opposite, Fa'tad al-Akla stood with his captains. Sullo had assumed positionat the far end of the table. He had an ugly female with him. She looked likeshe had gotten away from childhood just last week, but seemed less intimidatedby her surroundings than did Sullo.
His pet witch?
She had the smell. A strong one. She'd be a bad one in another twenty years.
Cado said, "You've heard the bad news. You've had time to think. I have anidea of my own but I'm open to any strokes of genius you've suffered.
Volunteers? No?"
Azel studied Sullo and his witch, uncomfortable because Fa'tad and several ofhis captains were eyeing him. He pretended not to notice, mimicking the sleepyindifference of his fellow guards while trying to catch everything he could.
Cado continued, "Colonel Bruda's people have put out markers on the mapshowing what we know, which is mainly that the Turoks are west of Agadar andmoving our way, staying near the coast. Colonel Bruda has dispatched scouts byland and sea but we'll have been in the field several days before we havetheir reports. Fa'tad, you think they've grown bold enough to violate Dartarterritory?"
One of the Dartars translated for the old warrior though he understoodHerodian perfectly. All part of the game, as was Cado's having ignoredFa'tad's honorifics. He barked an answer translated as, "Not if they hope toget home with their booty."
"I thought not. I presume plunder to be the object of their exercise. Theywon't want a real fight. I'm not spoiling for one, either. So we'll marchalong the coast in easy stages and chase them back the way they came. Fa'tad, I'll need fifteen hundred horsemen. I've already told General Lucillo he'll betaking twenty-five hundred from the Twelfth. I want you on the road as soon aspossible. As soon as naval vessels can be manned and loaded you'll haveoffshore support and supply.
"Four thousand plus naval support should be strength enough to chase theTuroks without us weakening ourselves here."
Right, Azel thought. Even left Cado a little stronger in respect to Fa'tad'sgang, just in case. But what was he up to sending out troops from the Twelfthunder orders from Lucillo, who commanded the Seventh Cadadasca? What was hesaving Marco for? If he was going to use the general from the Seventh, why notits men?
He grinned. Old Fa'tad was all pruned up as he tried to untangle the samequestions. And that pruning was probably the whole answer. A fillip to keep the Eagle wondering.
When the meeting broke up, Dartars would start scurrying around trying to findout if they had overlooked something about Lucillo.
Azel did not lead the sort of life that saw him sitting in on many militaryplanning sessions. He found they were not very exciting. After Cado announcedwho was going to send how many men, it was all pounds of food and fodder, would the temporary span in the Cherico bridge stand up to the passage of anarmy, could soldiers who had been in garrison too long make the march from theSahdri Well to Quadrat in one day or should they be issued an extra canteen?
Should artillery be taken? One faction insisted. Another said it would onlyslow them down because the ox teams could not keep up a fast pace. And soforth.
Cado settled the artillery debate by saying he would load the engines aboardship.
To Azel it seemed calm and professional and about as adventuresome asconversation amongst greengrocers. The Dar-tars did not say much, speakingonly in response to direct questions, which Azel supposed was the way it wassupposed to be, them being the hired hands.
Fa'tad kept an eye on him all the time.
The civil governor was all business, never saying a word. Azel did not learnanything about him.
He got the impression the ugly little witch was there doing what he was, sizing up the boss's enemies. She paid him no mind. Fa'tad made up for herindifference.
The man grew more obvious. Feeling for a reaction? Why? Had one of his gangrecognized the stable boy who had busted a guy up for running off at the mouthabout Qushmarrah?
Trouble with the whole thing was, Cado and Bruda were going to notice. No wayto stop it, though. Just ride it out, like a ship in a storm.
Then the confab was over. Cado hadn't consulted him once. He was pissed. Thatrisk for nothing.