Aaron had not yet gotten the door closed when Naszif demanded, "Where the hellhave you been?" Like he was some child who had wandered without permission.
"I arranged for someone to tell Big Turi who opened that postern if anythinghappens to me or mine." He felt soaked to the bone. He started shedding wetclothing.
Naszif glared, angry, none too afraid, maybe with a touch of hatred.
"There's nothing else to say," Aaron said. "Did you see General Cado?"
"Him and the ugly woman both. Things are moving." Implied, the suggestion thatAaron stick a little closer, in case.
He hung his clothes up, dressed dry, settled down with cheese, bread, andwater. He did not offer to share. After a while, he asked, "What's next?"
"Bel-Sidek wants General Cado to come to him if they're going to meet. Ifthat's what bel-Sidek decides to do he'll send a guide here. I'll take him tothe General. So we just sit."
Sit around and wait for something to happen. As they had done at the SevenTowers.
He wished he had brought his family home. He was feeling as alone as he had inthose bad old days. How soon could he get away from here? How soon would theybe able to come back?
He thought about Arif up there in the citadel, so young, so much more alonethan he, so surely terrified by the collapse of his safe little world.
"Naszif?"
"Yeah?"
"Suppose we let everything else go and just worry about getting the boysback?"
Naszif grunted. He wanted to nap. Nothing to do but sit there and think.
The rain was steady now, though not yet heavy. The clouds seemed to bestirring over the citadel. Yoseh paid no attention. He was soaked to themarrow, miserable, and only marginally grateful that it was no colder. Thebreeze was steady and merciless. And Medjhah had been right about snatchingsleep while the chance was there-damn him!
Yoseh was on the street supposedly pretending to doze while he watched theanimals and kept an eye on Tamisa's place. But he was only supposed topretend. His eyes kept crossing and his vision kept blurring. And Faruk, likehe was psychic, kept coming out to plant a boot in his bottom whenever hestarted to nod.
There was not that much to see. A few people came and went at Tamisa's butFa'tad did not seem interested.
This life in the city of gold was just one breathless adventure after another.
Bel-Sidek was thoroughly irritated by the time Carza deigned to make hisappearance. He was tired and the weather had awakened a pernicious ache in hisleg. Neither improved his temper. More, several of his men from thewaterfront, though told their help was essential, had begged off reportingbecause they did not want to miss work. That was not something to put acaptain into a positive, optimistic frame of mind. What was he running here, some kind of social club?
He had moved across the street and up the hill a few doors from the placewhere Fa'tad had found him. He had gotten men in to replace Meryel's workersbut not enough to put out watchers adequate to his needs. He worried. He wassurviving by the grace of Aram here..
Those of his own who had shown were his best, men who had stood with him atDak-es-Souetta, willing to storm the gates of Hell if he gave the order. Thefive hardest were with him when Carza showed.
"I hope I haven't inconvenienced you too much," bel-Sidek said, not botheringto smother his anger.
"You have. You know damned well you have. Are you having trouble making upyour mind? Or did you just chicken out on bringing down the storm?"
"Sit down." Bel-Sidek nodded to two of his men. They sat Carza down. "No. Ididn't chicken out. I found another way."
"Get your hands off ..."
"Be quiet, Carza. I'll tell you when to speak. Here it is. I know what the oldman planned. And Cado knows. And so does al-Akla. They aren't happy. Luckilythey're preoccupied with the citadel. It's surrounded by Herodian troops.
There'll be no communication with the Witch. Additionally, I, personally, amcategorically, adamantly, inalterably opposed to resurrecting Nakar."
"You're going to chuck the movement because you don't like the way he worked?"
"I didn't say that. I also suggested you keep quiet. I said I'd found anotherway. It has more to recommend it, in my estimation."
"I'm listening."
"Being intentionally abrasive won't help."
Carza made a sour face but kept his mouth shut.
"Al-Akla has offered to abandon the Herodian standard. He's offered to leave Qushmarrah and return to his mountains. He suggested he might be persuaded tohelp clear the city of Herodians. I think it can be arranged so Dartars domost of the clearing."
Carza got more sour by the second.
"To facilitate that sequence the Living need only deliver on a promise madeal-Akla by Cado, six years ago, which he did not fulfill."
"I'll bite. What's the payoff?"
"The contents of the citadel."
Carza looked at him like he was the crazy one.
"Which would constitute no loss whatever because we've never had control of whatever's in there."
"You're kidding."
"Not even a little."
"How are you going to get him in so he can steal our city's treasures?"
Bel-Sidek smiled a smile in which all the pain in his leg smoldered. "That's why you're here, old comrade."
Carza pretended he did not understand.
"I served the General a long time, Carza. I knew him better than his wife did. But there were things he hid from me, just as there were things he concealedfrom her, because he valued our good opinion. For all his foibles andcrotchets I loved him, though it's obvious that at the end he'd become crazierthan a troop of drunken rock apes. I don't think you can convince me he wasn'tthe sort who would ensure that his knowledge survived him."
"Crazy? Why crazy?"
"What sane man would voluntarily resurrect Nakar the Abomination?"
"More than you suspect, evidently. Though that wasn't the meat of the old man's plan. What do you want from me?"
Bel-Sidek paced, giving Carza time to reflect. Then, "I want the key to the citadel. I want it badly." "And I can't give it to you. I don't know what it is." Bel-Sidek stepped to the door. "Sheed." The man came in. "Go to the Minisia. Find Homena bel-Barca. Tell him Carza will be tied up for a while.
He's to act as khadifa till Carza comes back."
Homena bel-Barca was an old friend. Despite being Carza's second his ties were with the moderates. "You can't do this, bel-Sidek."
"I'm doing it. You rejected my authority by refusing my request."
"You push me, you'd better kill me."
"I don't want it that way, Carza. You're valuable to the movement. But if you insist."
Carza gave him a searching look, suspecting he might be serious.
He was, at the moment.
Meryel was right. He had to take charge. He had to show that he was in charge.
"Tell me what I need to know, Carza."
General Cado was extremely uncomfortable clad Qushmarra-han and bundledagainst the rain. No one gave him a second glance but he could not shake afeeling that they all knew what he was and were snickering to themselves. Allpart of the Herodian curse. Everywhere but in the home provinces Herodi-answere out of place, stubby little bald men.
He'd never articulated the curse concept to anyone.
Hell. They were by damn in charge, short or not. They were masters by right ofconquest.
He glanced at the guide Colonel bel-Sidek had sent, sniffing for the taint oftreachery. This was the biggest risk he had taken since he had accepted battleat Dak-es-Souetta, counting on unproven Dartars to give him the day. For allhe had known, Fa'tad's offer had been just a ploy.
He could tell nothing. His companion was as bundled up as he, hunched over ashe marched into the slanting rain. Just a brother in misery.
It was not weather to inspire flights of fancy leading to sudden treachery. Itwas weather for plodding straight ahead, for muddling through. The afternoonwas leaden grey, depressing. The citadel, as they skirted it, was a lump ofwet dark stone, filled with menace, an awakening viper coiled beneath twistingclouds.