Cado was concerned about his fleet. If the weather was no worse at sea, wonderful. The breeze would push the ships across the Gulf of Tuhn at six toeight knots. They should reach the far shore sometime tomorrow. The troopsshould be ashore and astride the coast road, behind the Turok raiders, beforenightfall.
He hoped for a great and bloody success, the impact of which would strikeTuroks and Dartars, the peoples of the coastal provinces and his detractors inthe mother city. A few thousand Turoks taken unaware would make a potentstatement.
From the acropolis they descended into the narrow streets of the Hahr. Hewondered how much longer, how much more runaround to confuse him about wherehe was ...
He caught a flash of motion from the corner of his eye. His companion gruntedand pitched forward. Something hit him in the back of the head and on theshoulders. Darkness descended.
He awakened with his hands and feet bound and his head tied into a sack. He was in a wagon. And he was frightened-more for his troops than for himself. Hehad sent both generals into the field.
Bruda was good at what he did. But could he cope with a Sullo? Could he manageif things started falling apart?
It looked like Colonel bel-Sidek had decided it was time the Living moved.
He wondered if anyone would bother ransoming him. Taliga might not want tobother. His sister would profit if her husband fell to an enemy blade.
He developed a tormenting itch in his bladder.
Naszif had gone to Government House with the Living's guide, it seemed foreverago. He had thought Aaron ought to stay, just in case. Now Aaron wished he hadasserted himself and had insisted he go, too. Or at least had told Naszif totell General Cado to send his family home. He was painfully alone here.
Would Naszif return now he had played out the part General Cado had given him?
He hoped not, but feared that was a futile hope. He had caught the eyes of themighty and they were not going to let him slip away.
Someone tapped on the door.
His heartbeat doubled. He started to sweat. He went to peek through thepeephole.
It was the Dartar Yoseh.
He opened up. "Yes?" He smiled. He liked the boy despite himself.
"Fa'tad wants to talk to you."
Aaron did not respond. He stared into the street. It was almost dark out. Therain was not yet a downpour but it was a real rain now, and steady. What theycalled a soaking rain. The sewer channel was alive, snorting and gurgling.
When the weather cleared, Qushmarrah would have a newly scrubbed look and afresh, clean smell.
"Sir, Fa'tad wants to know if he can come talk to you." Sir? Better keep aneye on this boy. "Fa'tad al-Akla?" "Yes sir." The Dartar was amused. "Iunderstand, sir. He scares me, too."
Aaron snorted, a predictable response from a man whose courage had beenquestioned. "He can come. As long as he doesn't blow trumpets and make aDartar carnival out of it."
"He'll be here in a minute." The boy hurried away.
What now? Aaron wondered. He did not retreat from the doorway. The street wasas vacant as ever he'd seen it, barring the presence of the Dartars. Tonight, at least in this area, they had made no pretense of leaving for theircompound.
Fa'tad had on his polite face when he arrived with Yoseh and the boy's olderbrother. Nogah? To make him feel more comfortable, having someone around heknew at least vaguely?
"I'm sorry I can offer no hospitality," Aaron said. "But welcome to my home, anyway."
Fa'tad looked around, comparing the actuality to reports he had received.
"Thank you. That you have received me is hospitality enough."
"To what do I owe the honor of your presence?"
"Ha!" Fa'tad snorted. "You do that almost as well as a Dartar."
Aaron was puzzled. The man must have heard something he had not said. He wasjust trying to be courteous.
Fa'tad said, "I am hoping you will help me carry off something that should getyour boy back. If we move fast."
Aaron was not so naive as to assume Arifs well-being meant anything to Fa'tadal-Akla. The old nomad wanted to use him. But that was all right. He wouldplay if it looked like Fa'tad could deliver.
"Tell me about it." He hoped he could separate fact from tall tales. Heaccounted himself a little too gullible. Look what bel-Sidek had told him. "Iwon't guarantee anything."
"Well spoken! Always examine the horse's teeth. Very well. I will tell youeverything."
When dogs fly, Aaron thought. "Go ahead."
"When I chose to follow the standard of Herod I was promised the treasures ofthe citadel, which would be of great help to rny people. Six years havepassed. I have not yet glimpsed those treasures. General Cado has made noeffort to breach the citadel. A few days ago, curiosity sparked by thekidnapping, I began investigating the Shu labyrinth. From criminals capturedinside I learned of a legend about a secret entrance to the citadel. Isearched for it. I found it. But it is sealed by spells as potent as thoseprotecting the citadel above. I thought to best the spell by tunneling aroundthe blockage. But then we all learned what the kidnappings are about. It wasevident that my method of attack would be too slow. You follow so far?"
"I follow." Aaron smiled weakly. "I don't necessarily believe, but I follow."
He felt wildly daring, talking that way to Fa'tad al-Akla.
Fa'tad smiled back. His raptor's face seemed to fall into a smile naturally, which was astonishing. "A skeptic. Good. A man does well to be skeptical intimes like these. So. The nature of the game, and the stakes, changed lastnight. And then again this afternoon."
Startled, Aaron asked, "This afternoon? What now?"
"General Cado has disappeared. Rumor says the Living have taken him captive. Ipresume to prevent him from interfering with their effort to resurrect Nakarthe Abomination."
That was a blow to the heart. And he had heard enough around Government Houseto suspect General Cado's disappearance would throw the garrison into chaos.
Al-Akla continued, "Governor Sullo will try to assume Cado's responsibilities.
It's one of the promises he made to the people who sent him here. I do notwant him in control. Another promise he made was that he would, once heobtained the power, abrogate Cado's treaties and begin looting Qushmarrah'streasures-especially those of the citadel, which grow more fabulous with every telling."
Aaron suddenly feared for his family, caught in a squabble between theResidence and Government House. He demanded,
"How can you know what Sullo promised anybody before he left Herod?"
"We may be savages, carpenter, but we do have our friends across the greatshining water." Fa'tad's voice was edged with sarcasm.
Aaron began pacing. If this was even half true he had to get his family out ofharm's way. And what about Arif? His gut feeling about Governor Sullo was thatthe man did not give a damn what happened to Qushmarrah's children.
"What do you want?"
"I want to divert Sullo. I want to appeal to his greed and so distract himwhile I find General Cado and steal Sullo's witch. Without her he cannot goanywhere. What I need from you is for you to run breathless to Sullo to reportthat the Dartars are only a few hours short of breaking into the citadel fromthe maze. I hope he will chase us off and waste a few days hunting for theway. We won't tell him where it is."
It did not add up. Aaron said so. And he asked, "How does this get you intothe citadel?"
Fa'tad thought a moment, as though trying to decide if he ought to say more.
"Uhn. I intend to use his witch. She's our only hope of getting in there intime."
"But ..."
"No more answers. No more questions. You know enough already to destroy me ifyou develop a sudden sympathy for Governor Sullo. I am going to return to myalley now, leaving you to reflect. Leaving you with the assurance that thefirst thing we will do once we break through is find your son. In fact, if youwish, you may go with us when we storm the citadel. Nogah. Yoseh. Come."