Going downhill within the maze-toward the harbor, not toward the heart of thelabyrinth-proved a bad idea. In places water stood waist-deep. In others itwas as deep but not standing, it was running toward the heart of the maze.
No wonder the vermin were trying for the light. The deep places were filling.
They were being forced out of their fastnesses. People were not the only thingbeing trapped by al-Akla's masonry.
Sullo grew more terrified. He was going to drown ...
The Moretians reversed course and sought salvation upward, growing ever moreimpatient with their employer's wheezing, whining efforts to keep up.
The last lantern gave up.
Raw panic filled Sullo's throat with a shriek that could not tear its wayfree. He managed only a soft, "Don't leave me! Please?"
Soon afterward a big outcry ran through the maze. It took a while to sort outinto any sense because of the legions of echoes.
General Cado had been found and liberated.
That small part of Sullo's brain still capable of reason recognized theexclamation point marking the end of his brief and disastrous reign as masterof Qushmarrah.
Aaron peered through the peephole into a Char Street empty of life. It wasSaabat, the holy day, the day of rest, and it continued to rain, but neitheraccounted for the absence of traffic. No matter what, Char Street bustled withpeople who had places to go and things to do. Except today.
Aaron did not like it. He had a feeling it was, somehow, a little bit hisfault.
He turned away. Mish and Laella were putting the final touches on a bedraggledmake-do breakfast. Eating would be grim for a while.
None of the markets were open. If the rain persisted they would not beproviding much that was fresh tomorrow, either. Country people would not beeager to slog the muddy roads, even though they could be sure of good sales ifthey did.
The Dartar boy ate sparingly, aware that his hosts were short of supplies. Agood one, Aaron thought. For a Dartar. But a Dartar even so. He bore watching.
Aaron accepted a bowl of mushy stuff from Laella, lighted near his mother-inlaw, foreseeing many similar meals. "How do you feel this morning?"
Raheb grunted noncommittally. She had not yet come to terms with the fact thatshe owed her life to a Herodian witch. The foundations of her certainties had been cracked and chipped and it would take her a while to mend then.
Mish and the Dartar were comfortable now, but Mish still did most of thetalking, chattering without letup. Aaron wondered if he had been as empty- headed and naive at that age.
"Yoseh. When do you think al-Akla will try to break into the citadel?"
Mish shut up. The women listened intently.
"Today sometime, sir. As soon as possible. He has to do it fast if he wants itall to work out."
The boy had, so far, shown no inclination to rejoin his brothers. Aaronwondered what special instructions he had received concerning the Habidfamily. "After we eat I think we should go find out what's happening."
The boy nodded though he did not seem taken with the idea.
Stafa asked, "Arif coming home, Dad?"
"I hope so, pretty soon, Stafa." Stafa had proven more resilient than hiselders, except in the heart of the night, when he had been terrified that badmen would come take him away from his mother.
Aaron said, "Laella, if this doesn't work out we're going to have to move."
"I know." She said it with a conviction she usually reserved for Aram's law.
She had something to add, too, but a knock on the door interrupted.
Aaron went, carrying a knife. He looked through the peephole. "Yoseh, it'syour brother." He opened the door.
Yoseh watched Nogah come in, uneasy. He had been given no specific ordersabout what to do after he ducked into the carpenter's house but he was surethey had not planned for him to stay till they came to get him.
Nogah looked at him a moment, shook his head, asked, "You moving in here, kid?
Come on. We have work to do."
Yoseh was too embarrassed to reply.
Tamisa got even for him, sort of. She filled a chipped cup with the pale teaher family drank, went to Nogah and offered it in such a sweet, polite, gentlemanner that he could not refuse without looking an ass.
She came away smiling wickedly. She winked at Yoseh. She had begun to senseher power.
Yoseh waited nervously while Nogah sipped, Mish bustled around, and thecarpenter got himself ready for the rain. Nogah scowled but did not sayanything. He had become defensively uncomfortable under the scrutiny of thetwo older women.
Out of nowhere it occurred to Yoseh to wonder if this rain had reached far enough south to spread some moisture across the mountains. He could imaginethe women and children bustling around trying to salvage every possible drop.
He could see the old men and stay-at-homes trying to reinforce embankmentsmeant to channel streams into shaded and hidden pools. Precious, precious, therain.
Maybe this would be the turning they had been awaiting since he was a child.
Stafa went to Nogah and asked, "I ride horsy?"
"Not today. The horses are all inside. It's raining."
The boy pouted for a moment, then got interested in something else.
"Are you ready?" Yoseh asked the carpenter. V.
"Yes."
Yoseh recalled examples of his father's flowery oratory, thanked the women ofthe house for their hospitality. Nogah stared at him slack-jawed. He openedthe door, let the veydeen precede him, then told Nogah, "Thank Tamisa for thetea and let's go, big brother." He was amused. Service with Fa'tad al-Akla didnot permit many chances to practice the social graces.
The street was deserted. Mounts and gear had been removed. Fa'tad had no moreinterest in the Shu, except to leave a handful of men there to intimidate theveydeen. The exits from the labyrinth were no worry. They had been sealed withfar too many thicknesses of brick to be opened by the men trapped inside.
Yoseh asked, "Where are we headed?"
"The Residence. Fa'tad's made that his headquarters. And us guys have to keepan eye on the ferrenghi witch. She's almost ready to have a crack at gettinginto the citadel."
Yoseh frowned. The carpenter asked, "The witch Governor Sullo brought? She'shelping you now?"
Nogah said, "She doesn't care who she lets inside as long as they finish whatAla-eh-din Beyh started. I get the feeling it's personal." He sounded like hehad trouble believing the woman could be as pliable as she had proven.
They entered the Residence, shook the rain off. Yoseh wondered what they woulddo with the carpenter. Fa'tad would not want him tagging along everywhere.
Nogah said, "Go up those steps there and down the hall to the left. I'llreport in."
"Come on," Yoseh told the veydeen. "Let's see this witch. If we're going to bewatching her we're going to be right in the middle whenever whatever happens."
He was not excited about that. He had a Dartar's dread of sorcery.
The carpenter followed, gawking at their surroundings as much as he did. "Theysay the citadel is a hundred times as rich as this."
"I know," the carpenter said. He seemed too awed for thought or conversation.
They found Medjhah and the others in a large and poorly lighted room where ahomely woman leaned over a table, frowning, oblivious to their presence.
Medjhah, Mahdah, Faruk, and the others surrounded Yoseh, chattering, teasing, obviously pleased that he was unharmed.
That warmed him inside.
They were less effusive than they might have been without an audience. Theywere Dartar and veydeen, and ferrenghi were present.
The carpenter smiled uncomfortably. The woman ignored them so thoroughly theymight not have been there-till she rose suddenly, said, "I'm ready to begin myexperiments," in accented ferrenghi. Yoseh caught only the fact of herreadiness.