Billygoat gave him a strange look. "You coming in?"
"No. I just wanted to talk. You heard?"
"Yes. It's around. How are you doing? How's your family handling it?"
"I'm all right now. They're taking it about like you'd expect. But we aren'twithout hope. The Herodians know who did it. Can we talk?"
"Sure." Billygoat wiped his hands on his clothing. He was not fastidious. "Butthis isn't the place. Unless you don't care who listens."
The others had slowed work and were watching. Cullo and another Herodian weredrifting their way. Aaron wondered if this made any sense, after all. "Part Idon't want anybody to hear."
"Let's go for a walk."
"You'll get soaked." He was already.
Billygoat shrugged. "As long as it isn't pouring. I find rain relaxing." Theold man shoved his tools toward his helper. "Clean them up."
Neither foreman stopped Billygoat. None of the workmen spoke to Aaron, thoughsome eyed him with pity.
"You have friends in high places," Billygoat said after they stepped into thedamp. "Never saw anybody excused from work by order of the military governor."
"Really?"
"Messenger was waiting when we came in. Had a letter saying you was to be letoff as long as you needed, without prejudice, the way they say. Signed byBruda and Cado, according to Cullo. He was impressed."
"Trying to back me into a corner, I guess."
They went in beneath the scaffolding on the lee side of the ship they werebuilding. Not much moisture reached them. Billygoat sat on one timber balk, leaned against another. "Talk to me."
Aaron told his story. Billygoat did not interrupt. When Aaron finished, hesaid, "It's a grim tale. If it's advice you're after, all I can say is, yougot to do whatever you got to do to help your boy."
"I understand that. That's no problem. But all those people are pushing meinto the middle of their plots and politics. I don't give a damn about any ofthat. I just want my son back. But whatever I do, somebody will claim Ibetrayed him. They could take it out on my family. How can I get out fromunder that?"
Billygoat picked up some sodden wood chips, pitched them at an invisibletarget. "I don't know, Aaron. I wish I did. I wish I could give you some magicformula. But all I can say is I'm sorry. You got yourself in the classic trap that gets the little guy. Not yout fault, but there you are. When the big guysgo to butting heads they always figure if you aren't with them you got to beagainst them. There's anything practical I can do, I'll help."
"I don't want to get you into it."
Billygoat did not argue.
"There is one thing. Wouldn't put you at any risk." The real reason he hadcome.
"What's that?" Billygoat kept throwing chips.
"Sort of an extra hammer."
"Well?"
"You hear something's happened to me or my family, ask around for somebody whowas at the Seven Towers, in Four. Like Big Turi. Tell them I said it wasNaszif that opened the door. They'll know what that means. Would you do that?"
"Sure, Aaron."
"Thanks. I'd better get back, see if there's any news."
Sullo and Cado watched while Annalaya tried reaching through the corpse ofIshabal bel-Shaduk in an effort to summon his spirit. The governors had setanimosity aside for the moment, in the face of a greater threat.
The woman backed away from the cadaver. Cado thought she looked troubled. Sheshrugged, defeated. "Too late."
Sullo took her into his arms, patted her back. "You did the best you could."
Cado concealed amazement. What was this? She did not appear pleased. "I sowanted to please you, my lord."
Cado thought her tone lacked sincerity. Who was using whom? Cado asked,
"What's our approach now?" Calling up the child-taker's ghost had been a longshot but he had hoped.
The witch disengaged herself from Sullo. "We will have to find the way bytrial and error. As Ala-eh-din Beyh must have." And there was more hidden inher voice when she mentioned that name.
Mystery on mystery. "There's a way? Is Fa'tad on to something?" That would notdo. Let Fa'tad plunder the citadel and the Dartars would melt away faster thansummer snow.
"The entrance appears to be a pattern gate," the witch said. She had an oddaccent, maybe atop a mild speech impediment. "It appears to be a complicatedconstruct. Possibly a double pattern. Probably with inbuilt traps. The firststeps seem too obvious for a sorcerer of Nakar's attainment." Again an oddityof voice, a chilliness, at mention of the name.
"A trap?" Cado had only the vaguest notion what she meant. He was of the oldschooclass="underline" no commerce with sorcery.
"There are certain to be several, some obvious, some subtle, all deadly. Thatis the nature of a pattern. You create a pattern gate to keep people out."
"Be careful, then. Colonel Bruda will give you whatever support you need."
Sullo donned a smirk. "My people can handle this."
"Perhaps." Cado left them, perplexed by the woman, thinking Sullo neededwatching. If-when!-they penetrated the citadel the man would go for thetreasure like a shark to blood.
The big man brought a child into the cage. The other children whisperedexcitedly. There was something special about this one ... He had been broughtback once before. Apparently those who went out did not come back at all.
Arif lifted his gaze.
"Zouki!" He jumped up, then got scared all over again. The big man gave himsuch a funny look. Almost like he hated him ... The big man backed outsideand locked the cage but stayed outside staring. He was scary.
Arif edged toward Zouki. "Zouki?"
The other boy just sat there. There was something creepy about him. Somethingscary. Arif wanted to move away, to hide. "Zouki?"
Zouki looked up. There was no recognition in his eyes. For a moment. Thensomething stirred. He seemed suddenly old and dangerous and much more scary.
Arif backed away, frightened.
"What did you do to him?" Arif shouted. "You're a bad man." He kept backingaway, crying, terrified.
Thunder crashed outside the citadel. The rain fell harder.
Azel watched the soldiers from his eyrie. They had the place surrounded, thePostern of Fate covered. There would be no getting out. If the kid they neededwasn't the one he'd brought in, the siege would turn ugly. There weren't manystores laid in. Of course, if they busted in, things would get even uglier.
He should have done something about Sullo's witch. She was the only tool theyhad. But he'd had no time, even had the notion occurred while it waspractical.
When she woke, the Witch would see why he'd nagged her. This was what he'dwanted to prevent.
Torgo showed up for a little more seducing. "What are you doing?"
"Watching the show and wondering if I'm too old to learn to fly. How's shedoing?"
The eunuch looked worried. "Not good. She extended herself way too much."
Azel spat out the window. That figured. She'd keep right on being more troublethan help. }ust like a woman. "She better wake up before they figure out how to get in here."
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?"