Meryel shuddered. Her expression now was one of doubt.

"They're looking for the traveling soul of Nakar the Abomination up there."

"Who is?"

"His wife. The Witch. And Azel the Destroyer. They're stirring through thesouls of children, looking for Nakar. And judging from the effort they mountedtonight they think they've found him. She must have had a bitter falling outwith the General if it was enough to make her come out and kill him."

"I'll trust you, Sisu. I'll do what you think needs doing. But I don't believeall that."

"But don't you see? It's the only way it all hangs together."

"They're all dead up there, Sisu. And they have been for a long time."

"We don't know that at all. We don't know what happened that day except thatNakar and Ala-eh-din Beyh killed each other. I think the Witch survived. Ithink she's been biding her time till the moment was ripe."

"You may be right." She was going to humor him. "But you have more practicalproblems right now. You're going to war in eighteen hours. Remember?"

He remembered. He went inside and began composing messages. But his thoughtsremained on Nakar and the General's mad scheme for freeing Qushmarrah.

And as he thought, he gradually became aware that he had come face-to-facewith the great moral choice of his life.

The General had loved Qushmarrah completely, unreservedly, blindly, and noprice had been too great to pay to rid its streets of the tread of foreignsoldiers. Bel-Sidek had loved that old man as blindly, but did he love him somuch that he would allow his nightmare dream to come true?

Aaron stood at General Cado's right on a balcony high on the face ofGovernment House. Cado stared through the drizzle at the citadel. Naszif stoodat Cado's left. No one else was there. Aaron was not sure why the Herodian hadbrought them up, into the rain.

"Are you a courageous man, Mr. Habid?"

Aaron had had that question in his own mind often since the attack on hishousehold. "No. Not usually."

"Can you be brave for the sake of your son?"

"I'll do whatever I have to do." If he could, he thought. He was not sure hewould not freeze when it mattered most. Even the Seven Towers had been no true test of his mettle. He'd never had any options there.

"You don't sound sure of yourself."

"I'm a carpenter, General."

"Yes. That's right. You see that over there, Mr. Carpenter? The citadel? Yourson is in there. I have no idea how much time he has, but you can bet theywon't wait any longer than they have to. We have to do whatever we can as fastas we can. Or we all lose. I, a city. You, a son. I've already put in motionall the machinery at my command."

Aaron wished Cado would get to the point. The more the man danced around itthe more nervous he became.

"There's one avenue yet to be pursued. The Living."

"What?"

"I want to appeal to Colonel bel-Sidek directly."

Aaron stared at the man. He was mad!

"I want you to go home and wait. I'm confident bel-Sidek will try to contactyou. He'll want to know what went on here tonight and how much you told us.

We'll make it easy for him. We'll hang you out there without anybody watchingor protecting you so there's the best chance you can deliver my message. Youronly resource will be Colonel bel-Abek, who will accompany you as myrepresentative. Because he has as much at stake as you do."

This was Naszif s first hint of what his role was to be. Aaron noted that he did not seem thrilled. But he did not protest, either.

Aaron himself was rattled and confused. All he could say was, "But I have towork tomorrow."

Cado looked at him directly, amazed. "I'll intercede with your employer. Areyou going to help or not?"

"What do I have to do?"

"Just go home and wait till you're contacted. Colonel bel-Abek will make myrepresentation for a personal meeting."

"What about my family?"

"Take them with you if that makes you more comfortable. Or leave them here ifyou think that would safer." Cado turned to Naszif and began givinginstructions.

Aaron paid no attention. He stared at the citadel but did not see it. He didnot think much, either.

He had frozen, as he'd always feared he would.

"Mr. Habid? What are you going to do?"

"Yes. All right. I'll do it."

He felt ashamed. He had said that for no high, holy, or heroic reason but justbecause he wanted no one, ever, to judge him in comparison with a despicablecreature like Naszif.

Azel slept poorly, not just because of his wounds. He had no trust in his ownsafety, though he had holed up high in the citadel, in a cubicle difficult toapproach and easy to defend. Torgo had come once, to report his messagedelivered and maybe to be seduced a little more. He did not trust the eunuchnot to return with a knife.

He wakened to the sort of spine tingle he got when danger was near, but aquick survey showed him it must be his imagination. Unless ...

He watched out the small, glassless window for half a minute. A woman cameinto view, walking slowly, studying the citadel.

Sullo's witch. No wonder he had the nerves.

They had it figured out. Their countermoves had begun. Those would be animatedby total desperation. They were in a race against a deadline they could notdetermine, so they would come hard and fast, from every angle and witheverything they had.

How good was she? Could she find the Postern of Fate? Could she unravel itspattern, traps, and alarms? How lucky was she? Ala-eh-din Beyh had succeededas much through luck as through talent.

As desperate as they would be, they would make their own luck.

It would be a race against time from this end, too.

Arif did not sleep at all. He sat in the great cage and cried, a slave tobewilderment and terror.

The Witch slept a deeper sleep than ever she had slept. She had spent toolavishly of her physical resources. She would be longer than usual comingback.

Aaron did nothing but trudge along silently, heading home, head bent in therain. Rainwater trickled down the back of his neck and carried the salt of nervous sweat into the abrasions on his face. Naszif seemed content to carryon without conversation. They had a job to do, they knew what it was, andthere was no need to belabor it with false chatter or to burden it with insincere camaraderie.

This was an alliance of necessity, not of love.

The rainfall was still something short of a full drizzle but it had beenfalling long enough to wash away the city's patina of dust and get started onthe layers of grime underneath. Char Street was thoroughly wet and slick.

Aaron heard the occasional gurgle from the sewer. Some water had begun toaccumulate in the channel.

Much more would be needed to cleanse it. This little bit would just stirthings up and make the stench riper.

Much more would be needed to fill the reservoirs and rain barrels of Qushmarrah, all of which were low. There was talk about a public works projectto recover more of the water from the springs that fed Goat Creek.

Aaron would have said these things to another companion, or another might havesaid them to him.

Two Herodian soldiers remained on guard inside Aaron's home. They had notbeen frugal with his candles, which exasperated him, but neither had theyrobbed him, so he supposed he could count himself lucky. Naszif dismissedthem.

Aaron latched the door, lay down with hopes of getting some rest.

That was impossible, and not just because Naszifs pacing bothered him. Goblinsof fear pranced and wrestled and giggled through the caverns of his mind. Nomatter where he turned his thoughts, he encountered a haunted shadow.

It was like those nights in the pass six years ago when he had not been ableto sleep nights for fear of the events of the following day.