"Just like that?"

"You're a persuasive woman."

She harumphed. "I'm going to be an exhausted woman if this back-and-forthkeeps on." She turned around and marched out.

"Got to do something to show her I appreciate her." Bel-Sidek settled, leanedback, closed his eyes, let his thoughts run with the problem of the citadel.

In moments he felt frustrated and powerless.

He must have dozed. When a soft sound startled him awake he found the room full of Dartars. Where had they come from? He scanned them quickly, careful toshow no fear. They were like dogs that way. They could smell it on you.

One asked, "Have you got the boy back yet?"

He shook his head. He had forgotten that one and his threats.

"You have only nine more hours."

Bel-Sidek smiled thinly. When the fog came in no Dartar would be in a positionto cause him any grief. •

Another sat down in front of him. "He suffers from youthful idealism still.

When he is as old as you and I he will see the inconsequence of someone else'schild when matters of policy are at hand."

Fa'tad! And still armed with that gently nasty sarcasm with which he commentedon things Qushmarrahan.

"You're surprised, Colonel bel-Sidek."

"Yes."

"I'm somewhat surprised myself. I've come here with no specific objective inmind."

Liar, bel-Sidek thought. Fa'tad was the last man on earth to make a movewithout knowing exactly what he was doing.

"Perhaps I'm squandering the treasure that is the knowing of how to find you.

Maybe I had a hunch you might have something to say to me, knowing these handshold the balance of power in this factious city."

Bel-Sidek looked the old warrior in the eye, spied a twinkle there. "Do myears deceive me? Do I hear an offer to change sides again?"

"Change sides? No. You didn't hear that. We don't change sides. We'recompletely faithful to the cause of the Dartar tribes. But there have beentimes when we have been deceived and deserted by those who styled themselvesour friends."

"I can't debate that with you. Nakar himself decided that the drought had hurtQushmarrahan agriculture too much to allow sending any of its product awayfrom the city. Cado can pay your hire only because so many thousands ofstomachs were quieted during the war."

"Yet there were ways Nakar could have shown gratitude for services past andhave ensured those services in the future had he been less miserly. But atthat moment he had no need of our savage lances. He had not yet sensed thegathering Herodian storm. When he did he whistled, expecting us to comerunning like dogs. Treacherous curs that we are, we answered maltreatment withmaltreatment."

"Stipulated," bel-Sidek said, pleased that he had found a sarcasm to matchFa'tad's. But the Dartars were not amused.

Fa'tad observed, "This thing with Nakar is most inopportunely timed. Givenanother three days, possibly four, we would have had what we came for andwould have begun our preparations to leave the Herodian standard. We came soclose. But that's the story of our generation."

Bel-Sidek eyed Fa'tad narrowly. The man was up to something for sure.

He would bite. For the moment. Maybe he would learn something. "What did you come for?"

"The treasures of the citadel. We've made no secret of that. They werepromised us by the Herodians. They never meant to keep their promise, ofcourse. They knew we couldn't get inside. But we persevered, and finally foundthe way, and it turns out we can't get into the citadel till probably two daysafter the citadel comes to get us."

"The rumors are true? There's a tunnel from the Shu maze?"

"There is a passage. But like the citadel itself it's sealed off byunbreakable spells. There is, however, nothing to keep determined men frombypassing the blockage by cutting through the rock and going around. But thatis going to take too long."

Bel-Sidek leaned back, unafraid now, confident he had a handle on thesituation. The old man wanted to trade horses. And he was sneaking up on thepoint rather quickly for a Dartar. "Why are you telling me this?"

"You would like us to leave Qushmarrah. You know the circumstances under whichwe would blow away like milkweed seed. Are you wedded to the strategy of yourpredecessor, who never abandoned his allegiance to the dark gods?"

That allegation startled bel-Sidek ... Azel had claimed he had met theGeneral in temple. And Azel had been Nakar's private assassin. "I'm notmarried to the concept."

"Ah. I feared the entire ruling council of your movement was guilty of acynical manipulation aimed at effecting the restoration of Nakar. We have abasis for discussion."

"Uhm?" Let him lead. Let him lead.

"There is another way into the citadel."

"If you're going to suggest that I know it you're sniffing the wrong trail.

I'd have used it to clean the place out long ago. That wealth would buy a lotof weapons."

Fa'tad eyed him. "That has a certain plausibility. Nevertheless, theinformation exists within your organization. Those children have to bedelivered somehow. Hanno bel-Karba was a careful planner. He would have madearrangements to ensure that such a critical piece of information did not getlost if misadventure overtook him ... Ah! I see you've thought of a name."

The Dartars stirred. Fa'tad gestured. They were still.

Bel-Sidek had thought of Carza. And now knew why Cado wanted to see him. Cadowanted that name. He was holding a trump he hadn't known he had. Why shouldn'the play it himself?

Fa'tad said, "You're wondering why you should give these dogs of Dartarsanything. The immediate answer is simple. We have you in our power. And Nogahhere has sworn to kill you when the fog comes in. Your successor will faceeither Nakar the Abomination or, if he is smart enough and quick enough toabort that, the implacable hostility of five thousand Dartars that would keephim from ousting Herod forever. Your cause is dying. In a few years it will expire from old age. On the other hand, if we were to get into the citadel youmight find us grateful enough to aid your cause. And you'll have gained anunvanquishable fortress from which to strike at Herod. Perhaps even throughthe Shu maze. Is that treasure, that you never had, suddenly more importantthan the goals of your movement?"

A central point, bel-Sidek reflected. If the treasures of the citadel wouldbuy independence, wasn't he bound to pay? It was a cheaper fee than any theyhad considered paying before.

"One question. Suppose that treasure is just as much an illusion as thesupposed treasure of the king of the Shu maze?"

"Then I'll have made a great fool of myself. I'll have given Qushmarrah awayand will have done nothing but return a few frightened children to grievingparents. I'm confident of the wealth, however. I visited the citadeloccasionally in older times."

"As did I. Can we state this as a clearly defined undertaking? So I'll knowexactly where we stand."

Fa'tad reflected. "Given the secret of entry into the citadel, which existssomewhere within your organization, my forces will penetrate the fortress.

They will deliver the children held captive there. To you, if you like. Theywill terminate any possibility of the resurrection of Nakar. They will take ofthe treasure of the citadel as they desire. They will hand the fortress overto your forces. They will leave the city to you and the Herodians."

"A good deal, on the face of it," bel-Sidek said. And he believed that. But hewondered what lay behind the smiling face. It seemed too simple, toostraightforward, and maybe too small for Fa'tad al-Akla.

Unless he was under a lot of pressure from home and would have to leave soon, anyway.

That was a good possibility.

"Any my part? Other than learning how you can enter the citadel?"

"Don't make Cado a deal when he comes looking for one."