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."

Out they went.

Aaron snuffed the one candle he had had burning, sat in the dark thinking.

Arif haunted every moment.

The nightmares were real now.

Yoseh asked, "Did you mean that about going after his son before anythingelse, sir?"

"Hell, yes. If the boy was unfortunate enough to inherit the soul of Nakar theAbomination, then he is the key to our survival. He has to be gotten away fromthe Witch. At whatever the cost."

Yoseh did not like the tone of that but he had exhausted his store of daring.

Medjhah heard them stirring, came to meet them. He whispered something toFa'tad that Yoseh did not catch. Fa'tad grunted and hurried toward thealleyway.

The darkness was crowded. The troop had a stranger under guard there. "Colonel bel-Sidek," Fa'tad said. "I had begun to fear we wouldn't see you again."

"But I had to come," the veydeen replied. "It's almost time for the fog to roll in." He sounded amused. "Though I doubt there'll be any fog tonight, in this."

Yoseh thought al-Akla sounded like he was trying to suppress excitement when he asked, "Did you get me what I need?" "No. Unfortunately. The man I thought might know has proven stubborn. He insists he doesn't know. I've come to suspect the chances are at least even that he's telling the truth." Fa'tad did not say anything for a minute. No one else said a thing. Then,

"Give him to us. We'd find the truth in an hour."

"No doubt. And then be dead before morning." "Eh?"

"No. I've alienated half my organization already. Basically, I've bet my life on you as the alternative to the restoration of Nakar. I won't push the hardliners any farther." Several men growled. A few made threats. The Qushmarrahan said, "Do as you will. But if I'm not back soon the hard-liners will take control. Before dawn the streets will be red with blood. You'll recall that some misguided Qushmarrahans would rather spill Dartar blood than Herodian." Fa'tad grunted. Men stirred angrily. The Eagle said, "Go back to your men.

Remember that the sands are running through the glass. A minute of delay may be the minute Nakar needs. Go." The Qushmarrahan went, limping.

Someone asked, "How come you turned him loose?"

"He was telling the truth. And I have no wish to leave your body on a Qushmarrahan street, to be torn by dogs and abused by children."

No one argued with that.

"We aren't in a position to deal with rebellion. Too much is happening."

Yoseh was puzzled. But Fa'tad was not going to explain. Fa'tad was being Fa'tad, whose thoughts were known to none.

Yoseh wondered why he did not, at least, have the veydeen followed.

Azel pried himself away from the window. What the hell was he watching for? He couldn't do anything if he did see something coming.

He needed to move around. His body was going to petrify.

"Getting too damned old," he muttered, feeling his wounds far more than he would have years ago.

His stomach was a knot. He had not eaten. He had just plain forgot. He headed downstairs.

He stopped off to mix and gulp an analgesic draft, went on to the kitchen. He ate what was available without complaining. He learned that the stores situation was not as grim as he feared, though there would be nothing fresh for a while. After eating he limped down to look at Nakar and Ala-eh-din Beyh. Nothing had changed. Unless the darkness was a little deeper.

He stood there a long time, letting silence surround, enfold, enter him. He wondered if the General's scheme would have worked. Nakar always had possessed a keen sense for danger. Might still find out if the Witch came around in time.

Yes. It could work out. It could.

"There you are. I heard you were roaming around."

Startled, Azel faced Torgo. He turned a retort into a grunt. "Catching up on my worrying. Any improvement in her?" "Not yet." The eunuch was troubled. "I've never seen her sleep so deep so long."

"She wouldn't listen." Azel moved toward the doorway. "But maybe we're not so pressed. I been watching the Herodians. If they're trying to get in they're doing a good job of hiding it."

"That's good to hear." Torgo had something on his mind but could not quite get to it. "I'm going to eat now. Want to come along?" What the hell? Just as polite, Azel replied, "Sorry. I just ate. Going to go back up and watch now."

"Later." "Sure."

Azel watched the eunuch out of sight. Maybe he would be easy, after all. The General's scheme might get its test yet. With Torgo safely in the kitchen Azel sneaked into the Witch's bedchamber. No woman looked her best in the midst of sleep but she looked worse than he expected. She seemed aged a decade since he had seen her last.

He left in a hurry, unsettled, pained.

Colonel Bruda scowled at his visitor. "Don't press me, Governor. I spent the day in the mud and rain, prospecting for a body I never found. I'll have moreof the same tomorrow if General Cado's disappearance is a false alarm. If itisn't, I have my orders. They're very specific when it comes to dealing withthe civil authority."

Sullo smiled and nodded. He had not yet spoken.

"I've been back a half hour and haven't sat down yet, let alone cleaned up orfed myself. I'm in a bad mood. I won't play power games. I'll stick to myorders regardless. Am I clear?"

"Perfectly clear, Colonel. Perfectly. I'll keep that in mind. Meantime, mightI broach the matter which brought me here?"

"Certainly, Governor." He doubted Sullo would. "Though I'd appreciate brevity.

I want to get after this supposed disappearance." He had Colonel bel-Abekwaiting in the next room.

"Of course. I came to express my support and to inquire if the military haveprisoners we might use in experiments meant to help penetrate the citadelgate." Bruda looked at the man, wondered how he could, without Rose's knife, put him out of the way neatly, with no kickbacks.