Fa'tad responded to the hint by grunting. "I'll find you someone." He told hismen to take care of her wants and to guard her well. They understood. He movedto another part of the Residence. He meant to adopt it as his headquarters.

Reports from his captains looked promising. The ferrenghi, taken from theirblind side, had collapsed everywhere but at the Gate of Autumn and atGovernment House. About the Gate of Autumn he was indifferent. Time would take care there. But who would have thought those soft Government Housefunctionaries would turn stubborn and defy his worst?

He inquired about the progress of the masonry work and learned that theremaining entrances to the labryrinth had been sealed. Excellent.

Four thousand ferrenghi veterans out of the way with hardly a blow struck.

He remained unsettled, though. The Living had manifested their interest andexistence in no tangible way. Yet they were out there watching, waiting, invisible and unpredictable. The longer they did nothing the more dangerousthey would become.

Azel was not an introspective man, not one to look inward for the meaning ofwhat moved him. But time weighed heavily. His thoughts kept turning to themeaning of his own behavior.

And shied away. It almost seemed there were a few soft spots in there. Hebacked away lest he get so close he'd have to face them.

He wanted to admit no weaknesses. He was like a natural force. He acted ...

A clash of arms rose outside. He looked, could tell little in the darkness andrain. No evidence to show who was doing what to whom. But something strangewas afoot in Qushmarrah. None of those soldiers who had charged into the Shuhad shown again.

When there was light enough to make out details he discovered that thesoldiers besieging the citadel had been replaced by Dartars. A few corpses inHerodian white lay on the pavement like bundles of clothing cast off byrefugees too hurried to be burdened by possessions. Though the image thatcrept into his mind was dead kittens.

Dartars? What the hell?

The world had gone crazy.

One by one the lanterns consumed the last of their fuel. As each died theworld underground became a little darker, a little smaller, tighter, and alittle more fearful. The clash of metals and cries of wounded echoed up fromdeeper in the maze. Some of the soldiers were having trouble with those whohaunted the labyrinth. Those ghouls seemed desperate to reach the surface.

What drove them so?

Governor Sullo was incapacitated by terror, one fright short of voiding hisbowels. His Moretians kept him moving as they sought a way out. They also kepthim quiet, knowing the soldiers he had gotten into this fix would need littleprovocation to turn on their self-appointed commander.

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?"