"I walk through walls. Don't worry about me. Worry about what will happen ifyou jump into this the way you're going."

The Witch turned her back. Only Torgo showed interest. Irked, Azel demanded,

"How did we get into this mess in the first damned place?"

The Witch ignored him. Torgo glanced at her, stared at the floor as hecontinued work.

Azel spat, "You put them in that damned time trance because Nakar would've gotstomped dead if you didn't, woman. Remember? Ain't nothing changed, neither.

You wake them up now they're going to go right on from where they left off."

He eyed the Zouki brat. The kid looked back. Damned if the brat didn't looklike he understood. Was the Ala-eh-din Beyh soul awake?

Somebody tried the main door. Torgo glanced at it, frowned. Azel slipped offhis perch. "They're here."

Torgo watched him warily. "Worry about them, Torgo. Not about me. Want to betthey find a way in?" The damned woman hadn't stopped her preparations. Now shewas lying beside the kid on the altar, working on her trance.

Torgo looked at her, at Azel, a rat caught in the open, dogs closing in. "Whatcan we do?"

"Probably not a damned thing. Unless you can make her hear sense. Know how todo that?"

"I don't think so."

"Shit. Do your job, then. And hope Gorloch smiles." Azel drifted toward thedoor as though considering some rude greeting. But as he passed the Zouki kid, he punched the brat so hard he almost broke the boy's neck. "That'll put himout for a while. Get on with it."

The Witch began to murmur. Near as Azel could tell, her whole plan was towaken Nakar and ask him what to do next. Damned moron. Shit for brains. How did anybody let somebody get so much control they turned into a soul slave, stripped of even the sense to harken to survival instinct?

Something turned over inside Azel. For a moment he had the uncomfortablefeeling that he'd glimpsed his true self. As though some impartial observerhad asked what he was doing trapped like a rat.

The sounds of scraping and pounding came from the wall. Them damned cameljockeys knew they couldn't bust the door down so they were going after thewall.

"How long?" Torgo asked, looking that way.

Azel shrugged. He looked at the Witch. "How long you going to be, woman?" Thekid was whispering back, stammering, resisting. Maybe the Nakar soul didn'twant to come out and risk Ala-eh-din Beyh's final vengeance.

He never understood what that was about. Nakar hadn't talked about his enemies, back when. But a long time ago he'd offended somebody bad and there'dbeen a cabal out to get him ever since. A new assassin-wizard had turned upevery few years, each cleverer than the last. Maybe the gods themselvescontended against Nakar. If there was ever a guy who could get the gods downon him, Nakar had been him.

Azel glanced at the time-locked Nakar, at the Witch. What the hell did sheever see in him? "Torgo. You thought about what we discussed?"

The eunuch paused, glanced at the besieged wall, at Azel, at the woman, lookedashamed. He nodded.

"You in?"

Torgo nodded again.

"Good. Maybe we'll get out of this yet." If the ball-less wonder really couldstick a knife in Nakar's back. "Looks like she's getting through." The kid wasstirring, reluctantly.

A stone fell from yon wall. Dust puffed away. "About out of time, Torgo. Canyou wake her up so she can take care of them?" The Witch hadn't responded tohis earlier question.

"I don't think so." Another stone fell. A hand reached through, felt around.

'Til try."

"You do that." Azel stalked over and drove a knife through the hand.

Torgo tried. Azel gave him that. But the Witch wouldn't wake up. Azelsuspected she didn't want to leave the trance's comfort.

The hole in the wall grew. Azel discouraged the Dartars with a spear till henoticed the Zouki brat stirring.

Thunder shook the citadel when the kid raised his gaze to the Witch.

Azel clouted him in the back of the head. "That's enough, Torgo. We can'tforce her. Pick her up. Follow me."

"What?"

"You want to just sit here and wait for those assholes? Or you want to movesomeplace safe?"

"Where?"

"Trust old Azel. He was Nakar's number one buddy. I know stuff about thisplace even she don't. There's a place he put in before any of us was born.

They'll never find it." He didn't believe that but it wouldn't hurt if Torgodid. "We'll have everything we need to finish up." He grabbed the Witch'sthings.

Torgo looked like a condemned man given an unexpected reprieve.

The pounding on the wall continued. A head poked through, ducked back.

Azel limped to the wardrobe, dropped the stuff he carried, opened the panel, tossed the junk through, helped Torgo ease the Witch into the hidden room.

"Let's get the rest." He rubbed his leg. It ached badly. His hand came awayspotted with blood.

They rounded Gorloch's flank as a slim Dartar slithered through the wall. Azelchuckled. "I'd say their timing is about perfect." Torgo gave him a puzzledlook. Azel chuckled again. He was going to find out real soon now. "You'restronger. You lug Nakar. I'll get the kid." He slashed the straps binding theboy to the altar.

The skinny Dartar stayed where he was, helped make the hole in the walllarger.

The boy opened his eyes. His face had changed, darkening somehow. Nakar wasthere. He had heard the Witch's call but hadn't come into this world quiteyet.

Thunder boomed.

Azel grinned as he hoisted the brat. Some lord of Hell was favoring him today.

He stepped to the other kid, lashed out, meaning to break the brat's neck. Heglanced at the Dartars. Four were through the hole now, getting brave, gettingset to charge. He gave them a grin, a wave, said, "Good-bye, assholes," andtook off.

Torgo was lifting Nakar as Azel passed him. Azel clipped him behind one knee.

He collapsed. Azel chuckled again as he rounded Gorloch's image, listening tothe Dartars roar toward the eunuch. One of them howled, "Arif!"

Fa'tad peeped through a crack in the shutters of a second-storey window of acommandeered house. The Living's soldiers had entered the citadel. Finally.

They had dithered forever. "Excellent. Give the signal."

One blast from a horn, taken up at a distance. Black figures, like soddencrows, raced toward the citadel. A wagon appeared. It carried bricks.

At least four of the Living's top men had been sucked in. And Fa'tad knewwhere to grab their commander. Once the' citadel was sealed up the Livingwould be nothing but a nuisance anymore.

"Collect Colonel bel-Sidek," he ordered. He remained rooted, staring out, troubled. Mo'atabar should have reached the top of that tower by now. Butthere had been no signal.

Where was he?

Would Nakar have to be paid, after all?

Dartars scrambled through the hole like rats in flight. Aaron scrambled withthem, clambering atop men, feeling elbows and fists and knees dig into hisflesh as others climbed on him. He tumbled to the floor, glimpsed Arifbouncing on the shoulder of a fleeing man. He yelled, "Arif!"

The Dartars charged a man who was floundering around trying to disengagehimself from a stiff corpse. Aaron froze. That was Nakar! Terror held himrooted.

The man shook loose and rose. He was huge. He hurled Nakar at the Dartars.

Several went down. The rest hit him. He grabbed a javelin from one and a swordfrom another and struck out like a lioness beset by hounds. For a moment itseemed he might overcome them all.

Bellowing, Mo'atabar got his men to back off. The big man began to retreat.

Arrows and javelins hit him. He made no sound. He just looked puzzled, like hecould not believe it.

Reyha brushed past Aaron, keening. "Zouki!" The boy's head hung at an oddangle. She dropped to her knees by the chair where Zouki was tied.