"With him I may need it."
The night had grown cool and clammy. Dew had started to form. Down nearer theharbor it would be getting foggy. The air was still as death. His heels sentechoes frolicking through the night. He did not sense anyone following him. Hesaw no sign of Muma's sons. But they were good. They would not be seen, unlessby a watcher a moment before the risks of his trade caught up.
Nevertheless, Azel took his usual detour through the Shu maze, where the onlyway a follower could stay on him would be by sorcery. He knew the maze wellenough to walk it eyes closed at midnight.
In places it was just as dark at noon.
He left the maze for Char Street through the same alleyway he had used thatafternoon. Fog had gotten that far up the hill already. He turned right.
And three steps later nearly collided with a man and woman coming downhill. Hemuttered an apology as, startled, they dodged around him. His own damnedfault, walking on cat feet, listening for footsteps behind him and paying noattention at all to the path ahead. He followed their hasty footsteps andurgent, whispered reassurances without turning his head. He let his heels falllike those of an honest man so they would know he hadn't doubled back on them.
He walked a hundred yards past his destination, then crossed Char Street andreturned downhill on quiet feet. A hundred yards below his destination he crossed again and walked uphill. There was no sign of the couple he hadstartled. Nor were there any of the watchers against whom his maneuver wasdirected. He had not expected any, but when you had an al-Akla and a Cadofinagling on the occupier's side you took precautions.
He glided to the door and inside with serpentine grace.
Salom Edgit had not gone home after leaving the General, though hislieutenants were there awaiting his report. Instead, he had gone a half mileout of his way, to an upthrust of rock called the Parrot's Beak by most butremembered as the Kraken's Beak by a few of the old folks. It was supposed tobe haunted by the shades of eight brothers who had been murdered there in theyear of the city's founding.
Salom had been fleeing to the Parrot's Beak for time out to think for as longas he could remember. If ghosts there were, they accepted him. He'd never beendiscommoded by a supernatural intervention.
He perched on the tip of the Beak and without focusing on anything, stared outat what could be seen of Qushmarrah by starlight. A tide of mist was risingfrom the harbor.
He spent an hour there,then went off down into the Hahr.
Salom hammered till Ortbal's man opened up. "Yes, Khad-ifa?"
"I need to see Ortbal."
"His Lordship is sleeping, sir."
"His Lordship? You go tell Ortbal to get his fat royal butt up before ...
Never mind. I'll tell him myself. His Lordship. Aram have mercy on fools." Hepushed past the protesting batman, stamped through the house. It had severalstoreys but Ortbal, being lazy, seldom left the ground floor. He noted thatthe house, like Ortbal himself, had begun to take on airs. He kicked openSagdet's bedroom door.
There was light aplenty inside. Ortbal was at his pleasures.
"You! Out!" Salom snapped at the woman.
She fled like a whipped dog.
Ortbal reddened, but he restrained his anger. Salom Edgit was not the kind ofman who busted in on people. And he was mad as hell. You were careful withSalom when his temper was up. He was unpredictable. Dangerous. Ortbal Sagdetwas not the sort to put himself at risk. "You're upset, Salom."
"Damned right, I'm upset. Look at you! ... Yes. I'm upset. I'm overreacting.
I know it and I can't stop."
"Rough meeting?" The slightest concern edged Sagdet's voice.
"You should have been there."
"I was making a statement by staying away."
"Your statement was heard, understood, and dismissed as trivial. That wasn't ablind, senile, dying old man, Ortbal. That was the General and he was incharge every second. He did the talking. Not a word got spoken that he didn'task for. He didn't ask, he didn't argue, he just told. And he knew abouteverything that's been going on."
"King."
"No. More than King."
"You'd better give me the details." Sagdet's concern was plain now.
Salom told it. Sagdet interjected questions as he progressed.
"No reprisals at all?"
"Those were his orders."
"My people are going to be real irritated about that."
"I don't think he cares, Ortbal. You know that? I don't think he's concerned about your ..." "Stuff the moralizing and get on with it." And a minute later, "Did he say how I'm supposed to raise operating funds?"
"If the old man was here he'd just look at this bordello and tell you he lives where he lives."
"He would. The old bastard expects us all to live like vermin."
And later, Sagdet exploded with incredulity. "He said I'd be there tomorrow night?" "He did. And you'd better show. You miscalculated your time and started your break too early. You'd better back off. Let time finish its work."
"Time, huh?"
Ortbal asked several questions. Then, "What did he hit you with, old friend?"
"He told me I had to decide if I was a thief or a soldier."
"And you've made up your mind, haven't you? You still buy this foolishness called the Living. After six years of Herodian occupation you still think that crazy old man can do what armies couldn't."
"That isn't the question, Ortbal. I don't know if he can do it or not.
Probably not. That doesn't matter. He told me to decide if I'm a thief or a soldier. I'm not a thief. I came here because I owe you the debts of friendship. I had to caution you. I've acquitted my obligation." "Probably expected you to run straight here, too. Twisted your tail just so and here you came."
"Maybe."
"So we come to a parting of roads. If I don't show up tomorrow night. Whatwill he do if I don't show?"
"I don't know."
"What can he do?"
"You take that attitude you might find out. He for sure won't sit still."