"Tell him to get moving," Fa'tad said. He nodded to Yoseh and Medjhah.
Medjhah said something out the front of the wagon. The Qushmarrahan clamberedup onto the driver's seat and yelled at his oxen.
The wagon lurched forward. "Real racing chariot here," Nogah cracked. Nobodylaughed. Yoseh thought Fa'tad looked more sour than usual. Hard to tell, though. He was wearing his face cloth, which he did not often do.
As they passed each of the other stations occupied by Dartars someone came toreport to al-Akla. Each told him the woman had continued uphill. He receivedtheir remarks with sullen grunts.
Yoseh began to suspect the old man's problem was much like his own. He did notknow what the hell he was doing. Maybe circumstances had conspired to abortthis master plan, or had thrown other possibilities into his path, so that hewas unsure how to proceed.
The wagon reached the head of Char Street, squeaked and rumbled through theacropolis, and began to descend into the Hahr. The men who came to report nowwore Qushmarrahan garb and were more circumspect.
Finally, the wagon halted in a narrow, quiet street. The driver spoke foreveryone when he asked, "What you want to do now, chief?"
Bel-Sidek listened to Meryel carefully, but puzzled. He could see nopercentage in meeting the Herodian, unless just to put him off his guard. Theman wouldn't expect an uprising while they were talking. "Why should I go tothe trouble? Just to get rid of my curiosity?"
"It's the child-stealing thing," Meryel guessed. "The man I saw specificallymentioned Nakar. I'd say Cado is in a panic about that business."
"Think he knows something we don't?"
"Either he thinks he does or he wants you to think he does. He's conversantwith current events inside the movement. He directed his message to youspecifically."
"He had the traitor and the carpenter to advise him. I want to talk to thecarpenter more than I did before. Tell Cado's runner I'm giving a meetingserious consideration. I'll send a messenger to Colonel Bruda withinstructions if I decide it's in my interest to meet. After Cado's man leavestalk the carpenter into coming to see me."
"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.