remembered as the Kraken’s Beak by a few of the old folks. It was supposed to be haunted by the shades of eight brothers who had been murdered there in the year of the city’s founding.
Salom had been fleeing to the Parrot’s Beak for time out to think for as long as he could remember. If ghosts there were, they accepted him. He’d never been discommoded by a supernatural intervention.
He perched on the tip of the Beak and without focusing on anything, stared out at what could be seen of Qushmarrah by starlight. A tide of mist was rising from the harbor.
He spent an hour there, then went off down into the Hahr.
Salom hammered till Ortbal’s man opened up. “Yes, Khadifa?”
“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.” He pushed past the protesting batman, stamped through the house. It had several storeys but Ortbal, being lazy, seldom left the ground floor. He noted that the house, like Ortbal himself, had begun to take on airs. He kicked open Sagdet’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 of man who busted in on people. And he was mad as hell. You were careful with Salom when his temper was up. He was unpredictable. Dangerous. Ortbal Sagdet was 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 a blind, senile, dying old man, Ortbal. That was the General and he was in charge every second. He did the talking. Not a word got spoken that he didn’t ask for. He didn’t ask, he didn’t argue, he just told. And he knew about everything 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
Salom had been fleeing to the Parrot’s Beak for time out to think for as long as he could remember. If ghosts there were, they accepted him. He’d never been discommoded by a supernatural intervention.
He perched on the tip of the Beak and without focusing on anything, stared out at what could be seen of Qushmarrah by starlight. A tide of mist was rising from the harbor.
He spent an hour there, then went off down into the Hahr.
Salom hammered till Ortbal’s man opened up. “Yes, Khadifa?”
“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.” He pushed past the protesting batman, stamped through the house. It had several storeys but Ortbal, being lazy, seldom left the ground floor. He noted that the house, like Ortbal himself, had begun to take on airs. He kicked open Sagdet’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 of man who busted in on people. And he was mad as hell. You were careful with Salom when his temper was up. He was unpredictable. Dangerous. Ortbal Sagdet was 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 a blind, senile, dying old man, Ortbal. That was the General and he was in charge every second. He did the talking. Not a word got spoken that he didn’t ask for. He didn’t ask, he didn’t argue, he just told. And he knew about everything 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
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