roads. If I don’t show up tomorrow night. What will 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.”
“So I’d better do some thinking.”
“Will you be there?”
“You’ll find that out when you walk in the door, Salom.” Sagdet smiled. That only made his pudgy face look malicious.
Edgit knew he had no intention of showing.
* * *
Azel paused to lengthen the wick in the little lamp inside the door. A voice croaked, “I’m in bed.”
Azel stepped into the bedroom. The old man looked terrible. He set the lamp down. “You were waiting? You were that confident I would get your message right away?”
“No. I sleep a lot but I’m a very light sleeper. You woke me when you opened the door.”
Azel felt he had not made enough noise to disturb a mouse. “I’ll have to lighten my step.”
“I have very good ears. Was that you with the boy in the alley today?”
“It was. It was a close thing.”
“The Dartars were so interested Fa’tad himself came out to poke around.”
Azel was astonished. “Really?”
“Yes. You be careful. That man has a nose better than my ears. Lay off for a while. You don’t have to round up the whole population overnight.”
“Tell it to the Witch. I tried. She’s got a thirty-brat backlog and it takes three days to make sure each one isn’t the one she’s looking for. But she won’t slow down. She’s gotten obsessed with the idea that she’s got to get all the kids rounded up before any of them kick off. Like she’s sure that if even one of them croaks that’ll be the one she wants and she’ll have to do the whole damned thing over again.”
“Behind another five- or six-year wait. I can understand her anxiety. I share it. I won’t live that long and I’d like to see results before I go. But not negative results, which is what we’ll get if Cado or Fa’tad catches on. Fa’tad’s behavior today indicates that caution is necessary. Would it do any good if I were to admonish her myself?”
“No. Her deal with us is a marriage of convenience. She’s only interested in getting what she wants.”
“Any suggestions?”
Azel answered with an uncharacteristic shrug. “I walked out. For the time being. That’ll slow her down.”
“But she has other help.”
“Yeah. Two other guys.”
“Are they any good? Who are they?”
“They’re good. Not as good as me, but good. One is named Sadat Agmed. He’s in it for the money. The other is Ishabal bel-Shaduk.”
“Comes of religious stock, no doubt.”
“Very. He’s the fanatic.”
“The other sounds Dartar.”
“His father was. He hates them.”
“Could you persuade them to lay off for a while, too?”
“I doubt it. I’m not supposed to know who they are.”
“I’ll think about the problem. Anything else? Anything from Cado’s direction?”
“He’s expecting a new civil governor any day now.”
The General smiled. A rare event. “That would be what? The eighth since the conquest?”
“Ninth. They just send people they’d rather not have around but don’t dare kill in Herod.”
“And the Living take the blame.”
“Or harvest the credit. Was there some reason you sent for me?”
“The problem in the Hahr has become critical. As I feared. Quick action now appears to be the only long-term solution.”
“Ah?”
“This is a difficult thing.”
“Is it? How soon do you need it?”
“Sunset tomorrow at the latest. But the sooner the better.”
“That’s tight.”
“It will become difficult after that time. I thought you were going to scout the terrain should action become necessary.”
“I did.”
“Can you manage?”
“If I must.”
“You must. Will you need help?”
“No.”
“Let me know when it’s done.”
“Right.” Azel walked away from the old man. He tapped the lamp wick down and put it back where he had found it. Then he went out
“I don’t know.”
“What can he do?”
“You take that attitude you might find out. He for sure won’t sit still.”
“So I’d better do some thinking.”
“Will you be there?”
“You’ll find that out when you walk in the door, Salom.” Sagdet smiled. That only made his pudgy face look malicious.
Edgit knew he had no intention of showing.
* * *
Azel paused to lengthen the wick in the little lamp inside the door. A voice croaked, “I’m in bed.”
Azel stepped into the bedroom. The old man looked terrible. He set the lamp down. “You were waiting? You were that confident I would get your message right away?”
“No. I sleep a lot but I’m a very light sleeper. You woke me when you opened the door.”
Azel felt he had not made enough noise to disturb a mouse. “I’ll have to lighten my step.”
“I have very good ears. Was that you with the boy in the alley today?”
“It was. It was a close thing.”
“The Dartars were so interested Fa’tad himself came out to poke around.”
Azel was astonished. “Really?”
“Yes. You be careful. That man has a nose better than my ears. Lay off for a while. You don’t have to round up the whole population overnight.”
“Tell it to the Witch. I tried. She’s got a thirty-brat backlog and it takes three days to make sure each one isn’t the one she’s looking for. But she won’t slow down. She’s gotten obsessed with the idea that she’s got to get all the kids rounded up before any of them kick off. Like she’s sure that if even one of them croaks that’ll be the one she wants and she’ll have to do the whole damned thing over again.”
“Behind another five- or six-year wait. I can understand her anxiety. I share it. I won’t live that long and I’d like to see results before I go. But not negative results, which is what we’ll get if Cado or Fa’tad catches on. Fa’tad’s behavior today indicates that caution is necessary. Would it do any good if I were to admonish her myself?”
“No. Her deal with us is a marriage of convenience. She’s only interested in getting what she wants.”
“Any suggestions?”
Azel answered with an uncharacteristic shrug. “I walked out. For the time being. That’ll slow her down.”
“But she has other help.”
“Yeah. Two other guys.”
“Are they any good? Who are they?”
“They’re good. Not as good as me, but good. One is named Sadat Agmed. He’s in it for the money. The other is Ishabal bel-Shaduk.”
“Comes of religious stock, no doubt.”
“Very. He’s the fanatic.”
“The other sounds Dartar.”
“His father was. He hates them.”
“Could you persuade them to lay off for a while, too?”
“I doubt it. I’m not supposed to know who they are.”
“I’ll think about the problem. Anything else? Anything from Cado’s direction?”
“He’s expecting a new civil governor any day now.”
The General smiled. A rare event. “That would be what? The eighth since the conquest?”
“Ninth. They just send people they’d rather not have around but don’t dare kill in Herod.”
“And the Living take the blame.”
“Or harvest the credit. Was there some reason you sent for me?”
“The problem in the Hahr has become critical. As I feared. Quick action now appears to be the only long-term solution.”
“Ah?”
“This is a difficult thing.”
“Is it? How soon do you need it?”
“Sunset tomorrow at the latest. But the sooner the better.”
“That’s tight.”
“It will become difficult after that time. I thought you were going to scout the terrain should action become necessary.”
“I did.”
“Can you manage?”
“If I must.”
“You must. Will you need help?”
“No.”
“Let me know when it’s done.”
“Right.” Azel walked away from the old man. He tapped the lamp wick down and put it back where he had found it. Then he went out
Similar Books
