Hajjaj considered that for a moment, thenchuckled wryly. “I don’t suppose King Swemmel crouches under his throne fromfear of our parading through the streets of Cottbus on these ugly, mangy,ungainly brutes.” He patted the side of his camel’s neck with what lookedsomething like affection.

Muhassin stroked his camel with what wasobviously the genuine article. “Don’t listen to him, Sunbeam,” he crooned. “Everyoneknows you’re not mangy.” The camel rewarded that limited endorsement bytwisting around and trying to bite his knee. He smacked it in the nose. It letout a noise like a bagpipe being horribly murdered. Hajjaj threw back his headand laughed. Muhassin gave him a wounded look.

A column of glum-looking Unkerlanters cametoward them. Naked Zuwayzi soldiers herded the men in rock-gray along. TheZuwayzin were in high spirits, singing and joking about the victories they’dwon. They also made comments their captives were lucky they could notunderstand.

“Stop them for a moment, Colonel, if you’dbe so kind,” Hajjaj murmured to Muhassin. The officer called orders. Thecaptives’ guards shouted in broken Unkerlanter. The light-skinned men halted.In Algarvian, Hajjaj asked, “Does anyone speak this language?”

“I do, sir,” an Unkerlanter said, steppingforward.

“Don’t you wish your kingdom would havelet mine alone?” Hajjaj asked him.

“I don’t know anything about that, sir,”the captive said, bowing low as he would have to one of his own nobles. “All Iknow is, they told me to come up here and do my best, and that’s what I triedto do. Only trouble is, it didn’t turn out to be good enough.” He looked warilyat Hajjaj. “You won’t eat me, will you, sir?”

“Is that what they tell you Zuwayzin arelike?” Hajjaj asked, and the Unkerlanter nodded. Hajjaj sighed sadly. “You don’tlook very appetizing, so I think I’ll be able to do without.” He turned toMuhassin. “Did you follow that?”