Aaron thought them quixotic at best. But he also believed they were going tokill Fa'tad, and he did not think it would be long before the dark angelbrushed the Eagle with the shadow of his wing.

Ahead, in front of the house, he saw Laella and her mother. They were notbereaved. His heart spread white wings. Then it soared as he spied Arif.

His son was all right! The nightmare had not come true!

Arif saw him coming and ran to meet him. He snatched the boy up and surroundedhim in a hug almost brutal in its intensity. Arif squealed, surprised. Peoplestared. It was not a culture that encouraged emotional display.

Arif wanted to tell him all the news but he had squeezed the breath out of theboy.

Aaron joined Laella and her mother. His wife had Stafa, their younger son, seated upon her left hip. Stafa was midway between his second and thirdbirthdays, and on his better days he was happy mischief incarnate. Arif was, by contrast, a quiet child, often seeming sad.

The younger boy reached out. "I want some Daddy hugs."

Aaron reached and let him monkey over to sit on the hip opposite Arif, grinning. Aaron told Laella, "I heard. I was afraid it was Arif."

There was pain and relief and guilt in Laella's eyes as she said, "No. It wasZouki. Reyha's Zouki."

"Oh."

Laella's mother watched Fa'tad with the fixity and dispassionate intensity ofa vulture waiting for. a corpse to cool out. "They went after him."

Aaron turned. "What?"

"The Dartar patrol. They were right here when Zouki was taken. Not much morethan boys themselves. The children screamed 'Bedija gha!' and the Dartars wentafter the taker."

She sounded amazed. As if so human a thing was beyond comprehension if done bythe villains of Dak-es-Souetta.

"And?"

Laella said, "Three went in Tosh Alley. And they caught him." She did notsound joyful.

"Something bad happened?"

"They were all burned when they brought them out. Not dead. Not really badhurt. But one of them's clothes was smoldering."