“Unexpected? I doubt it,” Balastro said, but some of the harshedge was gone from his voice: Qutuz had picked a particularly smooth,particularly potent wine. Still, he did not sound accommodating as he went on, “Unlessyou can speak the truth when you tell me your kingdom isn’t taking in Kaunianfugitives.”

“No, I cannot do that, and I do not intend to try,” Hajjajreplied. “Zuwayza is indeed taking in Kaunian refugees, and will continue to doso.”

“King Mezentio has charged me to say to you that your giving havento these fugitives”--Marquis Balastro clung to his own word--”cannot beconstrued as anything but an unfriendly act on the part of your kingdom.” He glaredat Hajjaj; the wine hadn’t softened him so much after all. “Algarve knows fullwell how to punish unfriendly acts.”

“I am sure of it.” Hajjaj glared back. “Is Mezentio thinking ofusing us as fodder for his mages to kill to power their sorceries, along withhowever many Kaunians you have left?”

The sheer insolence of that, far out of character for Hajjaj, madeBalastro lean forward in surprise. “By no means, your Excellency,” he repliedafter a pause for thought. “But you are an ally, or so Algarve has believed. Doyou wonder that we mislike it when you clasp our enemies to your bosom?”

“Zuwayza is a small kingdom of free men,” Hajjaj replied. “Do youwonder that we welcome others who come to us looking for freedom they cannotfind in their own lands?”

“I wonder that you welcome Kaunians,” Balastro growled. “And youknow cursed well why I wonder that you welcome them, too.”

“Indeed I do.” Hajjaj pulled the city directory out of the drawerwhere he had put it a few days before and opened it to one of the dog-earedpages. “I see here the name of Uderzo the florist, who has been here for thirtyyears now-- since he got out of Algarve at the end of the Six Years’ War. Andhere is Goscinnio the portraitist. He has been here just as long, and got herethe same way. Do you think Forthweg and Jelgava and Valmiera and Lagoas weren’tscreaming at us for taking in Algarvian refugees? If you do, sir, you’re daft.”He opened the directory to yet another marked page. “I can show you a greatmany more, if you like.”