Max Allan Collins

and surveyed the landscape on both sides of the wall, ascertaining whether their killing had been silent enough. Apparently it had. Then he raised two fingers to his lips and whistled.

Tied to a hitching post in the midst of the bazaar, the albino camel perked her ears at the shrill familiar sound. The beast promptly reared up on her hind legs, and brought her front hooves down, hard, on the hitching post, smashing it to splinters.

Then, dragging what little remained of the post, Hanna galloped off into the darkness, summoned by her master.

The Akkadian climbed down the rope, to join his friends just outside the gate. Hanna suddenly ap­peared beneath him, and he dropped onto her back; he stroked her neck —he felt complete again ... or as complete as he could, without the other female he loved.

'Well done,' Mathayus told the little group. 'Ev­eryone know what to do? ... Balthazar?'

'Cripple the guard,' the Nubian said.

'Isis?'

'Secure the door,' the warrior queen replied.

'Philos?'

'Seal them in,' the scientist said.

'Arpid?'

But the little thief was staring at his sandals.

'Something wrong, partner?' Mathayus asked, guiding the camel over to the little man.

'Nothing ... no.' Arpid was shuffling his feet.

'Look at me.'

Arpid raised his head, but still did not look di­rectly at the Akkadian; his eyelashes were damp. 'It's just... no one has ever trusted me, before— not with something this important.'

'Partner.'

Now Arpid's eyes met the assassin's.

With a simple and absolute confidence so typical of him, Mathayus said, 'I trust you.'

The thief seemed filled with a new confidence. 'I won't let you down.'

'I know.' To the entire group of warriors—for even the thief and scientist were warriors now, a small army taking on a mighty fortress city—the Akkadian said, 'All right, my friends—this is the time. Be careful. Keep your eyes sharp.'

Balthazar said, 'Akkadian . ..'

Mathayus turned toward the giant in the harem outfit. Would the Nubian protest his leadership, at this late stage?

But all the mountain of a man said was, 'Watch yourself.'

Mathayus could only smile. 'Thank you for your concern, miss... . Hyah!'

And the camel took his master into the city.

'He's going to pay for that,' Balthazar grunted, and reattached his veil.

Back up in the cart now, Queen Isis and her women did their best not to smile, and Arpid climbed up next to Philos, who slapped the reins, and the rig rumbled forward into Gomorrah.

                   Daughter of the Furies

I

nto the torchlit golden-hued sandstone throne room, Memnon—who had caught up with his sor­ceress in a corridor of the palace—escorted Cassan­dra, a hand firmly on her arm. She could not yet tell if she was a welcome guest or just another prisoner. But it did not take a