'Before we begin, I feel I must seek your indulgence,' Sadiq said, 'but it seems I have exhausted my meagre store of Greek. With your permission, I will ask Faysal to translate for me.'
Nikos nodded his consent, whereupon Faysal, who had been standing apart, took his place at the amir's left hand. This artifice served a useful tool for Sadiq, permitting him time to frame his replies, and the leisure to study his guest's responses.
'As you know, the treaty is very important to the khalifa, and to the Arab people,' Sadiq said through Faysal, which was entirely true. 'I would not like to think the Eparch Nicephorus's untimely demise had diminished our hopes for peace in any way.'
'Then allow me to reassure the amir,' replied Nikos when Faysal had finished translating. 'The prospect for peace is as bright as it has ever been.'
'That is good,' agreed Sadiq sagely. 'Those who have been influential in this matter will be remembered. I am certain the khalifa would desire me to dispense such rewards as I deem fitting. Rest assured I will do so with liberality.'
All this I saw and heard from my hiding place, and marvelled at the amir's skill in guiding the conversation to its desired end.
'As always, your thoughtfulness is commendable, Lord Sadiq. Nothing would please me more than to serve you in this. If you will allow me, I will personally take your gift to the emperor. This would allow me the opportunity of presenting these sentiments on your behalf. The basileus will, I believe, appreciate your gesture.'
'Very well,' acceded the amir, when Faysal had translated for him. 'Would you like to see what I have prepared for the emperor?'
'By all means,' answered Nikos agreeably.
'It is in the next room,' he said, rising. 'Come, I will show you.'
At this, I felt my heart seize in my chest. Flattening my back against the column, I touched the jewelled daigear at my belt and then the governor's letter beneath my siarc, closed my eyes, and drew a deep breath. Courage, I told myself. It is soon over.
The amir led his guests to a room opening onto the corridor surrounding the courtyard. The room was bare, save for a coil of braided leather rope on the floor. Nikos entered the room behind Sadiq, glanced quickly around, and said, 'Where is the gift?'
'It is here,' Sadiq assured him.
'Where?' Nikos, suspicion well roused, stepped away from the amir.
'But you are to be the gift, Eparch Nikos,' Lord Sadiq said. He raised his hands and clapped them twice very loud. There came a clatter from the courtyard as the unsuspecting Farghanese were swiftly overpowered and disarmed by a swarm of vengeful Danes.
Nikos and the two komes turned as one towards the sound just as I stepped into the doorway. His eyes met mine, and suspicion turned instantly to hot rage. For my own part, however, I felt my heart grow very cold. This was proceeding far, far easier than I could have imagined.
'You!' Nikos snarled. 'How dare you!' His eyes darted from me to the amir, and back. 'Do you know who I am?'
'Oh, I think we all know you very well,' I replied, stepping into the room. 'You are a liar and a murderer, a very serpent in the guise of a man. Today, however, the doom which you so richly deserve and have so long evaded has ensnared you, Eparch Nikos.'
Harald and six Sea Wolves appeared behind me at that moment, just as we had planned. 'The guards are resting peacefully,' he told me, and I passed this information along to the others as the Danes took hold of Nikos and his aides.
The komes, frightened by the disaster overtaking them, began shouting and clamouring to be released at once.
I directed Hnefi and Gunnar to remove the two quaking komes, and they were hauled, white-faced and shaking, from the room.
Nikos, livid with rage, glowered hatefully at me. 'I thought you dead.'
'Then consider this revenge from beyond the grave,' I told him.
'Revenge-for Nicephorus, that wizened little turd of a man? That is absurd.'
'For Nicephorus, yes,' I told him. 'But no less for the Danes in the eparch's bodyguard, and all the merchants, and their women and children.'
'You are insane,' Nikos retorted indignantly. 'Merchants and children? I have no idea what you are talking about.'
'I am talking about the ambush on the road to Sebastea which you arranged,' I said.
'Which I myself narrowly escaped,' Nikos corrected smoothly.
'Is that what you told the emperor?'
'This is what the emperor believes, and you cannot prove otherwise,' he said, and the sneer was back in his voice. It was all I could do to keep from seizing him by the throat then and there.
'Perhaps not,' I conceded, trying to keep my voice level. 'But there are other crimes to answer.' Turning my head, I called over my shoulder: 'Brynach! Dugal! Ddewi! Come here.'
A moment later, the three monks stepped into the room. Nikos stared; clearly, he had not expected to meet them again, much less in my company. I stared, too, for they had devised for themselves monkish robes similar to those they had worn at the abbey; moreover, they had shaved their beards, cut their hair, and renewed their tonsures so that they now looked much the way they would have when Nikos had last seen them.
I suppose I had grown used to their shaggy appearance, but seeing them in their priestly garb brought me up short; it reminded me that I had once been of the Cele De.
Nikos recovered his composure instantly. Oh, he was subtle and he was sure. 'Who are these men?' he demanded.
'Like the others in this house,' I replied, 'they are men who would make accusation against you. Indeed, we have all been eagerly awaiting this moment for a very long time.'
'I have done nothing,' he insisted. 'I will not listen to your accusations.'
'The emperor will listen,' Brynach said stoutly. 'And may God have mercy on your soul.'
'Of what do you accuse me? Poor weather and pirates?' Nikos said, spitting the words maliciously. 'The emperor will laugh at you and your ridiculous complaints.'
'I doubt the emperor will laugh,' I told him. 'Indeed, when news of your death reaches him, I expect he will shed a fleeting tear before appointing another to your place.'
'Spare me your tiresome threats,' Nikos scoffed. 'If you can make good your accusations, then take me to the emperor and we will see who laughs-and who dies.'
Brynach, alarmed by my intention to kill Nikos, interceded, 'Brother, you cannot kill him like this. We must take him before the emperor, and let God's Vice-Regent on Earth be his judge.'
Lord Sadiq also interposed. 'Do not stain yourself with his killing, my friend. It is better that the basileus should learn what manner of man has been serving him.' He gazed at me earnestly. 'If not for your own sake, then for the sake of the peace, and all those who will suffer if it is not achieved.'
I hesitated, and Nikos thought he saw his chance. 'Come then,' he demanded, snapping his fingers imperiously. 'Take me to the emperor at once!'
Nikos's easy mastery of the situation should have sent a warning tingling through me. Oh, but I had waited long and endured much in pursuit of my vengeance; I was so anxious that it might slip away, I rushed headlong towards the confrontation, blindly heedless of the end.
71
Hold out your hands,' I commanded. Nikos, hatred burning from every pore, slowly extended his hands. Indicating the coil of rope, I called to the Danes, 'Tie him.'
Harald himself took part in trussing Nikos securely. Nor was he gentle with the windings and knots. When he was finished, he drew Nikos's gold-handled sword and put the blade to his ribs. 'He will not be escaping this time, I
