Del was still stuck on the book. 'I thought you said it contains magic spells.'
'It contains a number of things, including magic spells. It's a pretty amazing book, actually.'
'And you gave it to Umir?'
'Well, I'd read it already.' I grinned at her. 'What did you think I was doing all day when you were asleep in bed?'
Del was stunned. 'You read that whole book in an afternoon?'
'Just a little trick I picked up in Skandi.' I took a hard look at Nayyib. 'Are you sober enough to stay on your horse?'
'I believe so, yes.'
'Do you know where the oasis is from here?'
'I believe so, yes.'
'That's where we're going.'
Nayyib nodded amiably. 'All right.' Then a hiccup emerged, attended by a modest belch.
I planted the flat of my palm against my brow. 'Gods save me from a sandsick woman and a drunk boy!'
Del scowled at me. 'I am not sandsick, and he's not a boy.'
'But he's drunk.'
Nayyib offered, 'I believe so, yes.'
'Oh, hoolies,' I groaned. 'Maybe I should take my sword to him. Or go on ahead and let him find his own way to the oasis. I only might have been killed in there getting him free, and it turns out he's drunk. Drunk!'
'Neesha,' Del said gently, 'I would be quiet now.'
'All right.' He gifted her with a luminous smile and a worshipful stare from those melting, honey-brown eyes. 'You're so beautiful.'
'Oh, hoolies,' Del muttered.
TWENTY-SEVEN
WE MANAGED to get the boy to the oasis.
Or rather, Del managed to get the boy to the oasis; I was so disgusted by his condition I refused to have anything to do with him. He managed to stay aboard his horse, which was all that mattered to me, and upon finding a quiet little place at the oasis that we might call our own for an hour or two, I dismounted and led the stud off to the spring. I left Del to deal with the kid. Which maybe wasn't the wisest thing in the world to do, in view of his obvious infatuation, but I wasn't in any mood to put up with either of them. And since I knew Del had no tolerance for drunkenness, I doubted she was any more entranced with Nayyib than I was. The main thing was, he was free of Umir and my debt was repayed. Del and I could now get on about our business.
I was heading back to the trio of palm trees when I met Del leading her gelding and Nayyib's bay. 'Did you get him settled all safe in his own little bed?'
Del, pausing, shot me a hard glance.'You might have a little sympathy for him.'
'I jut risked my life for a drunken kid! Why should I have any sympathy for him?'
'Umir could have killed him.'
'Umir wanted his book back too much for that.' 'Which you gave him.'
'In exchange for the boy. The one you were so all-fired determined to rescue. Well, he's rescued. He can stay here and sleep it off, and you and I can get on with our lives.'
She seemed startled. 'I don't want to leave him here.'
'Why not?'
'He's drunk.'
'He can sleep it off.'
'What if he gets sick?'
'I never died from it.' I paused. 'Neither did you, when you got drunk on Vashni liquor.'
Color flooded her face. 'We are not discussing me.'
'Maybe we should.'
'Why? This has nothing to do with me!'
'He's not a stray kitten, bascha, or a puppy with a broken leg, or even an orphan sandtiger cub—though you might not be so thrilled with the idea of saving baby sandtigers, now, after our last meeting with one. He's a grown man; he can take responsibility for his own binges.'
Del's eyes narrowed. 'You are jealous.'
I sighed with long-suffering patience. 'I think not.'
'If you weren't, you'd have nothing against helping him.'
'Rescuing him isn't helping?'
'He spent days nursing us both after the sandtiger attack, and weeks with me at the Vashni encampment.'
'Yes, I'm aware of that.'
'Yet you want to just ride off and leave him here to fend for himself when the gods know who might try to rob him.'
'Sometimes that's what happens when you get drunk. It's called a learning experience.'
'And I'm learning a little more about you just now, aren't I?' She clucked to the horses and started to move them out. 'Do whatever you like, Tiger. I'm staying here with Neesha at least until morning.'
I watched her disappear between two wide horse butts as she led them down the path. I found the image extremely appropriate, in view of her behavior.
Aloud, I said, 'I think this was the most ridiculous argument we've ever had.' I patted the stud's face. 'And we've had a few.' Being a very wise horse, he did not comment.
Nayyib was sound asleep when I got back to the little encampment. Del had unloaded gear and set out his bedroll; he lay sprawled upon it on his back with one bent arm flung across his eyes. I contemplated the rest of him, which was partially hidden beneath his burnous. But the legs were free of encumbrance, and one shoulder, and a forearm. Not a big man, not like me, but not small, either. His coloring was Southron, including the big brown eyes that he used to such advantage, curse him. A good-looking kid, no doubt, if still a tad soft around the edges; and certainly closer to Del in age than I was. Maybe that's why she wanted to mother him. She couldn't do it to me.
Not that she'd ever indicated she wanted to.
Scowling, I turned my attention to the stud, pulling off pouches, saddle, and blankets. I had thought to ride on after a rest, believing the oasis too obvious if Umir sent anyone after us or if there happened to be sword- dancers in the vicinity, but there was not much time before sundown. This place offered water, a little shade, safety in numbers.
Or maybe just more witnesses than usual.
I hobbled the stud, grained him, draped the halter-rope over one of the spiky bark segments sheathing the bole of the nearest palm tree. Someone else had built a modest fire ring not far from Nayyib's unconscious body, but we lacked kindling for it, and I didn't feel like going on a lengthy hunt for wood. Over the years pickings had become very slim near the oasis, so that most people on wagons carried wood with them if they wanted a fire, and a pot of embers they kept alive by feeding it twigs regularly. Del and I didn't pack that heavy; if there was no wood for a fire, or circumstances warranted it was safer to go without, we didn't bother.
I didn't bother now. I just set up my own little area with upside down saddle, drying blankets spread next to it, and bedding unrolled. I shed the harness and sword and set the blade within reach. Then I lay down in a posture very similar to the kid's, if without the accompaniment of liquor fumes, and let myself drift. Del came back a little later. Eyes closed, I listened as she finished untacking her gelding and Nayyib's, hobbled them, told them to behave themselves, then crunched over to where the kid lay.
