“Split the money four ways,” insisted the third. “He’s got more gold than he showed, that’s certain.”

“We make sure he’s dead first,” said the fourth. “We don’t want him telling tales.”

And “Right!” and “Right” and “Right then,” the other three said, and they got up and left as the landlady came hurrying to Abdullah with a double handful of copper coins.

“I do hope this is the right change, sir. We don’t get much southern silver here, and I had to ask my husband how much it was worth. He says it’s one hundred of our coppers, and you owed us five, so—”

“Bless you, O cream of caterers and brewer of celestial beer,” Abdullah said hurriedly, and gave her one handful of the coins back instead of the nice long chat she was obviously meaning to have with him. Leaving her staring, he set off as swiftly as he was able after the soldier. The man might be a barefaced sponger and a thundering bore, but this did not mean he deserved to be ambushed and murdered for his gold.

Chapter Ten

WHICH TELLS OF VIOLENCE AND BLOODSHED

Abdullah found he could not go very fast. In the cooler climate of Ingary, he had stiffened abominably while he sat still, and his legs ached from walking all the day before. The money container in his left boot proved to have made a very severe blister on his left foot. He was limping before he had walked a hundred yards. Still, he was concerned enough about the soldier to keep up the best pace he could. He limped past a number of cottages with grass roofs and then out beyond the village, where the road was more open. There he could see the soldier in the distance ahead, sauntering along toward a point where the road climbed a hill covered with the dense leafy trees that seemed to grow in these parts. That would be where the loutish young men were setting their ambush. Abdullah tried to limp faster.

An irritable blue wisp came out of the bottle bouncing at his waist. “Must you bump so?” it said.

“Yes,” panted Abdullah. “The man you chose to help me needs my help instead.”

“Huh!” said the genie. “I understand you now. Nothing will stop you taking a romantic view of life. You’ll be wanting shining armor for your next wish.”

The soldier was sauntering quite slowly. Abdullah closed the gap between them and entered the wood not far behind. But the road here wound back and forth among the trees to make an easier climb, so that Abdullah lost sight of the soldier from then on, until he limped around a final corner and saw him only a few yards ahead. That happened to be the very moment when the louts chose to make their attack.