“Elders, heads of the village, chiefs. You can’t say the Berbers aren’t individualists. Gilroy tells me almost every Berber village he’s run across up here has its own particular council and titles. Akbar has its elders.” He added mockingly, “As well as its own thriving criminal element that sometime interacts with the elders for the greater good.” He helped her across the rough road to a large rock at the shoulder. “And interacts with almost anyone else for their own commercial good if the price is right. That’s why Gilroy chose Akbar to begin his search.”

“Information? Then why didn’t Gilroy find out more about Jubaldar when you sent him here before?”

“He would have, if they’d known anything. Gilroy is very good, speaks the language, knows the customs. But he came up with zeros when he tried. He was almost sure that no one in the village knew anything about Masenak and Jubaldar.” He smiled. “But that was months ago. Gilroy makes contacts wherever he goes, rather like you. He lays the groundwork and then finds ways to persuade people to bring him the answers he needs.”

“If there’s time to do it.” She carefully sat down on the rock and kept her back very straight so he wouldn’t realize the effort it took to remain upright. It hadn’t been only pain that she’d been having to fight but also the tension induced by that call from Masenak. “I’m beginning to think Jubaldar might not even exist. Screw the castle. Right now I’d settle for just having proof Sasha’s alive and somewhere, anywhere, in these mountains.”

“Baldwin thought it existed and described it in detail under the influence of zantlatin.”

“Except how to get to the damn place. I’d think that Gilroy could have nudged him a little more in that—”

“Complaints. Complaints.” Gilroy was turning on his flashlight as he came around the curve of the road. “You’re being completely unfair, Alisa. It would have been like nudging a slug, with about as much brain power.” He shone the beam on her face. “But I’ll forgive you because you probably have a right to be crabby. You still look a bit pale and fragile. Though not as bad as you did when Korgan whisked you off to Geneva.”

“I’m not fragile.”