He rode onward with the Disciple, Hali and the Disciples bodyguards to examine the salt pan. After a time he remarked, You were right, Lord. Its a good place to meet them.

El Murid dismounted. He squatted, wet a finger, touched it to the salt, then tasted. As I thought. Not mined because its bad salt. Poisons in it. Childhood memories came, haunted him momentarily. He shook them off. The salt merchants son was another being, simply someone with whom he shared memories.

He surveyed his surroundings. The hills were not as tall as he had imagined them, and less rich with cover. And the pan looked all too favorable for western cavalry. He offered his doubts.

Lets hope they see only whats visible, Lord, el Nadim replied. Theyll beat themselves. Hali, puzzled, refused to ask the questions puzzling him. El Nadim did not enlighten him. El Murid suspected he was being deliberately vague. When the dust settled the Invincible would be able to stake no claim on having engineered any victory.

The party continued westward. At the far end of the lakebed el Nadim told Mali, Choose five hundred Invincibles and hide in those rocks. After dark. Travel the reverse slope so you leave no traces. Take water rations for five days. Dont break cover till the Guild infantry closes with my line.

And if they dont? Mali demanded.

Then well have won anyway. They have to retreat or break through. They wont have the water to wait us out. Either way we embarrass them.

El Murid fretted. He would bear the odium if this failed. If it succeeded, el Nadim would harvest the credit. That didnt seem fair. He smiled wearily. He was getting as bad as his followers.

Hali remarked, Our scouts say theyre on the march, Lord. We wont wait long.

Very well. He checked the altitude of the sun. Time for prayers, gentlemen.

Hawkwind and the Wahlig reached the western end of the salt pan the following afternoon. Invincible horsemen blocked the road and skirmished with Yousifs riders till the Royalists elected to make camp.

Confidence filled that camp. The Wahlig had more and better men. He exercised only the caution necessary to abort a night assault.

El Murid missed the skirmishing. El Nadim had assigned him a small force placed well west of Halis, where the road to the lakebed wound between steep hills. The Disciple suspected the General simply wanted him out of the way, though his companions were the cream of the Invincibles.

He did not sleep that night. He could not shake the specter of Wadi el Kuf and this, though a smaller action, could generate even more devastating repercussions. Sebil el Selib would be vulnerable till the troops arrived from the coast. It would fall to a featherweight attack. He was terrified. He had bet too much on one pass of the dice. But it was too late to stand down.