The fallen Invincibles had been replaced. Haroun cursed. There was no way, now, that he could deliver the stroke he had been anticipating all day.

He would have to use the Power. He hadnt wanted to do that. He wanted the Disciple to see death coming, wanted the man to look into his eyes and recognize the boy from Al Rhemish. Wanted him to know who as well as why.

The lilac killer would not do. It would take the nearest Invincible, not a man cowering inside a tent. It had to be something else. His arsenal of petty magicks contained little that was apt. Again he cursed the chain of circumstance that had prevented his achieving his full potential as a shaghûn.

He selected a spell that would induce the symptoms of typhoid, ran through the chants softly, visualized the El Murid he recalled from Al Rhemish. He loosed the spell.

A cry of agony answered it.

Some Invincibles rushed to their master. And some rushed toward Haroun.

What the hell is going on? Haaken asked.

I dont know, Bragi replied. But hes sure got them stirred up.

Maybe we ought to help. Maybe if they think theyre under attack he can get out in the confusion.

Bragi doubted that. He had written Haroun off. The decision he faced was whether or not to rush back to el Aswad in hopes he hadnt been missed. It had to be too late. Might as well do some good here.

Some of the enemy were fleeing the camp. Within, the fires were spreading. Horses were making panic noises.

All right. Lets go. Harass the ones running away. You guys with the bows. Shoot a few over the wall.

Alarms awakened Megelin Radetic. Groggy, he staggered from his cubicle, his seldom used sword dragging. A night attack? He hadnt anticipated that. It wasnt to the Disciples advantage. The man merely needed to wear the defense down with hammerings like yesterdays.

He paused, listened. Plenty of people running around yelling, but no thunder. No crash of lightning striking the fortress. Maybe it wasnt an attack.

What, then?

He reached the north court to find it aboil with men rushing out the gate. He grabbed a soldier. Whats happening? The man pulled away. So did the next he caught. Nobody wanted to spare a moment. Radetic dragged his weary bones to the ramparts.

The Disciples camp was ablaze. Men were scurrying everywhere. Animals were stampeding with the men. There was fighting. The defenders of el Aswad were falling on their foes in a great disorderly rush. The anthill simile occurred to him. Trite, he murmured.

It took Megelin just seconds to guess how it had started. Haroun! You fool! He panicked. His own Haroun...He practically threw himself off the wall in his haste to get down there.

The observer within was amused. The boy isnt your child, it said. Hes only on loan to you.