The castle was bigger now, though less important. Every generation did a little something to make it more impregnable. Rounded towers had been added to the original walls. Curtain walls and supporting towers had been appended to its north side, enclosing the whole of the mountaintop. Still farther north, connected to the main castle by the curtains, commanding the mountains most gentle slope, stood a massive square sub-fortress.

The other three faces of the mountain were barren, rocky, and often precipitous. The surface rock was soft and loose. Weather had been gnawing away for ages. Tortuously curved layers of sedimentary rock showed the progress of ancient ages. The children of Yousifs courtiers and soldiers loved scrounging the slopes for fossils, for which Radetic paid a candy bounty.

Radetic found the castle a miserable place to live. It was either too cold and drafty, or too hot and stuffy. The roofs and walls leaked during the rare rains. The sanitary facilities were primitive, and furniture virtually non-existent. There was not one bath in the entire place. Hellin Daimiel was known for its communal baths. The only closable door he had ever seen was the one barring entry into the womens quarters.

He often longed for the comfort and privacy of his tiny apartment at the university.

Despite its drawbacks as a home, the castle served its intended function. Its granaries, cisterns and arsenals could support its garrison almost indefinitely. It commanded a view of vast territories. It had never been conquered by siege or storm.

Radetic paused at the gate and surveyed the miles of stony land surrounding the fortress. Haroun, you know what Id like to look out there and see? Just once? A tree.

Weeks passed. Fuad sent out a summons to the tribal levies. On the morning they were to muster, Haroun wakened his teacher. What do you want? Radetic growled, squinting one-eyed at the dawn light crawling through his apartment window. Better be good. No normal human being ought to be up at this hour.

Uncle Fuad is going to meet the levies. I thought youd want to be there.

Radetic groaned, swung his legs out of bed. Want to? No. Youve seen one mob of fellahin, youve seen them all. But I suppose Id better go, if only to keep your uncle from doing anything hell regret. How many showed up? He had had doubts that a call from Fuad would elicit the same response as a call from the Wahlig.

Haroun looked disappointed. Not good. But theyre still coming in. Maybe some were delayed.

Uh? Pretty bad, eh? Here. Hand me those sandals.

The levies were assembling on the slope leading to el Aswads main gate. Not all had arrived, as Haroun had said, but the few dust clouds approaching indicated that Fuad would be disappointed by the response to his call. Not a third of what he has a right to expect, Megelin observed.