Pablo, it turned out, had divided his force into three squads of four. One band had climbed over the stockade on the street side and the other two had cut across neighboring properties to come in on the flanks. The tops of the logs were all sharpened, of course, making for a tricky climb, and by the time the first man in each squad had finished helping his companions descend safely, a warrior had been waiting in the shadows beside them.When the intruders started moving toward the house, the defenders followed, stunning them all before they even knew they were under attack.

Wolf was impressed. He had been judging the Tlixilians by the mass assault on Quondam. With the advantage of numbers and surprise, the invaders should not have suffered the losses they did, but whatever their problem had been, he must revise his opinion of Tlixilian warriors in general.

Blood-mirror-walks and his band were not even the legendary knights, yet they had stomped four times their number like a line of beetles.The Distliards' problems in conquering El Dorado became more comprehensible.

Pablo was tied to a chair and left in a dark room to recover. The other eleven they spread on the lawn, trussing them securely also, al-though they had barely enough rope. It was then Wolf discovered that the Tlixilians' success had not been quite perfect, for one man was dead. Head wounds were notoriously unpredictable and what barely dazed one man could kill another outright, but Tlixilians prided themselves on 274.

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their skill at taking prisoners. Pulse-obsidian hung his head in shame under his colleagues' angry glares. It was not the death that troubled them, it was his clumsiness.

"A minor matter,"Wolf said, although he regretted it."We may per-haps turn it to advantage."

Having made certain his wife was not watching, he cut off the corpse's left ear.Then he collected Dolores and went in to see the chief brigand.

Pablo was fortyish, flabby, and greasy, with streaks of gray in his beard and an ugly scar half-hidden in his whiskers. He screwed up his eyes and moaned when his captors arrived with lanterns.

Wolf held up his bloodstained dagger. "Dog! Why should I not kill you also?"

Pablo made a croaking noise.

"Speak, scum of the cesspool.Who sent you to attack our house?"

His only reply was a silent glare.Admittedly Pablo had few good ex-cuses available under the circumstances. Wolf grabbed the man's beard and shaved one side of his jaw, removing some skin. He screamed.

"Who sent you?"

"No one!"

Wolf made the shave symmetrical, so he screamed again. The re-maining goatee did not suit him.

Dolores was not speaking and Wolf was not looking at her, but he could sense her disapproval burning hot. He hoped she knew he did not enjoy maltreating a helpless man, how-ever despicable. He wiped his bloody hand on Pablo's shirt.

"Then I must complain directly to theAlcalde.Take him this."Wolf produced the ear."You will bring Don Ruiz de Rojas here before sun-rise, do you understand? So he can see the vermin who assaulted me- what is left of them."

"It is not possible!" Pablo screamed, ashen under his tropic tan.The thought of reporting to Rojas upset him more than the previous rough treatment.

"Then I will send one of the others, with both your ears. And per-haps an eye?"Wolf took hold of the prisoner's right ear and he howled in terror.

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"I will go! I will go!"

"Before sunrise theAlcaldemust be here, or I will start tossing pieces of your men over the wall. And I will not stop with ears."

They untied the wretch and threw him out the gate with an ear in his pocket and his hands still tied behind his back. He took off at a stag-gering run, unaware that Flicker was lurking out there to make sure he arrived at the correct destination.

Sick and trembling with reaction, the ogreish Don Lope made his way to the kitchen, where half his forces were tucking into a meal pre-pared by Duff and Peterkin. The others had gone to catch some sleep. He perched on the butcher's block, which was the only vacant seat in sight, and accepted a steaming cup of a local beverage he had taken to, calledchocolatl.

"Which way did he go?" Dolores asked.

"Looking for a fast horse-sleigh to Skyrria."Wolf burned his mouth and swore. "He was last seen going north, anyway."

His challenge to the tyrant was proceeding amazingly well, but it was still a terrible gamble. Many violent men understood nothing but violence, so Rojas might fly into a fury and send his militia to storm the fortress, whatever the cost in lost prestige. He would certainly guess that the impudent newcomers had troops he had not known of, but he must suspect spiritualism by now. There were no octograms in Sigisa and probably no conjurers, so he had no source of conjuration to offset it. Unless he had access to some of the local variety, in which case the bat-tles might grow even bloodier.

"This is good," Heron-jade announced. He was eating an entire ham, clutching it in his huge fists and tearing chunks out of it with his teeth. "What animal?"

"Distlish man-at-arms,"Wolf said.

"Wolf !" Dolores shouted. "No, it is pig,Taker of Four Captives. An animal about this big." She gestured with a tortilla and a beaker.

The big man grunted and offered the ham to Serpent-night, who had been cramming beans into his mouth nearby but showed interest in the subject. He bit out a nugget, chewed thoughtfully, then nodded.

He ripped off a larger chunk and passed the rest back.

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"What did you think it was?"Wolf asked uneasily.

"What you said." Heron-jade grinned with his mouth full. "Defi-nitely not local."

Dolores shuddered. "Really? You do eat people?"

He nodded as if surprised by the question. "It is my right. I am a taker of four captives."

Wolf said, "I thought captives were sacrificed so that their hearts could be used to summon the spirits."

"But we do not waste the rest of them," the giant said cheerfully. He flexed a bulging arm. "One day I will make a great feast for some-one."

"You chatter like a girl!" Blood-mirror-walks stood in the doorway, scowling. Heron-jade dropped his eyes like a guilty child. "May my lord for-give!"

At the moment they were not eagle and jaguar but a great lord and a lesser. All four of the Tlixilians were nobly born to some extent.They had explained that commoners served in the army but rarely rose out of the ranks.

"Use your mouth for feeding in future!"

"I am justly accused," the big man said.

Abruptly the youngster switched back to military forms. "Will you honor us blind ones by keeping watch until noon, sky traveler?"

"Until sunset," Heron-jade said. "I will keep the day. The night is yours, dread shadow." He raised his head and peered around."The emis-sary went to a large house north of here and was admitted.The servant Flicker is returning."

Blood-mirror-walks bowed. "We are indebted to you for this lore."

Dolores's eyes shone. If she could smugglethatspell home to Chivial, the snoops would be able to snoop on anyone anytime. Even Wolf could hear the sound of gold clinking then.

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9.Wolf did not seriously expect Rojas to come running before sunrise as instructed. He was prepared for more violence, or a conciliatory let-ter, or almost anything except what did happen, which was nothing.The sun rose and kept on rising. Rojas had called his bluff.

Having no intention of chopping more pieces off the corpse or vivisecting the ten prisoners, Wolf did nothing also. The jaguars had gone to sleep-curled up in corners, to his amusement. Will and Pe-terkin slept also. Big Heron-jade was working his way through the larder, eating indiscriminately, as if to redress weeks of slaves' diet and ship rations. He insisted that he was also keeping watch, but just leered when Dolores tried to charm him into discussing the conjuration he was using. His childlike amiability hid warrior flint. Eventually she gave up and went off to rest. Hick and Duff tended the captives, giving them water, untying each in turn for brief exercise, and making sure the three still unconscious were as comfortable as possible. Flicker reverted to his manservant personation and unpacked his master's clothes. Wolf just paced around, waiting for something to happen.

He was in the kitchen preparing a beaker ofchocolatlwhen Heron-jade looked up from his stool and remarked through a mouthful of onion, "You have visitors."

The gate bell jangled.

"Who?"

He shrugged. "A Hairy man and a Real People woman."

"Is she wearing jewels?" Wolf asked, wondering how well an eagle warrior could see through several walls and trees.

He nodded, grinning to show he saw through the subterfuge.

"No snakes hanging on branches?"

"None."

With such spying ability available, it was no wonder that El Dorado was holding off the Distliards. On his way to the front door, Wolf met Flicker.

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"Rojas and his wife.Tell Dolores." Wolf opened the gate himself, expressing delight and honor at the visit.

Rojas returned his bow."The pleasure is ours, Don Lope." He wore a sword and a gentleman's finery.

Fortunata curtseyed demurely. She sparkled with gems and her gown would have passed at Court.

"The villa is to your satisfaction?" Rojas inquired blandly as they strolled along the path. "The villa, yes.The servants, no.The neighbors, definitely not." "You wish to lay charges?" "What else can I do?" The mayor shrugged. "Do anything you like with them,senor." In- competent henchmen were of no more use to a gang boss than, say, a conscience. "Our mutual friend Pablo?" Wolf inquired as he opened the front door.

"Pablo?" Rojas murmured, entering with his wife on his arm. "Pablo? I know many men by that name. I cannot be expected to re-member them all."

Dolores appeared-miraculously relaxed, coiffed, and groomed, with only faint shadows under her eyes to hint at a sleepless, stressful night.The guests were made comfortable on the veranda. Flicker served fruit juices and cakes, then departed.With sailors and warriors safely out of sight, the villa might have been deserted. Conversation flitted like a forest butterfly, never touching on murder, torture, home invasion, or any such sordid topics. For a while.

Then Wolf found himself being studied by the coldest pair of eyes he had ever seen.The Blades' greatest killer had never faced such eyes in a mirror. Rojas had dropped his charm.

"Let us talk business, Don Lope." "By all means, Don Ruiz." "What do you want?" "Knowledge, the secrets of Tlixilian conjuration." "You would rip beating hearts out of men?" "Never. My wife is the expert on spiritualism. She believes that the 279.

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jaguar and eagle knights have skills we could apply without resorting to their murderous ways." Without looking at her, Wolf could sense Do-lores disapproving of his candor, but Rojas was not the sort of man she could have studied in lecture halls, and he trusted his instincts. Rojas would never accept Wolf as an equal, but now he must take him seri-ously.

The snake eyes continued to stare unblinking."Others have tried to learn those secrets and failed. Do you not thinkEl Caudillowould rather have that knowledge than another five thousand men? Or that King Diego would not reward whoever supplied it?"

"Were I the Emperor of El Dorado,"Wolf said, "I should not want Don Severo to have it, either. But Chivial is far away and harmless. King Athelgar is no friend to King Diego.Those in need must deal in what-ever coin they have."

"And you? What coin do you deal in,senor?"

Wolf had fought mortal duels less stressful than this conversation. Rojas had the power to storm the hacienda, murder every inhabitant, and loot whatever he fancied. He need answer to no one for his actions.

"For the combatants-weapons, armor, war dogs, horses. Chivian horses are renowned. For others who aid our quest ...King Athelgar can be generous, also."

That meantgold for Rojas.

For what felt like hours, Rojas just stared as if he had been turned to bronze.Wolf sweated it out, determined not to be the next to speak.

"If I could introduce you to persons having the sort of knowledge you seek?" Rojas asked softly.

"This would be a most valuable favor."

"Ninety thousand pesos."

The Chivians had more than that lying around the house, but only an utter madman would confess to owning such riches here.There were times when madness was the only sane policy.

"Seventy. And another forty if we obtain usable knowledge."

"The seventy without conditions?"

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edge we seek and will negotiate seriously, whether or not we reach an agreement."

The charm flicked back-theAlcaldeput his head back and laughed joyously. "It is a pleasure doing business with you, Don Lope! Enjoy your stay in Sigisa. This is the finest time of year. Allow me a month, even two . . . nothing happens quickly in these lands. Now, if you will excuse us, my wife and I have many urgent . . ."

As they all rose,Wolf said, "And the neighbors?"

"I find it easiest just to lay the garbage on the beach at low water- the tidal race is very strong along here. I trust you will experience no further disturbances,senor." Or cause them, of course.

The moment Wolf closed the gate on the guests, his wife threw her arms around him and kissed him with great enthusiasm, while trying to jump up and down at the same time. Rojas was probably halfway back to his residence before she broke loose long enough to say,"Darling, that was wonderful.You were brilliant!"

"Wasn't I?" Wolf resumed the kiss so he would not have to point out that they might still wake up tomorrow to find their throats cut and all the gold gone.They would not beat City Hall so easily another time.

He sent the prisoners out the gate in threes and they departed with-out a fuss. If they had any sense at all they would be gone from Sigisa by nightfall.