"He doesn't look all that big," she said to Ishaq.

Ishaq gave the horse an affectionate rub on its white face. "You did not say big, you said that you wanted a steady horse that would not spook easily, one that had a fearless spirit."

Nicci took another look at the horse. "I just assumed that such a horse would be big."

"She's a crazy woman," Ishaq muttered to Victor.

"She's going to be a dead crazy woman," Victor said.

Nicci handed Victor the rope. "This will be easier if you stand on the wall, after I'm mounted."

She stroked the horse under his jaw and then his silky ears. The animal nickered his appreciation and nudged his head against her. Nicci held his head and trickled a thin thread of her Han into the creature, giving him a bit of calming introduction. She ran a hand over his shoulder and then along the side of his belly as she inspected him.

Without comment, Victor climbed up the wall and waited until she boosted herself up and was seated in the saddle. Nicci arranged the skirts of her red dress and then unbuttoned it to the waist. She pulled her arms out of the sleeves one at a time, holding the front of the dress against her chest and then holding it up with her elbows as she lifted her hands toward Victor, her wrists pressed together.

Victor's face went as red as her dress. "Now what are you doing?"

"These men are experienced Imperial Order troops. Some will be officers. I spent a lot of time in the Order's camp. I was widely known-to some as the Slave Queen, and to others as Death's Mistress. It's possible that certain of these men may have served in Jagang's army during that time and so they very well may recognize me, especially if I were to wear a black dress. Just in case, I'm wearing a red dress.

"I also need to give these men something to stare at to keep them off guard and hopefully from recognizing me. It will disrupt the usual calculating judgment of soldiers such as these. It will also get Kronos's attention and make him think that the 'mayor' is desperate to appease him. Nothing rouses the blood lust in these kind of men more than weakness."

"It's going to get you in trouble before you even get to Kronos."

"I'm a sorceress. I can take care of myself."

"Seems to me that Richard is a wizard and carries a sword charged with ancient magic and even he got into trouble when he was greatly outnumbered. He was overpowered and nearly killed."

Nicci again lifted her hands out toward Victor, wrists together.

"Tie them."

Victor glared at her a moment before finally giving in. With a growl he set about binding her wrists. Ishaq held the reins just under the horse's bit as he waited.

"Is this horse fast?" she asked as she watched Victor wrapping rope around her wrists.

"Sa'din is fast," Ishaq told her.

"Sa'din? Doesn't that mean 'the wind' in the old tongue?"

Ishaq nodded. "You know the old tongue?"

"A little," she said. "Today, Sa'din will need to be as swift as the wind. Now listen to me, both of you. I don't intend on getting myself killed."

"Few people do," Victor griped.

"You don't understand; this will be my best chance to get near Kronos. Once the attack begins it would be difficult not only to find him, but, even if we did know where he was, it would be next to impossible to get close to him. He would be dealing death against the innocent in ways you cannot even imagine, spreading fear, panic, and death. That makes him valuable to them. In battle their soldiers will be looking for anyone trying to take out their wizard. I have to do it now. I intend to end it tonight."

Victor and Ishaq shared a look.

"I want everyone to be ready," she said. "When I come back I expect there will be some very angry people behind me."

Victor looked up after yanking the knot tight. "How many angry people?"

"I intend to have their entire force right on my heels."

Ishaq gently rubbed Sa'din's face. "What are they going to be angry about? If I may ask."

"Besides trying to take out their wizard, I intend to give the hornets' nest a good stiff whack."

Victor sighed irritably. "We'll be ready for them when they attack, but once you go in there I'm not so sure you will be able to get away."

Nicci wasn't either. She remembered a time when she went about her plans not caring if she lived or died carrying them out. Now she cared.

"If I don't come back, then you will just have to do your best. Hopefully, even if they kill me, I will be able to take Kronos out with me. Either way, we've laid a lot of surprises for them."

"Does Richard know what you had planned?" Ishaq asked as he squinted up at her.

"I expect he knew. He had the good grace, though, not to make me feel any more afraid by arguing with me about what I know I must do. This is not a game. We are all fighting for our very lives. If we fail, then innocent, decent people are going to be slaughtered in numbers that stagger the imagination. I've been on the other end of attacks like this. I know what's coming. I'm trying to prevent it. If you don't want to help, then just stay out of my way."

Nicci looked at each man in turn. Chagrined, they both kept silent.

Victor went back to his work and quickly finished up with binding her wrists. He pulled a knife from his boot and sliced off the excess length of rope.

"Who do you want to take you to the soldiers who are waiting?" Ishaq asked.

"I think you'd better take me, Ishaq. While Victor alerts everyone and sees to the preparations, you will be a representative of the mayor."

"All right," he said as he scratched the hollow of his cheek.

"Good," she said as she picked up the reins.

Before she could say anything else, Victor cleared his throat. "There is one other matter I've been meaning to talk to you about. But we've both been busy.»

Victor uncharacteristically looked away from her.

"What is it?" she asked him.

"Well, ordinarily I wouldn't say anything, but I think maybe you ought to know."

"Know what?"

"People are beginning to question Richard."

Nicci frowned. "Question him? What do you mean? Question him in what way?"

"Word has gotten around about why he left. People are worried that he is abandoning them and their cause to chase phantoms. They question if they should be following such a man. There is talk that he's — that he's, you know, deranged or something. What should I tell them?"

Nicci took a deep breath as she collected her thoughts. This was what she had feared. This was one of the reasons she had thought it important that he not leave-especially the way he did, right before the attack.

"Remind them," she said as she leaned toward him, "that Lord Rahl is a wizard, and a wizard can see things-such as hidden, distant threats-that they cannot. A wizard does not go around explaining his actions to people.

"The Lord Rahl has many responsibilities other than just this one place. If the people here wish to live free, to live their own lives as they wish, then they must choose to do so for their own sake. They must trust that Richard, as the Lord Rahl and as a wizard, is off doing what is best for our cause."

"And do you believe that?" the blacksmith asked.

"No. But there is a difference. I can follow the ideals he has shown me while at the same time working to bring Richard back to his senses. The two are not incompatible. But the people must trust in their leader. If they think he is a madman they may fall back on fear and give up. Right now we can't afford that risk.

"Whether Richard is sane or not it doesn't change the validity of the cause. The truth is the truth-Richard or no Richard.

"Those troops coming to murder us are real. If they win, then those who are not killed will be enslaved once more under the yoke of the Imperial Order. If Richard is alive, dead, sane, or mad, it does not change that fact."