"They are the same," Khasar replied. A thought struck him and his hand dropped to where his sword would usually lie on his hip. "Is this man a slave?"

Chen Yi looked up without embarrassment. "Of course. Quishan was once a merchant, but he chose to gamble with me."

The man shrugged. "It is true. I will not be a slave forever. A few more years and my debt will be paid. Then I think I will return to the plains and find a wife."

"Find me first when you do. I will give you a new start," Khasar promised him.

Chen Yi watched as Quishan bowed his head. Khasar accepted the gesture as if it was nothing new to him, and Chen Yi's gaze became hard.

"Tell me again how my city will burn," he said.

Temuge opened his mouth, but Chen Yi held up a hand.

"No, I do not trust you. Your brother spoke the truth when he thought I could not understand. Let him tell it all."

Khasar shot a glance at Temuge, thoroughly enjoying his brother's frustration. He took a moment to choose his words. Perhaps Chen Yi would have them killed when he heard. He moved his hand to where he had hidden a small knife in the folds of his robe.

"We were once of the Wolves," Khasar said, at last, "but my brother has united the tribes. The kingdom of Xi Xia is our first vassal, though there will be more." Ho Sa shifted uncomfortably at the words, but neither man looked at him. Khasar sat like stone as he stared into Chen Yi's eyes. "Perhaps I will die here, tonight, but if I do, my people will come amongst the Chin and tear down your precious cities, one by one, stone from stone."

Chen Yi's face had grown tight as he listened. His command of the language was only what he had needed for trade, and he would have suggested a switch back to his own if it would not have looked like weakness.

"News travels fast on the river," he said, refusing to respond to Khasar's deadly intensity. "I had heard of the war in Xi Xia, though not that your people were triumphant. Is the king dead, then?"

"Not when I left," Khasar replied. "He paid tribute and a daughter. A beautiful girl, I thought."

"You have not answered my question, except with threats," Chen Yi reminded him. "Why would you come here, to my city?"

Khasar noticed the slight stress Chen Yi had put on "my." He did not have the subtlety to play with words, or spin a thread of lies Chen Yi would believe.

"We need masons," Khasar said. He heard Temuge let out a sharp breath at his shoulder and ignored him. "We need to know the secrets of your cities. The great khan himself has sent us. Baotou is just a place on a map with no great significance."

"It is my home," Chen Yi murmured, thinking.

"You can keep it," Khasar said, sensing the moment was right. "Baotou will not be touched if we bring back word of your help."

He waited for Chen Yi to finish his thoughts, sweat dripping down his face. One shout and the room would fill with armed men, he was certain. It was true Genghis would destroy the city in revenge, but Chen Yi could not be certain of that. For all he knew, they were boasting or lying.

It was Quishan who broke the silence. He had paled at what he heard and his voice was low with awe.

"The tribes are united?" he said. "The Uighurs among them?"

Khasar nodded, his gaze never leaving Chen Yi. "The blue tail is part of the great khan's standard. The Chin have held us down for a long time, but that is over. We ride to war, brother."

Chen Yi watched Quishan's face carefully, seeing how the news brought an expression of astonished hope.

"I will make a bargain with you," he said suddenly. "Whatever you need you will have, from my hand. You will bring the word back to your khan and tell him that there is a man here he can trust."

"What use is a smuggler to us?" Khasar responded. Temuge almost groaned as Khasar went on, "How can you bargain for the fate of a city?"

"If you fail, or if you lie, I have lost nothing. If you are telling the truth, you will need allies, will you not?" Chen Yi said. "I have power here."

"You would betray the Imperial court? Your own emperor?" Khasar said. He asked the question to test Chen Yi, and to his astonishment, the little man spat on the polished floor.

"This is my city. Everything that goes on here comes to my ears. I have no love for nobles who think all men can be run under their carts like animals. I have lost family and friends to their soldiers, seen loved ones hanged when they refused to give up my name. What do I care for them?"

He had risen as he spoke and Khasar stood to face him.

"My word is iron," Khasar said. "If I say you will have this city, it will be yours to rule when we come."

"You can speak for the khan?" Chen Yi said.

"He is my brother. I can speak for him," Khasar replied. Temuge and Ho Sa could only look on as the two men stared each other down.

"I knew you were a warrior on the boat," Chen Yi said. "You were a poor spy."

"I knew you were a thief, but a good one," Khasar replied. Chen Yi chuckled and they took each other's hands in a firm grip.

"I have many men who answer to me. I will give you what you need and I will see you safe back to your people," Chen Yi said. He sat, calling for wine as Temuge began to talk. He could not understand how the little man had come to trust Khasar, but it did not matter. They had their ally in Baotou.

As evening came, Khasar, Ho Sa, and Temuge accepted the offer of a few hours' sleep before a long night, retiring to rooms off the second courtyard. Chen Yi had never needed more than a few hours' rest since his days running from the soldiers in the alleyways of Baotou-lifetimes ago. He sat up with Quishan and two of his guards, and they talked in low voices as they moved counters of ivory on a mah-jongg board. Quishan was silent for a long time as he clicked the counters together in his hand. He had known Chen Yi for almost ten years and seen a ruthless desire for power come to bloom in that time. The little man had crushed three other leaders of Baotou's criminal gangs, and he had not exaggerated when he had told Khasar that little went on in the city without it reaching his ears.

Quishan discarded a tile and watched as Chen Yi's hand hovered over it. The man he had come to call a friend was clearly distracted from the game, his thoughts elsewhere. Quishan wondered if he should raise the stakes and clear a little more of his debt. He decided not to, remembering other games where Chen Yi had lulled him with exactly the same approach, then won consistently.

He watched as Chen Yi took a different tile and the game went round the table, with one of the guards calling "Pung" and making Quishan swear under his breath.

As the guard showed three matching tiles, Chen Yi put his hand down.

"No more tonight. You are getting better, Han, but your gate duty is upon us."

Both guards rose and bowed. They had been rescued from the worst street slums, and they were strong and loyal to the man who ruled the tong. Quishan stayed, sensing Chen Yi wanted to talk.

"You are thinking of the strangers," Quishan said as he gathered up the tiles on the table.

Chen Yi nodded, staring into the darkness through the screen doors. The evening was already cold and he wondered what the hours ahead would bring.

"They are strange people, Quishan. I have said that to you before. I took them on to guard my silk, when three of my men fell ill. Perhaps my ancestors were guiding me in that." He sighed and rubbed his eyes wearily. "Did you see the way Khasar took note of the positions of the guards? His eyes were always moving. I thought on the boat that I had never seen him relax, but you are the same. Perhaps all your people are."

Quishan shrugged. "Life is struggle, master. Is that not also what the Buddhists believe? On the plains of my home, the weak die early. It has always been that way."