“But you could be,” insisted ben Ali. “Work for me; grant me secrets from the lips of Krondor’s courtiers and make your family proud!” His expression darkened. “Or disgrace your country, your family, and continue as you are. Your great-uncle can provide only limited protection if you swear that oath to Arutha.” He paused, then added, “These are harsh choices, Jazhara. But you are now an adult, and the choice, as ever, must be yours. But know that from this point forward, whatever choice you make will change you forever.”
Jazhara was silent for a long moment, as if considering the merchant’s words. Finally she said, “Your words are harsh, Yusuf, but your actions have shown me where my loyalties lie.”
“Then you will help me?”
“Yes. I will honor his teachings and the ideals of my nation.”
“Excellent! You’d best leave now, before your friend becomes suspicious. Return again when you’re settled into the prince’s court and we shall begin.”
She nodded and walked toward the door. She passed the still-laboring children, one of who looked up at her with eyes dulled from lack of sleep. In those eyes, Jazhara noted a flicker of fear. When she reached the door, she glanced over her shoulder at the smiling spy and the three guards who stood nearby.
James waited at the end of the alleyway. “Well?” he asked as she approached.
“Yusuf is a spy for my great-uncle.”
James could barely conceal his surprise. “I don’t know which I find more astonishing; that he is what you say, or that you’ve told me.”
“When I left my father’s court and trained at Stardock, I set aside my loyalty to Great Kesh. What my great-uncle does, he does for the betterment of the Empire.” With a nod of her head to the entrance to Yusuf s shop, she added with a steely edge to her voice, “But this one seeks to line his pockets with gold from the suffering of children, and his service to the Empire is of secondary concern, I am certain. Even were I in service to Kesh, I would not long abide his continued existence.” She gripped her staff and James saw her knuckles go white. Although he’d known the court mage for but a few hours, he had no doubt she was not making an idle threat; no matter where Jazhara’s loyalties might lie, she would see Yusef pay for his crimes against the children.
“What do you propose?” he asked.
“There are but three guards. You are, I assume, a competent swordsman?”
“I am - “ began James.
“As I am a competent magician,” interrupted Jazhara. “Let’s go-As they strode back toward the dyer’s shop, James felt the hair on his arms stand up, a sure sign magic was being gathered. He had never liked the feeling, even when he knew someone on his side was employing it. Jazhara said, “I will distract them. Try to take Yusuf alive.”
James pulled out his rapier and muttered, “Four to one and you want me to try to keep one of them alive? Wonderful.”
Jazhara entered the shop ahead of James, and Yusuf turned as she did so. “What - ?” he began.
Jazhara’s pointed her staff at him and a loud keening sound filled the air as a ball of blue energy exploded off the tip of the staff. It struck the merchant, doubling him over in pain.
James rushed past the magician, quickly scanning the room for a sign of the children. They were gone. The three armed guards hesitated for a moment, then sprang into action. James was about to strike the guard on his right when the energy ball caromed off Yusuf and struck the guard to James’s right. James quickly switched his attack to the center assailant.
James had fought multiple opponents before, and knew there were certain advantages. The most important thing he had found was that if his opponents hadn’t practiced as a unit they tended to get in one another’s way.
He lunged and took the center assailant under his guard, running him through. As he withdrew his blade, he leapt to his right and as he had hoped, the man on James’s left stumbled into the dying man in the middle.
Yusuf’s sword suddenly slashed the air near James’s head. He had recovered from the magic Jazhara had thrown at him and was now on James’s right, his scimitar expertly slicing the air.
“Great,” James muttered. “The spy has to be a master swordsman.”
The two remaining thugs had regained their feet and were a danger, but Yusuf was the true threat. “Jazhara! Keep those two off me, if you please.”
Jazhara advanced and another burst of energy shot across the room, this time a red blast of lightning that caused the air to crackle as it struck the floor between James and the two guards. They quickly retreated as smoke began to rise from the wooden floor.
James didn’t have time to appreciate the display, for Yusuf was proving a formidable opponent. It looked as if there would be almost no chance of keeping the Keshian spy alive, unless he got lucky. And given a choice, he’d rather keep himself alive than spare Yusuf and die in the process.
James used every trick he knew, a lethal inventory of combinations and feints. Twice he came close to cutting the Keshian, but twice in turn Yusuf came close to ending the struggle, too.