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.He wasn't moving quickly, but he was obviously as bone-tired as Niko was, andhe started to sway, his knees trembling, but he managed to right himself."Haven't had the sword in hand for that long in a long time," he said, asthough talking to himself."And I'd not care to take it in hand again, not atthe moment.Dangerous, eh?" There was nothing friendly in his smile.Niko forced himself to his knees, readying himself to lunge at Nadide, but theman stepped between him and the sword."Easy, boy.I.I don't want tohave to serve you right now, not with theSandoval, but I will if you rush me.Go easier on all of you if I do it withordinary steel, I expect, and it'll surely go easier on me." He smiled down atCully's prostrate form."And don't think I'll come within range of you, FatherCully, not without the Sandoval in hand I'm dog-tired, for a fact, and feelweak as a newborn, but I'm not stupid."Sandoval? That meant"Yes, yes, I'm the one they used to call Alexander, although they surely callme something else now.And you, Father Cully, you may lie there if you'd like,or rise no further than your knees.Any more, and tired or not, I'll let theSandoval eat you."Cully lay on the ground, his legs sprawled over Niko's, unmoving."I can see you breathing, Cully." Alexander cocked his head to one sided."Andthat bastard Gray is still breathing, too.Have to fix him after I fix you."He glanced quickly around the courtyard."Hmm.didn't any of these fools have a mundane sword on them? Apparentlynot." He shrugged."Then again, neither do I.Special circumstances, he? Well, Bear's will haveto do.Good old BrotherBear, always happy to be of service."He carefully walked around, keeping Bear's body in between himself and Gray'sprostrate form, then stopped for a moment, his brow furrowed."No, that's abit too close, eh?" he asked, answering himself by stooping and seizing holdof Bear's right boot.Bear had been a big man in life, and death hadn't changed that; thestranger Alexander grunted and groaned as he dragged the body just a few feetaway, never taking his eyes off where Cully andNiko lay, always seeming to watch Gray as well.He'd have to make a try.Perhaps this Alexander would set the Sandoval down onthe ground when he turned Bear over.Nadide was far away, too far away, but hehad to try, and Niko could feelhis own strength returning with each breath.He stared Alexander right in the eye.Maybe if the traitor was watching hiseyes he wouldn't seeNiko make the slight movements necessary to set his hands and feet into theground for his lunge.Cully was still motionless next to him, facedown on the ground, his left legsprawled over Niko's.It twitched twice.Twice.Two for "no." Two for "disagree with me." Two for "not yet."Two for "Cully was still with him."He forced himself not to smile as Cully's foot twitched again, three times.Three times for "talk more."Niko could do that."Why?" he choked out."Why what? Why is Bear so damned heavy? That's what I'm wondering," he said."Why did the noble fool fall covering his scabbard? Why, when I dragged him,didn't the damn thing work itself a little loose, so I could get hold of it?I'm wondering that, too." He managed to get his free hand and a foot underPage 246 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlBear, and rolled him over."Ah, now, that's better."That was it.With all of the live swords out of reach, Alexander would slipthe sheathed Sandoval into his sash, and then Niko would make his move.That's what Cully was thinking.He forced himself not to look at Bear's dead face, at the way that his openeyes, already glazed over and covered with dirt, stared unblinkingly at thesun.No.You couldn't think about that at times like this, you couldn't dwellon Bear's gentleness and kindness, andCully's foot twitched once.And then again and again.Talk more? Talk about what?"Mr.Alexander?"The only reason that Alexander didn't look up was because he never had lookeddown.But at least Niko had stalled him, if only for a few moments.Hisfingers fumbled clumsily for the hilt of Bear's sword."My name is Abdul ibnMahmoud," he said, showing anger for the first time."If you want to beg foryour life, boy, you can at least beg me by my name, eh? Ah.There it is." Hisfingers had found the hilt.For one moment, Niko hoped that, by some miracle, Bear had managed to sheaththe Nameless, that what Smith had kicked away was just Bear's mundane sword,Smith would be laying his hands on aWhite Sword that would burn him at the touch.But, no: the sword slid smoothly from its sheath.* * *And then a miracle happened.* * *It wasn't a big miracle, granted.Niko had been read to enough from the Bibleto know that real, big miracles were things like the sun standing still, likewater being turned to wine, the raising of the dead.But a strand of grass, just about halfway between Niko and this man who wantedto be calledAbdul ibn Mahmoud, but who was the murderer Alexander Smith, poked its tip upthrough the gravel, and grew quickly, becoming the length of a fingertip, andthen a finger, and then a hand.Smith saw it too, and his brow furrowed."What the "There was a shout from behind Niko, and Cully's foot twitched, once.Yes, it meant.Niko lunged forward, scrabbling on the gravel, trying to gain his feet whileFotheringay, his short pike held out chest-height in front of him, dashed outof the bushes, the sound issuing from his mouth something somewhere between abattle cry and a growl.Niko was already at a dead run around Smith, toward where Nadide lay
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