Nikto came back to the room. He sat down putting his elbows on the table and holding his head.

"You were quick," Orel said. Nikto didn"t answer. Lis gave Orel an expressive look and shook his head.

"No matter what Bey does to Toby, I"m not giving him my street!" Orel said.

"We"ve figured that out," Enriki said.

"You"ve discarded Toby," Lis snorted, "and the street is nearly Bey"s all the same."

"We"ll see!"

"Nothing to see here," Tol muttered.

"What else?" Lis pointed at the remaining envelopes.

"Same shit," Orel pushed his mail away. "Traders side with Bey, they choose him over me."

"They don"t trust you any more," Enriki said to Orel.

"He coerces them," Orel looked down and paused. "I don"t know how but I won"t let him have the street," he said at last.

"You"re saying it for two months and what?" Tol mumbled.

"Fine, what do you suggest? We"ll give him one street, then another and what?"

"We"ll have our streets in the Upper City left, he won"t be able to take them anyway," Lis said.

"The Lower City is giving me thrice what the Upper does! I have six hundred slaves I have to feed! A half of them are women and children, what should I do to them, sell them?"

"Don"t panic. How many soldiers do we have?"

"Not many. Look, Enriki, can you get Squint-Eye out of prison at last? Squint-Eye can bring us mercenaries from the west."

"I"m trying, Arel, but the king controls everything, he keeps his eye on him, I can"t do anything. But I"m trying, really!"

"We are so fucked," Orel said.

"Bring your people from the east," Lis suggested.