Wu Gu Xian sat in his eyrie, overlooking the city of Acre. As the sun set, the calls for evening prayer began to sound from the colourful towers that rose above the shadowed streets and cooling squares. The oriental wizard sighed and lay back on his divan, his eyes closed in thought.

"Greetings, wizard." A voice like glass bells cut through the nighttime sounds.

Wu Gu Xian did not betray any surprise. Instead, he merely eased himself around on his couch and sat up. "You are not at your devotions?"

Leah laughed. "And why would I be? The word of our lord and master is that all is permitted in the service of the greater power. Besides, I bring you news."

At this, the wizard found it impossible to feign a lofty disinterest. He stared eagerly at his visitor. "Please." His voice trembled. "You have done it?"

"Oh, I certainly have." Leah lowered herself onto a cushion, then gracefully folded her legs underneath her. She reached out to pluck a sweetmeat from a plate on the low table between herself and Wu Gu Xian.

"What?" the wizard demanded. This time there was an edge of frustration in his voice. "What news?"

"It is good news. Tomorrow you shall have your thousand souls - just as you desired. As the sun reaches its zenith, the Crusader king shall order the death of the hostages. And you shall complete your sorcery, yes?"

Wu Gu Xian exhaled and leaned back on the soft cushions around him. For a moment he felt as if a weight had been lifted from him, then the enormity of the deed that he had to perform fell upon him. He had escaped one possible doom, only to exchange it with a further erosion of his spirit. "Yes," he said at last. "I shall complete the spell, and the Golden Knight shall be forever doomed."

"Ah, then this will make your revenge even sweeter," his guest replied. "I have managed to entrap al faris al dhahabiu. Now he will think that he is responsible for the deaths of the hostages." Leah laughed, took another sweetmeat and tossed it into the air, only to catch it between her lips.

"You did what?" A sickening feeling welled up in the oriental's stomach.

Leah laughed. "It was such a pleasure to manoeuvre the fool. His honour betrayed him, and now his conscience will punish him."

Wu Gu Xian took a deep breath. "My master will be very displeased if anything should happen to the Golden Knight before noon tomorrow. I am sure that I would find it difficult to endure any torments that he would visit upon me. In my agonies I might beg for mercy, and might even tell my master that you were ultimately responsible for thwarting him."

Leah chewed her dainty then swallowed it. "I do not think that anything will happen to him. The leaders of the infidel will have other things to be worried about until then. And, after that, it will be too late."

"Pray you are right, my dear," Wu Gu Xian muttered. "Pray you are right."

Leah stood up. "If that is all, wizard?" All trace of humour had vanished from her demeanour. Wu Gu Xian was about to dismiss the woman when a sudden pain lanced through him. The wizard fought hard against the nausea that overwhelmed him, collapsing forward onto the table. Leah rushed towards him, pulling him back onto the divan. "Are you alright? Speak! Do you need water? Wine? A doctor?"

Wu Gu Xian waved weakly at her. "No. I do not. Let me concentrate," he hissed. The wizard closed his eyes and tried to focus on the source of his pain. Visions swam into being inside his mind: faces lit by pale light; the glint of metal; the taste of blood! With a gasp, Wu Gu Xian recovered his wits. "There are intruders within the city! They are close to my sanctum!"

Leah shook her head in disbelief. "How can you tell?" She did not let Wu Gu Xian answer before continuing. "I am sure that you are right. But do you not have traps to take care of them? Wards to blast them before they discover your secrets?"

Wu Gu Xian nodded. "I do. But one of them is the Golden Knight! If he is killed, then all our plans will be for nought!"

Leah shrugged. "At least it will not be of my doing, wizard."

The old man grabbed the woman's arm, his long fingernails digging through her clothing and into her flesh. "Until the spell is successfully cast, you are still in my service! So, you shall carry out one more task for me. Go into the cisterns, find the Golden Knight. Ensure he does not die. I cannot afford to take the chance - and neither can you!" He let go of Leah's arm, then sank back into the folds of his couch.

Leah pulled her arm away in disgust. "Very well, then. I shall perform this service for you." She stood up, pulling her belt close about her and securing it. Then she stopped. "You said that one of them is the Golden Knight? is the other one important to you or your master?"

"No." Wu Gu Xian shook his head. "Only the Golden Knight. The other pretends to have some magical power, but is dangerous enough for all that."

"Then I may kill him?"

"You may. But the Golden Knight must live. For now."

"Very well." Leah gave the oriental a shallow bow. "Then I shall go and make sure the Golden Knight comes to no great harm. For now."

"Indeed. Do." And Wu Gu Xian laid back on the divan.