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What did Kareem hope to learn by discerning the riders' "trajectory?" Did he think they were headed somewhere else and wanted to follow? As far as Loren or anyone else could tell, they'd simply vanished into thin air. How were you supposed to follow that?

Hmm. On second thought, maybe that was exactly what Kareem intended to do. If they weren't going to pack up camp and leave, then they were going to stay, which probably meant that they would continue to deploy scouting parties.

Well, in any event, he had his orders. It wasn't his place to question them.

And it wasn't Zahi's, either, but that didn't stop the big-haired man from waltzing up to him and doing so.

"Who expected that, huh?! Not me, that's for sure!" He had a habit of speaking Mohssian quite often, and he was one of the most fluent in their camp. Some found that obnoxious, but it wasn't a problem for Loren, since he was quite fluent himself. "Hey, do you think they'll come back?"

"I have no idea," said Loren absently. He was more focused on surveying the soldiers around him, looking for ones he hadn't yet talked to.

"But if you did, you'd tell me, right? You wouldn't leave a brother hanging, would you?"

Loren ignored that question and kept walking.

"You're pretty cold, Lighteyes. Anyone ever tell you that? Cold as an ice cube on a winter's evening."

"You're not exactly warm, either, Zahi."

"I know of plenty of people who would say otherwise, friend."

"Plenty of people who you've deceived, you mean."

"Hey, I'm just being true to myself. I can't help it if people get the wrong impression. I'm a friendly guy who likes to have friendly conversations with other friendly people. Where's the harm in that, I ask you?"

"I think the harm comes when you stab them in the back."