Suleiman returned to Nebula's chambers, where she and Xena and Gabrielle had been discussing trivia, and he said, "Hassim is secured. His family will want to bring him things, of course."

"Allow it," said Nebula.

Suleiman frowned. "The people will..."

"The point is to treat everyone equally under the law, noble and commoner alike. Any prisoner is allowed to receive food and clothing from their families. That goes for Hassim too."

"Yes," said Xena dryly. "He'll be hip-deep in silks and fresh fruit before you know it. Such a punishment."

And it was at that point that Gabrielle had to get up and leave. She went out into the hall and closed the door behind her, and started pacing up and down. Up and down, short, sharp steps, the echoes ringing in the empty marble hallway like the snap of so many bowstrings. Hassim was sitting in a dungeon in the lap of luxury. Hassim. That man. She tried to calm herself , bringing to mind Xena saying , "Take deep breaths and focus", Eli saying, "Hatred out, peace in," Suleiman saying, "Put all emotion out of your head and concentrate only on the battle".

She couldn't do it.

All she could think about was Hassim. That man who had the temerity to waltz right up to Nebula in public with that spitting cobra on his arm. That man who had the nerve to treat them all as if they were so much dust beneath his feet. That man who had laid his hands on Joxer, chained him and--She didn't want to focus. She didn't want peace. She didn't want to put it all out of her head. She wanted Hassim's throat under her fingers, and she wanted it now.

Xena slipped silently out into the hall behind her. Without turning around, Gabrielle said, "Leave me alone, Xena."

"Are you all right?"

"I'm fine. I'll be back inside in a minute."

"You're too worked up."

"Don't tell me how worked up I am. Leave me alone."

"How's Joxer?"

"He's fine. He said he had a touch of sun and was going to lie down."

"Perhaps you should go look in on him."

"He's fine. I'm fine. Leave me alone."

"Perhaps," Xena said in a harder tone, "you should go look in on him and then come back here once you're calmed down."

Gabrielle stopped pacing and turned to face Xena. "Are you ordering me to--"

"I'm ordering you to go away until you cool off. The situation's delicate enough without anyone blowing their top. I'm angry too," she said over Gabrielle's protests, "but I'm holding it for later. Can you do the same?"

Gabrielle took a deep breath to protest, but Xena was looking right through her. As usual. She blew out the breath in a sigh. "I'll just be a few minutes. I'll be fine once I take a little walk, or... something."

"Atta girl." Xena smiled. "I'll see you in a bit, then." She turned and went back into Nebula's chambers, leaving Gabrielle alone in the hall.

For a moment Gabrielle pretended she was considering a walk around the parapets of the castle, or in the hanging gardens, or out to the practice arena to run through some moves. Then she gave in to the inevitable and headed for the apartments.

-----

Joxer was back in Egypt. He was looking for Sumerians, and he'd found some, and he didn't like them. Not at all. This man, this Hassim, the way he smiled and the way he spoke and the way he looked Joxer up and down like he was appraising a horse made him intensely nervous, and something in the back of his head said: Not this one. Find another. But he needed to get to Sumeria as quickly as possible, and he needed to find someone who would take him there, and this guy was obviously ready to close the trap. All he had to do was make sure it closed firmly around himself, and he'd be on his way.

"Have a drink," said Hassim. He pushed a mug across the table.

It was so obvious Joxer hesitated. Knockout drugs in a drink, and drag the victim out and chain him in a galley before he woke up. Certainly Hassim wouldn't be that obvious, would he? How many people would be stupid enough to fall for something like that? But then, if that wasn't the case, it wouldn't hurt to take the drink--and if it was, he might as well do it now and get it over with. Joxer took the mug and drained it.

Hassim smiled again, and the men with him laughed. Joxer felt a sense of satisfaction. This was it, then. Again that alarm in the back of his head, the urge to get up and get away from the table, take his chances with another Sumerian ship--but he couldn't waste any more time. Not when Gab and Xena might be... A sudden spasm of nausea ran through him, and he looked away.

"Wine no good, softskin?"

"No, 'sfine." Okay, Joxer thought impatiently. Let it take effect now. Get it over with.

And the room did seem to be spinning somewhat. Good. Hassim stood up, and so did the men with him. "You look like you need some air," he said.

"I believe I do," Joxer agreed, playing the role of the idiot who fell for an obvious trick to the hilt. Now they would go outside, and sooner or later he'd pass out, and he'd wake up en route to Sumeria, and a little rowing was a small price to pay considering the alternative. He walked unsteadily for the door and before he was there two of the men were already supporting him by the arms. Holding him. The floor dipped and dove away under his feet, and then they were out in the street.

"He's gone," said one of the men, and Joxer would have agreed with him if he'd been able to speak.

"Very nice," said Hassim.

"Shall we go back to the ship?"

"Not right now," Hassim said thoughtfully. That alarm in the back of Joxer's head went off, louder and more hysterically than before. "Not quite yet...Come this way. I'm not sure how he'll hold up. Perhaps we should test him out first."

Oh, he did not like the sound of that. He tried to dig in his heels, but he couldn't seem to make his legs work, and he lifted his head enough to see they were heading for a door, and the door opened into darkness. This didn't happen, he thought for some reason, this dark, and he tried to protest but he couldn't make a sound, and he was choking, his voice muffled and someone was shaking him and...

He awoke, shuddering, gasping for air. He was not in the alley, and the face above him was not Hassim's. "Gabrielle," he said before he was fully aware once again of where he was. "I...Gabrielle. Hello."

"Bad dream?"

"Yeah." He sat up, swinging his legs over the edge of the chaise where he'd fallen asleep. Gabrielle poured some water from the ewer on the side-table into a cup and handed it to him. "Thanks," he said.

"You all right?"

"I'm fine."

"Are you sure you're all--"

"Leave me alone," Joxer snapped before he could stop himself. He put the cup aside. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, it's just that...Everyone keeps bugging me, y'know? I'm fine about it, okay?"

Gabrielle snorted. "Well--I'm not." She turned and paced away a few steps.

"What?"

"Xena kicked me out until I can 'control myself'. Stand there like her and not blink an eyelash. Joxer, I want to kill that guy."

"Gabrielle--" He stumbled to his feet, wanting to reach for her and knowing better.

"I want to kill him. I think of what he did to you, and I want...Gods, Joxer!" She ran her hand through her hair in frustration. "Why do you get yourself into these messes? How could you have been so stupid as to..."

"I wasn't!" He was snapping again, couldn't stop himself, didn't want to. "Don't feel sorry for me, and don't go around killing people for me! I know what I did! I did it on purpose, okay?"

"How can you get captured onto a slave ship on purpose?"

"Because I knew what it would be like." He did reach for her this time, took her shoulders and shook her once like a disobedient pup. "I knew what it would be like, and I thought it was happening to you and Xena, and what was I supposed to do? What would you have done, if you thought Xena was in that kind of trouble? And would you have regretted it for a moment?"

Gabrielle stared him down, not turning away. "Anything I had to," she said finally. "And not for one minute." She reached up and put a hand on his wrist, and her voice softened. "I understand. I only wish it hadn't happened."

"So do I." He looked away, shamefaced. "I'm sorry I yelled."

"I'm sorry I.." She looked away herself. "I'm just sorry. I'm sorry I called you stupid. I'm sorry I haven't been any help."

"I don't need any help. I'm fine."

"I--" She moved forward before he could react, and pulled him into a hug. "I've just been so worried about you, ever since... I still am."

He returned the hug tentatively, knowing Gabrielle hated these kind of moments, expecting her to pull back or push him away at any minute. "Gabrielle," he said, "don't be. I'm fine. I don't want to upset you, I..."

She hooked her chin over his shoulder. "I know. I just keep kicking myself that I didn't do something, that...that I sent you away. If I hadn't done that, none of this mess would have happened."

"Don't blame yourself." Her hair tickled against his face.

"The thing is," she said in a small voice, "I didn't even want you to go away."

He could hardly breathe. "Really?"

"Really. I was just so afraid you'd get hurt if you stayed with us."

"Oh." That wasn't what he'd wanted to hear, but then he'd never get what he wanted to hear, would he? Fiercely he shoved that thought out of his mind. It was enough. It was enough--and Gabrielle still hadn't pulled back from the embrace. He held very still, feeling the rise and fall of her ribs under his arms, her warm breath on his neck--and then she sniffed, loudly, and he knew what was coming. Very reluctantly--so reluctantly!--he loosened his grip and allowed her to pull away.

Gabrielle sniffed again. "I'm sorry," she said.

"No problem." He fished for something to say. "What are friends for?"

"Best friends." She smiled a tremulous smile, and took his hand in hers, squeezing it hard. He returned the grip, and that was another precious moment of the kind that he lived for. "Joxer, we'll think of something, okay? We'll work something out--this whole sword and Sumeria and Hassim thing. Don't worry. It'll all come out right in the end. Isn't that what you always say?"

"Yes." The problem was he no longer believed it. A bit of the dream flashed into his mind for a moment, and with it a spasm of alarm. "You're not going to, uh, tell Xena--"

"Not unless you want me to."

"No."

"Okay." She sighed. "I think you're making a mistake. But if you change your mind, if you want me to talk to her, if you want me with you--if you just want to talk at all--you come get me, understand?" She laid the back of her hand against his cheek again, and he could not resist leaning into the caress. She only ever did that particular gesture with him. It made him so joyful his heart might break. It put him in such despair he might break out laughing. He wanted to take her hand, hold it there for a moment, say something--

But he held back and the moment was gone. She dropped her hand, and her gaze, looking at the floor. "Well," she said, folding her arms across her chest. "Well, I..."

The door opened. They both looked up at once, to see Nebula and Xena come into the room. "Ah, there you are," Nebula said to him. "Feeling better?"

"Yeah." He rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. "Yeah, I'm, uh, fine."

"Great. Come on, we'll play a few games of stones and get something to eat. I need to figure out how we're going to run the trial, and I need your input."

Joxer looked at Xena. "Xena, d'you, uh, need me for anything, I can..."

"No." She waved him away. "Go on."

He turned back to Gab. "Uh..."

But she was looking away. Deliberately looking away, not at him, not at Nebula, at the floor. Tell me not to go, he begged her silently. Tell me to stay, and I will.

But she said nothing.

Joxer put that away in the dark place, where he kept the dreams and the bad things locked away, and refused to think about it further. "Okay, then. See you guys later." He took Nebula's arm in his and allowed he to lead him away.

Outside in the hall the sun was growing lower, and the shadows longer.