Free A Fire in the Sun by George Alec Effinger

Hajjar had sold himself more than once: to Friedlander Bey, and also to the second-highest bidder, and to the third-highest, and to the fourth . . .
    I remembered when I was a hot-blooded fifteen-year-old. I promised my girlfriend, Nafissa, that I wouldn't even look at another girl. And I made the same pledge to Fayza, whose tits were bigger. And to Hanuna, whose father worked in the brewery. Everything was just fine until Nafissa found out about Hanuna, and Fayza's father found out about both of the others. The girls would have cut my balls off and scratched out my eyes. Instead, I slipped out of Algiers while the enemy slept, and so began 1 the odyssey that brought me to this city.
    That's a dead, dry story and of little relevance here. I'm just suggesting how much trouble Hajjar was looking at if Friedlander Bey and Reda Abu Adil ever caught on to his two-timing.
    "Isn't Abu Adil your chief competitor?" I asked.
    "The gentleman may think we compete. I do not think that we are in conflict in any way. Allah grants Abu Adil the right to sell his beaten brass where I am selling my beaten brass. If someone chooses to buy from Abu Adil rather than from me, then both customer and merchant have my blessing. I will get my livelihood from Allah, and nothing Abu Adil can do will help or hinder me."
    I thought of the vast sums of money that passed through Friedlander Bey's house, some of it ending up in fat envelopes on my own desk. I was confident that none of it derived from the sale of beaten brass. But it made a pleasant euphemism; I let it go.
    "According to Lieutenant Hajjar," I said, "you think Abu Adil is planning to put you out of business altogether."
    "Only the Gatherer of Nations shall do that, my son." Papa gave me a fond look. "But I am pleased by your concern. You needn't worry about Abu Adil."
    "I can use my position down at the copshop to find out what he's up to."
    He stood up and ran a hand through his white hair. "If you wish. If it will ease your mind."
    Kmuzu pulled my chair away from the table and I stood up also. "My uncle," I said, "I beg you to excuse me.
    May your table be pleasant to you. I wish you a blessed meal."
    Frieollander Bey came to me and kissed me on each cheek. "Go in safety, my darling," he said. "I am most pleased with you."
    As I left the dining room, I turned to see Papa sitting once again in his chair. There was a grim look on the old man's face, and the Stone That Speaks was bending low to hear something Papa was saying. I wondered just what Friedlander Bey shared with his slave, but not yet with me.
    "You've got to finish moving in, don't you?" I said to Kmu7u as we walked back to my apartment.
    "I will bring a mattress, yaa Sidi. That will be enough for tonight."
    "Good. I have some work to do on the data deck."
    "The report on Reda Abu Adil?"
    I looked at him sharply. "Yes," I said, "that's right."
    "Perhaps I can help you get a clearer picture of the man and his motives."
    "How is it that you know so much about him, Kmuzu?" I asked.
    "When I was first brought to the city, I was employed as a bodyguard for one of Abu Adil's wives."
    I thought that information was remarkable. Consider: I begin an investigation of a total stranger, and my brand-new slave turns out to have once worked for that same man. This wasn't a coincidence, I could feel it. I had faith that it'd all fit together eventually. I just hoped I'd still be alive and healthy when it did.
    I paused outside the door to my suite. "Go get your bedding and your belongings," I told Kmuzu. "I'll be going through the file on Abu Adil. Don't worry about disturbing me, though. When I'm working, it takes a bomb blast to distract me."
    "Thank you, yaa Sidi. I will be as quiet as I can."
    I began to turn the color lock on the door. Kmuzu gave a little bow and headed toward the servants' quarters. When he'd turned the corner, I hurried away in the opposite direction. I went down to the garage and found my car. It felt strange, sneaking