whine. "Should have done something like this a long time ago."
Soup countered, "When the old man was running things nobody had the guts to try getting in. It'll be that way again when they get used to Rider."
"Let's hope."
One small lumber room had been converted to a cell for the prisoner already on hand. Odehnal and the other man joined him. "Have you some dinner in a few minutes," Soup told them. "Except you, Odehnal. You'll have to wait on Rider."
The dwarf's eyes smouldered.
Chaz released Caracene in another room. He told her, "Couldn't give you special treatment in front of the dwarf. Sorry."
She did not answer. There was an odd, measuring look in her eyes. She watched him closely still when she sat down to eat with the three men.
"Shai Khe," Greystone said. "An ill name out east. One that strikes terror everywhere. I wouldn't have thought his interest in Shasesserre to be so intense as to bring him here personally." He glanced at Caracene.
She said, "Shasesserre is all that stands between Shai Khe and creation of the greatest empire the world has known."
"He the one gave you to Odehnal?" Chaz asked.
"Yes."
"What can you tell us about him?" Greystone asked.
"Nothing. While he lives, nothing."
"Me, I lost something somewhere, beautiful lady," Chaz said.
"I am his slave." She said that as though it explained all. In her native land, perhaps it did.
"Who?" Chaz insisted. "Odehnal or Shai Khe?"
Caracene bowed her head. Softly, she replied, "Shai Khe."
"Why? You're in Shasesserre."
"There are no slaves in Shasesserre?"
Chaz had to think his way around the side of that. "He is an enemy of the state. As such he has no rights. You have been freed. We could get you manumission papers by tomorrow."
She looked at him with eyes in which tenderness warred with exasperation. "Paper has no meaning while Shai Khe lives."
Gallantly, Chaz offered, "I'll kick his head in, then. Just tell me where he is."
"I cannot betray him. He is my master."
Soup snickered. Even Greystone smirked.
"I give up," the northerner said. He began muttering about "Women!" under his breath. He cleared his plate and cutlery away, then prepared a tray for the prisoners.
During the afternoon and evening he made every opportunity for Caracene to escape. She did not seize her chance.
Rider reached the laboratory quite late. He examined the prisoners while the others prepared themselves a supper. "Any message from the King?" he asked.
"Nary a word," Chaz replied. "Nothing from anybody."
"I suppose that means he's decided to accept me as Protector—to the extent that he'll ignore me. Till he wants something."
"That's what most of them did with your father. How long you reckon Belledon will last?" Few Shasesserren kings fulfilled normal lifespans. Some years there were three or four self-coronations. Jehrke had held the opinion that the city was its empire's worst enemy. The Protector had provided more stability and continuity than the crown.
"He could be a good one. If he stays alive. Suppose we skip the hired hands and deal with Odehnal directly?"
"A truth-drawing?"
"Get it ready. I'll eat first."
Odehnal’s eyes were wild. He was hopelessly caught, for the first time ever at another's mercy. Judging his captors by himself, he was frantic.
"Ought to be interesting," Chaz said, closing the lumber room door. Softly, "The girl wouldn't run."
"I noticed. We'll find him another way."
After eating they brought a more composed Odehnal into the library and strapped him into a chair the twin to that Greystone had used to monitor the web. Rider exercised the utmost caution while unbinding the spells which restrained the dwarf. Odehnal was dangerous still.
"Bit backwards from the way you're used to?" Rider asked. "You willing to tell me what I want to know?" Fear still lurked behind the dwarf's eyes. "Got in over your head when you joined up with Shai Khe, didn't you?"
Odehnal betrayed a flicker of surprise.
"Oh, yeah," Chaz said. "We
Soup countered, "When the old man was running things nobody had the guts to try getting in. It'll be that way again when they get used to Rider."
"Let's hope."
One small lumber room had been converted to a cell for the prisoner already on hand. Odehnal and the other man joined him. "Have you some dinner in a few minutes," Soup told them. "Except you, Odehnal. You'll have to wait on Rider."
The dwarf's eyes smouldered.
Chaz released Caracene in another room. He told her, "Couldn't give you special treatment in front of the dwarf. Sorry."
She did not answer. There was an odd, measuring look in her eyes. She watched him closely still when she sat down to eat with the three men.
"Shai Khe," Greystone said. "An ill name out east. One that strikes terror everywhere. I wouldn't have thought his interest in Shasesserre to be so intense as to bring him here personally." He glanced at Caracene.
She said, "Shasesserre is all that stands between Shai Khe and creation of the greatest empire the world has known."
"He the one gave you to Odehnal?" Chaz asked.
"Yes."
"What can you tell us about him?" Greystone asked.
"Nothing. While he lives, nothing."
"Me, I lost something somewhere, beautiful lady," Chaz said.
"I am his slave." She said that as though it explained all. In her native land, perhaps it did.
"Who?" Chaz insisted. "Odehnal or Shai Khe?"
Caracene bowed her head. Softly, she replied, "Shai Khe."
"Why? You're in Shasesserre."
"There are no slaves in Shasesserre?"
Chaz had to think his way around the side of that. "He is an enemy of the state. As such he has no rights. You have been freed. We could get you manumission papers by tomorrow."
She looked at him with eyes in which tenderness warred with exasperation. "Paper has no meaning while Shai Khe lives."
Gallantly, Chaz offered, "I'll kick his head in, then. Just tell me where he is."
"I cannot betray him. He is my master."
Soup snickered. Even Greystone smirked.
"I give up," the northerner said. He began muttering about "Women!" under his breath. He cleared his plate and cutlery away, then prepared a tray for the prisoners.
During the afternoon and evening he made every opportunity for Caracene to escape. She did not seize her chance.
Rider reached the laboratory quite late. He examined the prisoners while the others prepared themselves a supper. "Any message from the King?" he asked.
"Nary a word," Chaz replied. "Nothing from anybody."
"I suppose that means he's decided to accept me as Protector—to the extent that he'll ignore me. Till he wants something."
"That's what most of them did with your father. How long you reckon Belledon will last?" Few Shasesserren kings fulfilled normal lifespans. Some years there were three or four self-coronations. Jehrke had held the opinion that the city was its empire's worst enemy. The Protector had provided more stability and continuity than the crown.
"He could be a good one. If he stays alive. Suppose we skip the hired hands and deal with Odehnal directly?"
"A truth-drawing?"
"Get it ready. I'll eat first."
Odehnal’s eyes were wild. He was hopelessly caught, for the first time ever at another's mercy. Judging his captors by himself, he was frantic.
"Ought to be interesting," Chaz said, closing the lumber room door. Softly, "The girl wouldn't run."
"I noticed. We'll find him another way."
After eating they brought a more composed Odehnal into the library and strapped him into a chair the twin to that Greystone had used to monitor the web. Rider exercised the utmost caution while unbinding the spells which restrained the dwarf. Odehnal was dangerous still.
"Bit backwards from the way you're used to?" Rider asked. "You willing to tell me what I want to know?" Fear still lurked behind the dwarf's eyes. "Got in over your head when you joined up with Shai Khe, didn't you?"
Odehnal betrayed a flicker of surprise.
"Oh, yeah," Chaz said. "We
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