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like that, especially to yourself& "
"Do you really think my king is more worried about you and your good opinion
than about the safety of his loved ones?" Listan asked when Derand just smiled
faintly at the man. "You're less than nothing to him, and he doesn't have to justify
anything to anyone. You - "
"He's not hearing you, Listan," Derand interrupted as he saw the captive start to
pale. "Let's get our men in here and then he can know what I'm talking about. But
tell the men not to stop what they're doing even if he immediately decides to tell the
truth. Nothing teaches a man the error of his ways more than not being allowed to
change his mind - "
"No! Please!" the captive screamed as he started to pull at the straps again. "He said
I'd never have to face torture of any kind, and that makes him a liar! Only fools
keep their word to a liar, and I'm no fool! It was King Paltin who sent me to make
trouble in your kingdom, King Paltin!"
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Queen Brat by Sharon Green
Derand stared at the struggling captive for a moment, then looked away.
"Get the men in here, Listan, and give them the orders I just mentioned," Derand
said, pretending he saw nothing of Listan's startlement and Gardal's upset. "And
also tell them that this one won't be easy, so they can't afford to play with him.
There won't be much left when they're done, but that's - "
"Damn you," the captive said, speaking bitterly to Derand after his struggles
abruptly stopped. "You're not doing anything the way you were expected to, but
that still won't help you. If you were able to take it, then I can take it. And it was
King Lovar who sent me."
Derand studied the man again, then gestured his two companions out of the room
with him. Listan and Gardal were looking confused and annoyed as well as
disturbed, and Derand didn't blame them.
"Well, now we know that torturing him will be a waste of time," Derand said after
blowing out a breath of vexation. "He'll name every one of the kings in turn over
and over, and even if we think he's broken we won't be able to know for certain that
he isn't avenging himself in advance by begging us to believe that the last name he
speaks is his employer. Just have his throat cut and let that be an end to the matter."
"Yes, my king, I'll see to it immediately," Listan said before moving off toward a
group of guardsmen. Gardal watched him go, then joined Derand in heading back
to the palace.
"Obviously Listan is as relieved as I am that there won't be any torturing done,"
Gardal said after a moment of silence. "The only thing is, how can you be sure that
one of the others doesn't know who's behind all this?"
"In order for one of the others to know something, he'd have to be as associate of
the one we questioned," Derand explained, privately reflecting that Gardal didn't
know the meaning of the word relieved as well as he did. "If that man had an
associate among the ones in black leather, the others would have unconsciously
drawn away from the associate in the cell in an effort to distance themselves from
whatever would be done to him. Did you notice any one of those men sitting
alone?"
"No, they were all clumped miserably together," Gardal agreed with a look of
surprise. "I hadn't understood what that meant but now I do, and I'm really
impressed with how clever you are. But I still don't understand why you didn't
bother to ask that man's name. Once he's dead we'll never know who he was."
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Queen Brat by Sharon Green
"If you ever have to have someone tortured, you'll be happier if you don't know the
man's name," Derand said, the closest he could come to an explanation. "Now we'd
better get back to where they're probably waiting lunch for us."
Gardal's exclamation showed that Derand's friend had forgotten all about lunch, but
now that he'd been reminded he increased his pace just as Derand did. They both
hurried to rejoin Derand's guests, but Derand doubted that he'd have the stomach to
eat much at all&
The inn had been cleared of other guests, so the only occupied room was theirs.
There were guards out in the hall, but they were picked men and even they weren't
very near. The two people had eaten their meal before coming to this room, and
once the door was closed behind them it began.
"Get out of those clothes instantly!" she snapped, treating him the way he deserved
to be treated. "I've had to wait much too long to give you the next installment of the
punishment you've earned!"
"Yes, mistress, I obey immediately," he said at once, suiting actions to words. His
swordbelt came off first and then his boots, and a pair of moments later his finery
lay piled on the floor. He himself knelt beside the clothing, his head down and his
shoulders rounded.
"You disgust me," she said as she walked back to him from the trunk she'd gone to.
"You're supposed to be a king, supposed to be completely in charge of everything
and everyone, but you still jump to obey when your master calls!"
"It's simply a matter of politics, mistress," he begged, trying to make her
understand. "The others will all be at this celebration the High King is holding, so
staying away would be - impolitic."
He'd almost said "foolish" rather than "impolitic," a mistake that would have cost
him dearly. He was already in for it, which meant he didn't need to add to the
punishment unnecessarily.
"You were a fool to allow that man to defeat you in battle," she growled, letting [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]