So, Ishal Laharek was not a walking corpse like Kukran Epthel. Not so advanced in the hierarchy? How many where they? How dangerous was Ishal? Had he acquired that mode of thought, that inertia which colored Kukran's actions? Why was I thinking about this? Because Sheo had left me with a ten carat stone, that's why. He had a plan, and I didn't doubt that in some way I was part of it. Or perhaps he just left me with a way out, with Tahal's help.
“How much magic do you have?” I asked him. “What spells?”
He glared at the stone in my forehead and I glared back. “Just tell me,” I threatened.
So he did.
110
They threw Sapphire into the cell some time later.
The rattling of a key in the lock woke me and I came to my feet. Tahal didn't bother. He just sat with his back to the wall, gazing indifferently at the door.
Kerral stood in the light beyond the doorway. His face was shadowed but I knew him straight away. The size of him, the way he stood. These things were familiar. He had saved my life once, I remembered. What would he do now?
He moved a little, pointing at Tahal. “You, come with me.”
Tahal hesitated, then shifted reluctantly. Getting to his feet seemed an unendurable chore. “Well, goodbye, Sumto. Good luck.” he said, and went.
I just watched him go. He had the ten carat ring and wasn't doing a thing. What could I say? There was nothing. I stared after him, dully horrified, Knowing that the stupid drunken Sumto had been tricked into giving up his one asset, yet still hoping that Tahal was just biding his time.
I wished for a moment that I hadn't beaten him. Then was glad I did while I had the chance.
Kerral moved back into the light, watching me. As soon as he was sure I was watching him he shrugged and moved away from the doorway. Two husky barbarians took his place, carrying a burden between them. They threw Sapphire at my feet and closed the door without a word.
I stood in shock for a moment, looking down at him. I couldn't see much but his clothes were dark with blood and I could hear his breathing. It didn't sound good.
“Well,” I said softly, “you found me.”
111
It took a time to get him into a position where I might be able to lift him onto a cot. He was heavier than he looked and I was trying to be careful not to hurt him. Not that he would feel it. He had taken more than one crack to the head and was deeply unconscious. I was worried about his ribs, about making things worse. There was a pink blood frothing at his lips as he breathed shallowly. He had taken wounds everywhere and his clothes were drenched in blood. His left arm was broken. I changed my mind about lifting him and instead dragged the mattress off my cot and laid it on the floor, easing him slowly onto it. I tried to make him comfortable. There was nothing else I could do. I stripped his shirt and bound his wounds with care. Some were still bleeding sluggishly. He'd lost a lot of blood. When I had done as best I could I covered him with every blanket in the cell and settled down to watch him.
Tahal was gone. I couldn't believe my stupidity in coming here to rescue him. He had the stone. And Sapphire was dying. I didn't see how things could get worse.
I watched Sapphire. Listened to his ugly breathing. Sometimes he moved in his unnatural sleep, whimpered and lay still. I doubted he'd ever wake.
I wished I could sleep too. I was exhausted, but sleep had never been further away from me. I wondered what they would do with me. Wondered if Kukran would try and Turn me once more or just leave me here to rot. They hadn't brought food or even water. I suspected they would just leave me here to die. Us, I thought; they are going to leave us here to die.
The dogs had become loud in my head, and I had to fight to think through their raucous, relentless baying. They sounded close. Abruptly their tone changed to frenzied rage, ferocious growls mixed in with long ululating yelps and yammering screams chopped off abruptly. They were fighting and dying, being killed. Who would do that? Hope welled up inside me. I knew that the Alendi had retreated to the Eyrie. They must have had reason; the army of the city must threaten them. And that told me who was killing the dogs. It was an army of the city, possibly already outside the walls. My spirit roiled with mixed hope, anticipation and fear. They would win, take the Eyrie. We would be free.
Sapphire choked in his sleep and I hovered over him, watching anxiously as I listened to the dogs fighting and dying.
I just hoped our army would be quick enough. Knowing Sapphire couldn't hear me I told him anyway. “Hold on, Sapphire,” I told him. “Our army is here. Help is on the way.”
Still, there was no guarantee that the enemy would let us live long enough to see freedom.
112
Sapphire woke once more, I was half asleep myself but listened to him anyway. He talked randomly, feverish, not knowing I was there and I think not even fully conscious. I learned some things then that I would rather not have known. Details about his childhood, if it could be called that. After he fell silent I lay barely awake myself, wondering about the kind of men who would subject a child to such horrors, put them under such extreme pressure in order to mold a tool for their own use. For him, from the age of five, every single day had been a test, with pain or death the consequence of failure. Sometimes pain was the test. 'First to cry out dies,' and then they had burned them with hot irons until one cried out. How many had he said? A thousand children, and twenty to survive. No wonder he was what he was, I thought. No wonder.
I slept, but didn't sleep well. In my dream there was mist.
I knew it was Jocasta even before I saw her.
“Sumto?”
“I'm here,” I told her.
The mists cleared and there she was, beside her stood a shadowy figure I could hardly see. She was holding the shadow, as though supported by it. She was pale, swaying. Behind her was an indistinct gray backdrop. I glanced around. We were in a tent, just the two of us and the shadow propping her up.
“Are you all right?” I stepped closer. “Where are you?”
She smiled. “I am well enough, Sumto. I'm with the army. The enemy pulled out of Undralt and two days later our forces arrived. We are with the army now, safe as we can be. The army is close to the Eyrie.”
“I know.”
Her face went very slowly still. “Where are you?”
I pulled a face. I didn't want to tell her.
“You're there, aren't you? In the Eyrie. What are you doing there? Why are you there? Are you all right?”
I held up a hand to still the flood of questions. “I am okay for now. I came for Tahal Samant.”
She hissed out a breath and rolled her eyes to the ceiling. “Are you insane? Why? Why did you do it?”
I shrugged. “I had to do something. I dared not stay with you. The dogs…”
“Dogs? Those dogs were something to do with you?”
I nodded, told her briefly. She didn't say anything for a while.
“Don't come in after me,” I told her. “The army will take the Eyrie… it is big enough a force to do the job isn't it? They haven't sent too small an army?”
