Shardik

them while he's on an expedition and besides, they know too much – they could probably find a way to turn him in if they wanted to. Genshed doesn't employ overseers, like other slave-traders. He knows a trick worth two of that. He picks out any specially cruel or heartless boys and trains them as overseers. Once he's back in Terekenalt, I believe he often gets rid of them and picks fresh ones for the next trip. Anyway, that's what I heard.' 'Why do they work for him, then?'

'Partly because it's better to be an overseer than a slave: but there's more to it than that. The boys he chooses are those he has power over, because they admire him and want to be like him.' 'And the girl you were telling me about?' 'She killed herself.' 'How?'

'It was while Bled was actually with her, one night. She managed to get his knife out of his belt. He was too busy to notice, and she stabbed herself.' 'It's a pity she didn't stab him and then run for it.'

'Reva would never have thought of that. She was helpless and beside herself.'

'Where did you cross the Vrako?' asked Kelderek. 'And how, if it comes to that?'

'We met with another slave-trader in eastern Lapan – a man called Nigon, who had an Ortelgan warrant to trade. I heard Nigon warn Genshed that Santil's army was marching northward at a great rate and he'd better get out while he could. Nigon himself meant to get back to Bekla.' 'He didn't, though. He was taken by the Yeldashay.'

'Was he? I'm glad. Well, there was no point in Genshed trying to make for Bekla. He had no warrant, you see. So he went the only way he could – into Tonilda. We went like a forest fire, but every time we stopped we heard that the Yeldashay were closer behind us.' 'How did your little girl survive?'

'She would have died in a few days, but I've carried her almost every step – I and another boy we called the Hare. I've got a lord's sworn duty to her, you see. She's the daughter of one of our tenants at home. My father would expect me to look after her at all costs; and I have.'

The boy Bled drew level with them and for a time they edged their way forward in silence. Kelderek could see the children in front plodding and stumbling with bowed heads, speechless and apathetic as beasts. When Bled walked further up the line, making his stick whistle in the air, not one raised his eyes.

'When we got close to Thettit-Tonilda, Genshed learned that the Yeldashay were due west of us already and still going north. They'd as good as cut us off from Gelt and Kabin. At Thettit he sold all the girls except Shara. He knew they wouldn't be able to survive the journey he'd planned.'

Shara stirred and whimpered on Kelderek's shoulder. Radu leant forward, caressing her, and whispered in her ear – perhaps some joke between them, for the little girl chuckled and, trying to repeat what he had said, at once returned into her light sleep. 'Have you ever been in northern Tonilda?' asked the boy. 'No -I know it's wild and lonely.'

'There are no roads and it was bitterly cold at night. We had no blankets and Genshed wouldn't light fires for fear of Yeldashay patrols. All the same, we had some bread then, and dried meat too. Only one boy collapsed. It was in the evening, and Genshed hanged him from a tree and made us stand round it until he was dead. I don't know how much he could have got for that boy, but you'd have thought he'd have left him alone for a night's rest and waited to see whether he could go on in the morning. I tell you, it isn't the money with him. He'd give his life for cruelty, I believe.' 'He got angry, I suppose – lost his temper?'

'There's no telling whether he loses his temper. His violence is like an insect's – sudden and cold, and you feel it's natural – natural to something that's less than human, something that waits quite still and then darts like lightning. Sh!'

They had come to the bank of a creek and here Shouter was urging the children one by one into the water. As each floundered forward, Genshed, standing up to his waist in the middle, caught him by the arm and pushed him towards the opposite bank, where Bled dragged him out. Kelderek, holding the little girl in his arms, slipped in the thick slime and would have' fallen if Genshed had not gripped him. The boy overseers cursed and swore at the children almost without ceasing, but Genshed uttered neither word nor sound. When at length all were across he stretched out his hand to Bled, pulled himself out and looked round among the children, snapping his fingers. Those who had lain down struggled to their feet and after a few moments the slave-dealer set off once more into the forest.

'When we actually saw the Vrako we were very much afraid. It was a raging torrent, half a bow-shot across and full of great rocks. I couldn't believe Genshed meant to cross it with thirty exhausted children.'

'But the Vrako's impassable below Rabin,' said Kelderek. 'That's common knowledge.'

'He'd planned the crossing in Thettit. He'd sent Shouter round by Kabin, dressed as a drover's boy, and given him money to bribe the guard at the ford; but apparently they just let him through. Shouter had been told to look out for us on the bend of the river, where it turns to the east; but even so it took Genshed half a day to find him. It's a very wild, desolate place, you see.' ' But what was the plan?'

'Genshed had bought a great length of tarred twine in Thettit and a furlong of Ortelgan rope. He cut the rope into lengths and we all had to carry them on the journey. He married the lengths together again himself – it took him a day and a half. He was very thorough. When everything was ready he shot an arrow across the river with one end of the twine fastened to it. Then he bound the rope to the twine and Shouter pulled it across and made it fast. It was as much as ever he could do, though, because of the current. They made the rope as taut as they could by twisting wooden stakes into it on either side and hammering them into the ground. What with the current and the weight of the rope, it wasn't anything like taut, but that was how we crossed the Vrako.'

Kelderek said nothing, imagining the deafening sound of the torrent and the terrified, exhausted children stumbling down the bank.

'Seven of us were drowned. The Hare was drowned – he lost his hold and went under like a stone. I never saw him come up again. When I was half-way across I felt sure I was going to lose hold myself.' 'Shara?'

'That was it I had her wrists tied together round my neck. I'd made a sort of tube from a rolled-up strip of bark and put it in her mouth, to give her a chance of breathing if her head went under water. But of course she got frightened and began to struggle and that nearly finished us both. I'll take her back now.*

Kelderek gave him the child and Radu rocked her in his arms, humming very quietly, his mouth close to her ear. After some time he went on,

'What I've learned – what I've learned is how strong an evil man becomes. Genshed's strong because he's evil. Evil protects him, so that he can do its work. In a few days you'll come to see what I mean.' He paused, and then added, 'But Genshed's not the only one to blame for our misery.' 'Why-who else?' 'The enemy; the Ortelgans, who revived the slave trade.' 'They didn't give Genshed a warrant.'

'No, but what did they think would happen? If you let in dogs you let in fleas.'

Kelderek made no reply and for a long time they continued their shuffling snail's pace behind the children, stooping every few yards to free their dragging chains. At last Radu said, 'You're sure that General Santil's army's in Kabin?' 'Yes -1 came from there.' 'And you actually saw my father there?' 'Yes, I did.'

They bent their heads to pass Bled, standing with knees bent and stick half-raised in his hand. It was not until he had overtaken them and was some way ahead that Kelderek spoke again. 'It must be near sunset. When does he halt as a rule?' 'Are you tired?' asked Radu.

'I'm still dizzy from this wound in my head, and my finger's very painful. Genshed drove-his knife under the nail.'

'I've seen him do that more than once,' said Radu. 'Let me have a look. That ought to be tied up.' He tore a strip from his rags and bound it round Kelderek's finger. 'We may have a chance to wash it later. I doubt he'll go much further tonight.'

'Have you any idea why Genshed should want to keep me?' asked Kelderek. 'You told me he killed your servant and that he deals only in children. Has he taken any other grown men or women that you know of?'

'No, not one. But whatever his reason is, it will be a cunning and evil one.'

Soon after, they halted in a muddy strip of open land extending as far as the shore of the Telthearna on their right. Kelderek reckoned that since his capture they might have covered perhaps six miles. He guessed that Genshed must be making for Linsho, and that when he had bought his way through the Gap he would turn west for Terekenalt, either by water or by land. If he himself could not contrive to escape before that journey was well under way, then Melathys would be lost to him for ever and in all probability he would never even learn her fate or that of the Tuginda.

At the order to halt, almost all the children sank down wherever they happened to be. A few fell asleep immediately. One or two crouched, talking together in whispers. None except Shara showed the least energy or