Repentance whispered to Comfort, "Do you see that slave right there—the one closest to us?" She nodded toward Shamed. "I need you to get him for me. Tell him Tigen needs to see him. Don't let anyone else hear. I'll be waiting right behind this booth."
"Tigen needs him," Comfort repeated.
"And wait there until he comes back. We don't want a crowd here, drawing attention. Sit with the other slave, his name is Blustering, and drink a jug with him."
When Shamed arrived a few minutes later, he glanced around. Not seeing Tigen, he started to leave.
"Wait, Shamed," Repentance said.
Shamed looked at her. "Excuse me?"
Repentance looked at him intently. "Don't you know me?"
"Should I know you? There's something familiar about you." Shamed squinted, then gasped. "Do you have a sister? You look like a lady I once knew."
Repentance put her finger to her lips to quiet him. "I am the lady you once knew," she whispered. "A lady you once helped. I'm hoping you'll help me again."
"Repentance! Your hair!" Then he stepped back, aghast. "What are you doing here?"
"Where is Sober?"
A pained look crossed Shamed's face. "He's in the dungeon. Generosity took him a bowl of soup earlier. She said he's broken up bad."
"I need to get to him."
His eyes shot wide open. "You need to get out of Harthill. The king is gone, who knows where, and the prince has whipped his troopers into a frenzy looking for you. Word is ... " he faltered.
"Tell me!"
"Word is that Sober is to swing at first light. I've also heard that the Hot Springs slavers have been moving the strongest villagers out, taking them on slave carts for auction. They don't want to lose all their inventory."
Repentance put her hand to her mouth to hold back the bile that was rising in her throat.
"You need to get away, Repentance, but whatever you do, don't go back to Hot Springs."
She swallowed. "I can't do anything for the people in the village. But I can free Sober."
A look of horror filled Shamed's face. "If you stay here, you'll swing with him and I can tell you this, true as true, Repentance. If he thinks you're safe, he'll die happy. If you want to torture the man, get yourself caught and swing by his side."
"Do you know if the boat is still docked at Mist Lake?"
"You're crazy!"
"Is it there?"
"Broken up and burned the day after you escaped. Are you trying to kill yourself? The place is thick with nobles and troopers."
Repentance nodded, stepped forward and hugged him. "I know. And I hate to ask you this when you've already done so much for me, but I have to ask you to do something more."
He looked at her, waiting.
"The boy who gave you the message to meet Tigen?"
He glanced at Comfort, still at the slave table, talking to Blustered.
"That's not really a boy. It's my sister, Comfort."
He shook his head. "Why would you bring her here?"
"She wouldn't stay behind. Listen to me, I don't have a lot of time. She belongs to Mistress Merricc. If something happens to me, and I don't come back for her tonight, will you hide her in the barn for a couple of weeks? At your first opportunity, let whoever comes from Mistress Merricc's farm know that you have Comfort. They'll smuggle her out."
"Calamity's so old he can barely find his own mouth with a spoon. How will he smuggle a slave out of the city?"
She winced. "Calamity is dead."
"What?"
"Will you watch out for Comfort, please? If the prince catches me tonight he won't care about Comfort. No one will be looking for her. After a couple of weeks things will calm down and Mistress Merricc will be able to get her out."
He nodded. "I'll try."
She kissed his cheek. "I know you'll do your best. Go back now and keep her busy so she won't try to follow me."
"What are you going to do?"
"I'm going to sneak into that dungeon, open Sober's door, and sneak back out again."
"Providence smiles on courage. Are you being courageous or just plain foolish, is the question." Shaking his head, obviously putting her in the latter category, he turned to leave.
"Shamed?"
He turned back.
"Tell Comfort I love her."
She strode off without a backward glance, a few stray tears freezing in her eyelashes.
As she neared the bonfire, the sound of musicians warming up their instruments filled the chilly mountain air. The jugglers had traded in their balls and were throwing flaming torches back and forth. Repentance saw a familiar face in the crowd of children watching. Tigen. He was up front and laughing. Always in the middle of the action, that one.
She wished she could talk to him one last time.
Swallowing that desire, she ducked around back of the palace and entered through the washroom.
Peeking around the doorway into the kitchen, she saw a snake's nest of activity. Cook bustled about in the middle of it all, giving orders to scores of slaves with pitchers and slaves with trays. Repentance moved over to the hall door, praying for the traffic to slow down enough so she could sneak down the hall and into the great room above the dungeons.
"Who are you?" someone said from behind her.
She nearly jumped from her boots.
Turning, she found Tigen, gazing at her intently.
"I saw you come around back of the—" he broke off with a gasp. "My Lady?"
She shook her head. "How can you know me?"
"You look like a boy."
"I'm supposed to look like a boy. I don't want anyone to know I'm here."
