I answered with as much wit as any shit-stained cowherd. “What?”
Leddie raised her voice. Although she still mumbled, I could make out her words. “I had to do something to make you hesitate before killing me.”
“All right, we’ve hesitated.” I pointed my sword at her.
Pil had gotten to her knees and was swaying as she pushed herself upright. She took one step toward Leddie, swayed again, and would have fallen if Halla hadn’t grabbed her arm. I had been about to shove Pil aside anyway so she couldn’t cheat me out of killing Leddie.
I walked toward the naked woman. “I don’t accept your surrender.”
“I didn’t surrender,” Leddie mumbled, backing away. “Did anyone hear me say, ‘I quit—please tie me up and let children throw shit at me’? I want to make an alliance.”
Laughing, I kept walking toward her. “I’ve been telling everybody you’re crazy, and that removed any doubt.”
“I can take you to Memweck,” Leddie said. She snagged her heel on something as she backed away and almost fell, but she caught herself. “I can get you there . . .” Her words trailed off into mumbling.
Pointing my bloody sword at her eye, I said, “What is wrong with you, woman? Did you bite off part of your tongue?”
Leddie shook her head and mumbled louder. “I have a lock of Memweck’s hair in my mouth.”
Everybody must have heard her, because we all paused and went silent. I said, “You should have said that instead of pulling off all your clothes. I don’t think I can kill you until I find out why you’re sucking on Memweck’s hair.”
TWENTY-FIVE
Two of Leddie’s men escaped into the countryside. We could have trailed them, but they were probably hurt and didn’t seem a threat by themselves. Four more men had taken wounds that weren’t deadly. I stabbed two of them to death before Halla grabbed me and threw me fifteen feet, spinning like a water wheel.
I stood up and brushed at a grass stain on my knee. “You’re right, I should save some for tomorrow.”
Halla grunted. “So that you can kill two per day. For Harik. By midnight.”
“Wrong! By sunset.”
Halla grunted again and stood in my way like a grumpy mule, so I decided to treat her like one. “You cannot tell me, you great, pounding stump, that you give a single good goddamn about these men or how they get killed! I won’t believe it, so save your words and shift aside so I can take them prisoner! For later.” I shooed her with my left hand.
Halla didn’t shift. Her jaw worked for a few seconds, and then she croaked like she was lifting something heavy. “You are right. I do not care. But you still may not bind and kill them. We will release them.”
Bea had been tending Whistler’s cuts. The soldiers had battered him hard before Leddie called them off and saved him. Now Bea ran to stand at Halla’s shoulder. She frowned at me but didn’t say anything.
I rested the point of my sword on the grass and squinted up at Halla. “So, you intend to thwart me . . . because you don’t care.”
Halla clenched her teeth and then relaxed, letting out a calm breath. “Yes. That is correct.”
I glanced from Halla, whose face was impassive, to Bea, who was biting her lip and wiping her palms on her trousers. “What is the noise between the two of you? Are you lovers? Does one of you owe the other money? I don’t really feel much concern about it, but you’re interfering with my murders.”
Bea said, “No. No, it’s nothing like that. I don’t think a killer like you could understand it.”
“I expect that’s true.” I sighed and gazed around. “If we’re setting these two fellows free, I guess I’ll go hunt down those two cowards.”
Bea didn’t give me a mean look or say anything nasty. Instead, she trotted back to Whistler.
I called out, “Whistler, you can get nursed anytime. Would you and Pil please hunt for supplies? We need a blanket to cover up Leddie’s nudity.” I glanced at Leddie and raised my voice even more. “We also need some rope and hot coals and an assortment of blacksmith’s tools in case she goes shy about talking. Although I admit that shyness seems as unlikely for her as a goat singing love songs.”
Pil and Whistler trudged off toward the middle of town.
“Bring some cloth too!” I shouted after them. “For bandages and blindfolds and gags. I hate listening to a woman scream.” I glanced at Leddie again. She didn’t appear worried.
I had believed the marks on Leddie’s face and chest to be scars, maybe from hurts I had caused by dropping that tree on her. But they were long, open wounds like claw marks. None bled, but some were deep, raw, and appalling. Bea had worried over them for a few seconds, caught herself, and called Leddie a nasty, baby-stealing slut before walking away.
I didn’t comment on the wounds. “Leddie, I lack the skill to torture you properly, for which I apologize, but don’t worry. Halla is a champion at cracking bones and pulling off skin.”
Leddie smiled, but her face faded to a paler shade than normal.
Halla stalked over to face the woman from half an arm’s length away. Her dark bulk overwhelmed Leddie, who edged away. Halla breathed, “For days, I have imagined torturing you. I may fill your mouth with boiling mud. I may cut a small hole in you and see what I can pull out through it.” Halla glanced over Leddie’s head at Bea and gave a tiny headshake.
Ten minutes later, we had covered Leddie with a blanket, pushed her down to sit against a tree, tied her to it, and bound her hands and feet tight enough to bruise. Her eyes had stretched wide, like a frightened horse’s, but she otherwise seemed calm.
I told Leddie, “General, if I like what you say, I may let you live with only a leg or two
