be placated.
Even though we aren't telling him about it. Since we can't touch William over
it, they want to find the men that did it and punish them." It was a
short, and if not sweet, then at least efficient, explanation. The reactions
from the other two were both different.
Count Peterson growled, clenched
his big right hand into a tight fist and seemed ready to kill some people.
Veronica simply nodded.
"I'd wondered about that.
You kept using almost the exact same phrase each time. 'No rape, thank
goodness, that was the only mercy'. No one says things that way. We should
question Rodriguez about that again. No one mentioned it coming up during his
torture and close questioning. I don't think he would have survived it, if he'd
ordered it done and it were found out. Timon exiled two of the guards already,
and they're believed to be dead. In Afrak." She paced a little, the room
bare of even carpeting. It had a sturdy door, and what were probably several
feet of thick focus stone walls, ceiling and floor.
It was a medium sized place, but
there had been steps going up into it, inside the room. The ceiling was
lower than in the hallway, which meant that it was a lot tighter inside than it
would have seemed from outside. Fifteen feet square, perhaps. The inside was
barren, except for a single glowing magical light on the far wall. That had a
glowing nimbus around it, and looked like a large emerald about the size of his
hand. It was pretty, but a bit overdone, in the otherwise empty place. Who put
giant gems on the walls like that? For that matter, who had them just laying
around to use as a lamp?
Collette, out of her depth in
rank or not, took over then, knowing the plan as well, if not better, than any
of them.
"The idea is to hunt these
men down. Then we'll punish them in a way that will leave no doubt about it
having been done. What we really want is you, Count Peterson. The feeling is
that Marvin will respect this more, if his peers saw to it. It might be a good
idea if you help too, Princess. We don't want this to become a rift between
Ward and the Kingdom, later."
There was a gentle nod then, at
least. One that had the girl staring a bit at Petra. Like they shared a secret.
Probably more than one, Ger figured. No one spoke for a while, so he did.
"Yeah. We want you, Count
Peterson, and Judy Kerry, if not her Countess Printer, because I know that I'd freak if either of them were coming for me. We're going to also try for Count
Thomson and his wife. My sister, Tamerlane." It was so odd, saying that
out loud, but no one insisted on the adopted part of things.
Rather than claim that Terlee was
too small and frail to send after such beasts as they were planning to do, the
man just looked fierce and grinned with a slightly manic expression.
"Both are good fighters. Not
that we'll need them. Gerent and I could go and take them this night, if you
wish, Conserina Ward? We won't let this stand." He seemed ready at the
moment, but his wife put a hand out and shook her head, almost imperceptibly.
"You could , of
course, husband. That isn't in doubt. Or we could send the lowest private on
the base, which would be as efficient and give them a real mission. The point
however, I think, if I have this right, is for a large enough group to show
faith with Ward in this, that when Marvin is told about it, we can deliver
proof that he does not, in fact, have to further destroy a portion of the land
to see justice done. I admit, I'm too faint of heart for that portion of what
will be needed. Taking the signs of true repentance that will be doubtless
required. I also imagine that cousin Tamerlane and Collette might be as well.
Petra, well, you're a warrior by nature, but if it does not harm your honor, it
would be best if these others did the actual work that way."
It took a bit for him to
understand what the woman was saying, but Gerent thought he had it, only about
two minutes after the rest of them were moving on in the
Even though we aren't telling him about it. Since we can't touch William over
it, they want to find the men that did it and punish them." It was a
short, and if not sweet, then at least efficient, explanation. The reactions
from the other two were both different.
Count Peterson growled, clenched
his big right hand into a tight fist and seemed ready to kill some people.
Veronica simply nodded.
"I'd wondered about that.
You kept using almost the exact same phrase each time. 'No rape, thank
goodness, that was the only mercy'. No one says things that way. We should
question Rodriguez about that again. No one mentioned it coming up during his
torture and close questioning. I don't think he would have survived it, if he'd
ordered it done and it were found out. Timon exiled two of the guards already,
and they're believed to be dead. In Afrak." She paced a little, the room
bare of even carpeting. It had a sturdy door, and what were probably several
feet of thick focus stone walls, ceiling and floor.
It was a medium sized place, but
there had been steps going up into it, inside the room. The ceiling was
lower than in the hallway, which meant that it was a lot tighter inside than it
would have seemed from outside. Fifteen feet square, perhaps. The inside was
barren, except for a single glowing magical light on the far wall. That had a
glowing nimbus around it, and looked like a large emerald about the size of his
hand. It was pretty, but a bit overdone, in the otherwise empty place. Who put
giant gems on the walls like that? For that matter, who had them just laying
around to use as a lamp?
Collette, out of her depth in
rank or not, took over then, knowing the plan as well, if not better, than any
of them.
"The idea is to hunt these
men down. Then we'll punish them in a way that will leave no doubt about it
having been done. What we really want is you, Count Peterson. The feeling is
that Marvin will respect this more, if his peers saw to it. It might be a good
idea if you help too, Princess. We don't want this to become a rift between
Ward and the Kingdom, later."
There was a gentle nod then, at
least. One that had the girl staring a bit at Petra. Like they shared a secret.
Probably more than one, Ger figured. No one spoke for a while, so he did.
"Yeah. We want you, Count
Peterson, and Judy Kerry, if not her Countess Printer, because I know that I'd freak if either of them were coming for me. We're going to also try for Count
Thomson and his wife. My sister, Tamerlane." It was so odd, saying that
out loud, but no one insisted on the adopted part of things.
Rather than claim that Terlee was
too small and frail to send after such beasts as they were planning to do, the
man just looked fierce and grinned with a slightly manic expression.
"Both are good fighters. Not
that we'll need them. Gerent and I could go and take them this night, if you
wish, Conserina Ward? We won't let this stand." He seemed ready at the
moment, but his wife put a hand out and shook her head, almost imperceptibly.
"You could , of
course, husband. That isn't in doubt. Or we could send the lowest private on
the base, which would be as efficient and give them a real mission. The point
however, I think, if I have this right, is for a large enough group to show
faith with Ward in this, that when Marvin is told about it, we can deliver
proof that he does not, in fact, have to further destroy a portion of the land
to see justice done. I admit, I'm too faint of heart for that portion of what
will be needed. Taking the signs of true repentance that will be doubtless
required. I also imagine that cousin Tamerlane and Collette might be as well.
Petra, well, you're a warrior by nature, but if it does not harm your honor, it
would be best if these others did the actual work that way."
It took a bit for him to
understand what the woman was saying, but Gerent thought he had it, only about
two minutes after the rest of them were moving on in the
Similar Books
