him.”
Galen shrugged out of his robe and moved back toward the divan. “Who knows why Tamardoes anything? Whim directs him.” He lay down on the cushions and stretched out his big limbs. “He’s a lawless brigand, a total savage.”
“But you were once friends.”
“Once.”
He fell silent, but Tess could still feel the tension emanating from him.
“Why did you lie to him about me?”
“It was best. Tamar has no desire for Sedikhan to be united. He enjoys his life exactly the way it is. He might have been much more determined to have you if he’d known you were part of my plan.”
She suddenly remembered the word Tamar had used in referring to her. “What is a
kadine?”
“A woman of pleasure.”
“Couldn’t you have named me your wife and still kept my identity a secret?”
“Perhaps, but he would have been suspicious. Tamar knows I have no desire to wed.”
A strange pain rippled through her at his words. She swallowed. “Of course, I understand.” She lay still, pondering the extraordinary events of the last quarter hour. After a time she spoke again. “You say no one knows why Tamar does anything, but I think you do.”
“Yes, I’ve always been able to gauge what Tamar was going to do next.”
“How?”
He was silent so long she thought he wasn’t going to answer. “Because he’s my mirror.”
“What?”
“He’s what I was. He’s what I could become again.”
Startled, she blurted, “But you said he was a vicious bandit.”
“Yes.”
“A brigand and a rapist.”
“Yes.”
She became conscious of the waves of emotion radiating from his rigid body. She could sense violence, controlled with difficulty, within, but no trace of the malice that Tamar had exuded. “You’re wrong. You could never be like him.”
“I’m not wrong,” he murmured almost inaudibly. “But it won’t happen. Not if I’m strong. Not if I fight it. Not if I’m vigilant …”
Chapter 4
“Galen tells me you had a visitor last night,” Sacha said as he lifted Tess into her sidesaddle at dawn the next morning. “You needn’t worry that it will happen again. Kalim was mortified that Tamar had managed to slip by his sentries.”
“Galen reprimanded him?”
“Galen seldom reprimands. He simply told Kalim he was disappointed in him.”
“That seems a strange way to handle the matter.”
“It’s Galen’s way, and it’s always proved effective. The
majiron’
s ‘disappointment’ has more sting than a tongue-lashing from another leader.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Kalim probably wishesthat savage Tamar had cut my throat. It’s obvious Kalim has no liking for me.”
Sacha glanced away from her. “That’s only your imagination. How could he dislike you when he doesn’t know you?”
Tess recalled the brief look of resentment on Kalim’s face when Galen had introduced
her
and shook her head. “It’s not my imagination.” She caught sight of Galen. He was riding out of camp at Kalim’s side. “What do you know of this Tamar?”
“Not much. There have been a few skirmishes between his tribe and the El Zalan in the past few years, but Galen usually tries to avoid him.”
“Why?”
Sacha shrugged. “I have no idea. Galen doesn’t talk about him.”
“They were children together. Perhaps he still has a lingering fondness for him.”
Sacha shook his head. “Galen wouldn’t let friendship interfere with the good of the El Zalan. It’s probably that the tribes are so widely separated they don’t get in each other’s way.”
And cows could fly. “Yes, that must be it.” She gathered the reins. “Let’s go. Galen has left the oasis.”
“There’s no hurry.” Sacha swung up into the saddle. “You’re to ride in the rear with me until we reach Zalandan.”
“I can keep up,” she said, hurt. “I ride better than you.”
“That’s not the point. Galen has to ride upahead with Kalim and lead the escort, but he wants to keep you away from the main
Galen shrugged out of his robe and moved back toward the divan. “Who knows why Tamardoes anything? Whim directs him.” He lay down on the cushions and stretched out his big limbs. “He’s a lawless brigand, a total savage.”
“But you were once friends.”
“Once.”
He fell silent, but Tess could still feel the tension emanating from him.
“Why did you lie to him about me?”
“It was best. Tamar has no desire for Sedikhan to be united. He enjoys his life exactly the way it is. He might have been much more determined to have you if he’d known you were part of my plan.”
She suddenly remembered the word Tamar had used in referring to her. “What is a
kadine?”
“A woman of pleasure.”
“Couldn’t you have named me your wife and still kept my identity a secret?”
“Perhaps, but he would have been suspicious. Tamar knows I have no desire to wed.”
A strange pain rippled through her at his words. She swallowed. “Of course, I understand.” She lay still, pondering the extraordinary events of the last quarter hour. After a time she spoke again. “You say no one knows why Tamar does anything, but I think you do.”
“Yes, I’ve always been able to gauge what Tamar was going to do next.”
“How?”
He was silent so long she thought he wasn’t going to answer. “Because he’s my mirror.”
“What?”
“He’s what I was. He’s what I could become again.”
Startled, she blurted, “But you said he was a vicious bandit.”
“Yes.”
“A brigand and a rapist.”
“Yes.”
She became conscious of the waves of emotion radiating from his rigid body. She could sense violence, controlled with difficulty, within, but no trace of the malice that Tamar had exuded. “You’re wrong. You could never be like him.”
“I’m not wrong,” he murmured almost inaudibly. “But it won’t happen. Not if I’m strong. Not if I fight it. Not if I’m vigilant …”
Chapter 4
“Galen tells me you had a visitor last night,” Sacha said as he lifted Tess into her sidesaddle at dawn the next morning. “You needn’t worry that it will happen again. Kalim was mortified that Tamar had managed to slip by his sentries.”
“Galen reprimanded him?”
“Galen seldom reprimands. He simply told Kalim he was disappointed in him.”
“That seems a strange way to handle the matter.”
“It’s Galen’s way, and it’s always proved effective. The
majiron’
s ‘disappointment’ has more sting than a tongue-lashing from another leader.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Kalim probably wishesthat savage Tamar had cut my throat. It’s obvious Kalim has no liking for me.”
Sacha glanced away from her. “That’s only your imagination. How could he dislike you when he doesn’t know you?”
Tess recalled the brief look of resentment on Kalim’s face when Galen had introduced
her
and shook her head. “It’s not my imagination.” She caught sight of Galen. He was riding out of camp at Kalim’s side. “What do you know of this Tamar?”
“Not much. There have been a few skirmishes between his tribe and the El Zalan in the past few years, but Galen usually tries to avoid him.”
“Why?”
Sacha shrugged. “I have no idea. Galen doesn’t talk about him.”
“They were children together. Perhaps he still has a lingering fondness for him.”
Sacha shook his head. “Galen wouldn’t let friendship interfere with the good of the El Zalan. It’s probably that the tribes are so widely separated they don’t get in each other’s way.”
And cows could fly. “Yes, that must be it.” She gathered the reins. “Let’s go. Galen has left the oasis.”
“There’s no hurry.” Sacha swung up into the saddle. “You’re to ride in the rear with me until we reach Zalandan.”
“I can keep up,” she said, hurt. “I ride better than you.”
“That’s not the point. Galen has to ride upahead with Kalim and lead the escort, but he wants to keep you away from the main
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