"My dear assassin," said the King. "We intend to execute you. We are not about to just cut you down on the spot."
"Then you're a fool," I snapped.
"Do you really think they can be back so quickly?"
"Probably not, but I have no way of knowing. Right now, they're probably arguing with each other about that very issue. By now they've already decided to do it, and are figuring out if they remember the place well enough. They are not just standing around; I know them."
He nodded. "What about those—those beasts of yours."
"They won't hurt you."
"You think not? Boss, I'm going to kill anyone who tries to touch you."
"You will not."
"How are you going to stop me?"
"Loiosh, this is for Cawti."
"Yeah? So?"
I cleared my throat. "Excuse me, Your Majesty, but there's a bit of a problem here, after all. Give me a moment to work this out."
"With those beasts?"
"They, um, they're friends, Your Majesty, and they don't want anyone harming me. Give me a moment to speak with them."
He shook his head. "How does someone like you inspire such loyalty?"
"Damned if I know," I said. "Basic integrity, I guess."
He cocked his head to the side. "You speak lightly, but perhaps it is true. You were hired, were you not? You kill for gold?" I shrugged. "If I paid you enough, would you kill the man who hired you?"
I thought about attempting to assassinate Verra and laughed. "Not likely in this case, I'm afraid."
"A shame," he said. "Because you are nothing more than a tool, and I would rather have the wielder of the tool. Yes, I will kill you, and your poisonous friends as well, if necessary, and I will hold with the bargain I made. But I would much rather know who gave the order, so I can strike him down instead. Come. I offer you your life. Will you tell me?"
Was I supposed to tell him it was a god? Would he believe me? What would he do if he did? It was laughable.
I said, "Sorry, the rules don't permit it. Let's get this done, shall we? Here, hand me that pouch of mine." No one moved. "Oh, come now," I said, "if I'd been planning to kill you, I would have done so when I had all the odds on my side."
The King nodded, and they released me and handed me the pouch, still watching me closely. I removed a couple of powders and set them on the floor.
"Boss, that's not fair."
"Neither is life, chum." "There," I said aloud. "Mix those powders together equally, dissolve them in water. If anyone is bit by one of my friends that will make sure they take no worse effect than a bit of illness. It's what I used while training them. I assume you have someone who doesn't mind a bite or two?"
The King turned to bushy-brows. "Let it be done, then."
My old interrogator nodded and said, "By what means?"
"Send for an axe, and let his head be struck off."
"You know," I said, "that you'll get blood all over the floor."
"It can be cleaned," said the King. Then, "Don't you even care?"
I looked at his young face, and wondered how close he had been to the King his father, whom I had killed. I wondered once more about Verra, who had set all this in motion, and I regretted that I wouldn't have a chance to tell her about it in detail. "What's the difference?" I said. "Sure, I care. When has that changed anything?"
They sent for an axe, and while they were waiting for it about forty more island warriors arrived. Then the axe came, and once more they took my arms. The two holding me glanced nervously at the jhereg, and at the vials of powder on the floor.
"Boss, you can't just let them—"
"Watch me."
I looked at the axe. It was a very ugly thing that was intended for chopping down trees, not people. I hoped they'd be able to strike off my head without too many tries—it isn't as easy as you might think. I winced. "I hope it's sharp," I said.
"It is sharp," said the King.
Bushy-brows took the axe, but just as he turned toward me, before they could put me into the proper position, there began a faint blue glow in the room. It grew brighter as we watched.
"Took too long," I said.
"Prepare to attack," said the King.
I wondered if I should help keep my friends from being slaughtered or try to talk them out of saving me. I still hadn't decided when Aliera was suddenly there, Pathfinder naked in her hand, and, of all people, Aibynn, drum in hand, looking innocent and foolish.
"Attack!" cried the King.
"Wait!" cried Aliera.
Somehow, her voice stopped them, and everyone stood there, the air filled with naked swords and the awful power of the Great Weapon, and as they stood I became aware of someone else, on the floor, right at Aliera's feet. When I saw who it was, bound and gagged, I almost started laughing.
"What is this?" cried the King.
"I am Aliera e'Kieron of the House of the Dragon. I will have words with you, or slaughter. Will you let me speak?"
If they'd been able to send all three of them, or even any two, the issue would never have been in doubt. As it was, with Aliera unable to use sorcery, it could get ugly. If they attacked her, there would be a great deal of death, and I realized that, promise or not, I could not stand there and let them kill her. I still had a few weapons on me, and there was my familiar, as well. "Loiosh, get ready. You and Rocza. If they start—"
"We're ready, boss."
The King was standing now in front of his raised throne, and he looked at me, back at the almost-conflict, and said, "Say what you have to say."
"I offer you a trade," she said, sheathing her blade. "Give us the assassin, and we will give you the man who hired him. What say you?"
The King stood. "Indeed? I'd just been saying ... remove his gag. I want to hear what he has to say for himself."
They stood him up and did this, and you would not want to hear the things he called me. It was positively shameful. I kept my face impassive. The King interrupted him at last and said, "You need not hate the one you paid for evil you were too cowardly to commit yourself. He never gave your name."
He drew himself up as well as he could, with feet and hands still bound, and said, "I deny having anything to do with this or any other assassination."
The King tapped his front teeth with his fingernails and said to Aliera, "How am I to know this is the guilty one?"
She bowed, came forward, and handed him two large yellow parchments that had been getting crushed in her belt. One I recognized from the parchment as the treaty the King had just signed. The other—
"It bears your Imperial seal," he said. "I recognize it. And is signed by Zerika herself." He nodded. "That will do." He turned to Boralinoi. "Why did you want my father killed?" he demanded.
"I did not. It is all a lie. I never—"
"Kill him, "said the King.
"I'll do it, "I said.
"What?" said the King.
"Well," I said, "you heard what he said about me."
The King looked at me, then smiled. "Very well, do it. Give him the axe."
I wanted to laugh aloud, but held it in check. I said "I don't know much about axes. May I use a knife?"
Boralinoi screamed his rage and began tugging furiously at the bonds and cursing me and everything else in sight. I still wanted to laugh. The King nodded. I took a knife from a sheath between my shoulder blades as the forced Boralinoi to his knees.
"Hold his head steady," I said, and two of them came forward to do this. He never stopped screeching his rage until they held his jaws shut.
Sometimes, over the course of my life, I've felt regret for killing someone. Other times, not. I said quite clearly "Sorry, boss, a job's a job," and put my blade neatly into his left eye. He screamed, convulsed, twitched, and died I stared down at his body and was not displeased.
I looked at the King and wondered idly what would happen next. "Let's go boss," said Loiosh. I still hadn't quite accepted that I was going to get out of this. Aliera caught my eye and motioned me to her.
Bushy-brows said, "Your Majesty—"