Выбрать главу

Bill’s skin crawled, his neck hairs prickling. “Are … are you then a … a sorcerer, Lord Ahlee, to have accomplished so much in but the twinkling of an eye?”

Again, the warm, comforting smile. “Some might call certain of my skills sorcery, Lord Bili, especially my manner of willing you to sleep. But sleep you did, feeling nought of the pain of my surgery. It was barely dawning when first I came to you. The sun is now above two hours in the sky.”

CHAPTER VIII

At a little past the nooning, Komees Djeen, Vahrohnos Spiros, and a half dozen Freefighters had been laboriously interrogating the luckless Kreestofohros for some hours. They had had no trouble in finding a secluded place to conduct their messy business, for Morguhn Hall was far larger than most halls and its cellars were extensive and multileveled.

Equipment and instruments were another matter, however, for their morn’s labor was an activity seldom practiced in the Duchy of Morguhn, in recent years at least On the rare occasions that Thoheeks Hwahruhn had ordered such, the activity had invariably been conducted at the prison in Morguhnpolis, where a qualified professional torturer-executioner maintained a modest shop. But since Komees Djeen wished to conceal his possession of this prisoner, use of the professional or any of his tools was out of the question. Therefore, they had had to improvise.

Thanks to hearty applications of these improvisations, Kreestofohros would never again be whole or hale or handsome. Thus far, however, all that they had wrung from his shredded lips had been screams and moans, pleas and prayers, curses. Now he had again fainted, and the troopers were rinding it harder to revive him this time.

Spiros shook his head, frowning. “I like it not, Djeen.”

“What else can we do?” expostulated the old Strahteegos. “I know there’s a conspiracy and you know there’s a conspiracy, and it’s certain sure that Boy-lover Myros and that old gasbag, Skiros, are in it up to their dirty ears. But they’re too big to legally touch, without proof.”

“Now, I’ve known Hari and Drehkos all their lives and I don’t like to think that one or both is into this sorry cesspool of superstition and anarchy, but … I told you how all his servants mysteriously disappeared last night. Well, among the scum who attacked the boys, I recognized at least four bodies. They were all Hari’s people. One, who bore the mark of young Bill’s big axe, was majordomo of Horse Hall!”

Spiros’s eyebrows shot up. “Hofos, Djeen?” “None other,” growled the Komees. “So it becomes obvious that we have a more serious problem than we thought. If supposedly respectable upper servants of the water of Hofos and this bastard are involved, no one of the Kindred is safe in either city or country! This is another reason why we must know names, Spiros! Getting some answers from the tough nut over there is of utmost importance.”

“Admitted, Djeen, admitted,” Spiros nodded briskly. “And that’s why I so dislike what we’re doing. We are trying to perform something that we know very little about. If we’re not extremely careful, we’re going to take it too far and kill the prisoner. Then where will we be? Who will then give us answers or names, eh?”

Komees Djeen’s roar filled the large chamber. “Sacred Wind take it! What else can we do?” he repeated in exasperation. “Even if we could get him into Morguhnpolis and into the prison unrecognized, how do we know that we could trust Master Mahrios? After all, if he’s not a Kath’ahrohs, he’s damned close to it!”

“Let us send for that physician, Master Ahlee,” suggested the Vahrohnos. “Allow him to examine the man before we go on. And let us keep him by, that he may keep the Ehleen dog alive until we’ve broken him.”

The trooper sent abovestairs returned with Master Ahlee’s flat refusal to take any part in the proceedings, so Vahrohnos Spiros betook himself to the suite occupied by the physician and his retinue. He was greeted courteously; but as soon as he had indicated his errand and uttered his urgent request, the friendly, brown face became devoid of expression and the tone of the deep voice took on the hardness of steel.

“My Lord Baron, I cannot condone torture. It is a bestial practice, whatever the motives of those who employ it. I have never and will never take any role in its commission! Do I make myself clear?”

“I did but request, Physician,” grated Spiros, unaccustomed to noncooperation on the parts of persons of inferior rank and status. “This matter is of the gravest importance to the good of the Duchy, and too many lives may well hinge upon the information which this stubborn man can give us to cater to your likes and dislikes and whims. Therefore, I, Spiros, by grace of Sun and Wind, Vahrohnos of Taheerospolis and Subchief of Morguhn, do command your instant obedience to my wishes! Do I make myself clear, Physician?”

Ahlee drew himself up, squaring bis shoulders and setting his jaw. “Perfectly clear, My Lord Baron, you speak your language well. A pity that you cannot understand it so well. But, I will repeat: I-will-not-be-a- party-to-torture!”

Snarling, Spiros loosened his heavy dirk. “Why you impudent barbarian pig! How dare you to disobey my order? Are you then mad? Know you not how quickly I can have your hairless head on a spear?”

Bard Klairuhnz opened the door and strolled into the chamber. With no preamble, he inquired, “Kinsman, are you then unaware that Master Ahlee, like all members of his guild within the boundaries of the Confederation, practices under the auspices and personal protection of the Undying High Lord, Milo? It were senseless to threaten him, and it would be treasonable to harm him.”

To protect the Vahrohmos’s pride, be had employed mindspeak.

“Kinsman,” Spiros answered him silently. “You are unaware yourself, unaware of the extreme gravity of this case. Komees Djeen has told me much of you, and so I know that you fought hard and well to aid my House. For that reason, I’ll trust you. Know you the problem.” So saying he lowered his mindshield, baring the inmost recesses to Klairuhnz, that he might fully realize what had occurred and was presently occurring in the Duchy and thus better comprehend the dilemma.

And what Bard Klairuhnz learned was serious enough! The attack on Bili’s party had not been the first such. Indeed, no less than three poorly armed or virtually unarmed parties of Kindred had been butchered to the last person on the roads. Within the cities, most Kindred went armed and guarded by day and by night, in justified fear of the dagger or the strangling cord. Servants of Ehleen blood were become, with few exceptions, surly and secretive, while Ehleenoee peasants and free-farmers and tradesmen were proving ever harder to deal with. And these troubles were not something which had gradually built to the present intensity, but had sprung up full-grown, just after the Duchy’s last harvest.

“All right, Kinsman Spiros,” Klairuhnz beamed. “I was not aware that matters had progressed so far here. And I agree that you needs must have Master Ahlee’s aid. Your reasoning on that is quite sound. But he is a strongwilled man and quite stubborn on what he considers a matter of principle. Because of his protected status, you cannot physically force him to help you, and circumstances have rendered your patience too short to allow for diplomacy.

“So, it might be best, Kinsman, if you left the chamber and allowed me to attempt to reason with the physician.”

“Do you think you can truly bring him around, Kinsman?” Spiros, recognizing hard truth, would now grasp at any straw.