“You mean stay and die,” spat Styan.
“We’re not going to die, and our gladiators are not going to surrender,” Rikus said, leaning forward in his chair. “I have something else in mind for us.”
His comment elicited puzzled expressions from his lieutenants, but only Styan questioned him. “What would that be?”
Rikus sat back. “I’ll tell you when the time comes,” he said.
The mul had no intention of revealing his plan now, for he feared the mindbender would use the Way to communicate it to Hamanu. Instead, Rikus turned his gaze on Maetan, who was quietly smirking at the discord.
“Now that you’ve delivered Hamanu’s message, our truce is finished. At the moment, you are the one who has only two choices: answer my questions and die quickly, or refuse and be torn apart by the thri-kreen.”
Maetan showed no emotion at the threat. “My choice depends upon your questions.”
“Name the spy who has been telling you of our movements and plans,” the mul demanded.
The statement elicited a rustle of surprised murmurs from his lieutenants, for Rikus had mentioned his concerns to no one except Neeva. All eyes immediately went to Styan, who, as a templar, was automatically suspect. The color drained from the old man’s face.
Maetan raised his brow and barely kept a smile from crossing his lips. “My spy?”
“Answer!” Rikus yelled.
The mindbender allowed the crowd to eye Styan for several moments, then said, “Very well. It costs Urik nothing to reveal the spy’s identity. Besides, his service did not prevent my family’s disgrace.” He pointed at Caelum. “It was the dwarf.”
“What?” Neeva shrieked.
“I promised to return the Book of the Kemalok Kings,” the Urikite explained. He held his arms up and opened his robe, showing that there was nothing beneath them. He laughed cruelly, then said, “Unfortunately, I seem to have forgotten it. What a pity-Caelum will have to go to my townhouse in Urik to recover it.”
Rikus stared at Caelum’s frightened face with a slack jaw. He had been so convinced of Styan’s guilt that Maetan had stunned him by naming the dwarf. Nevertheless, the mindbender’s accusation made a certain amount of sense. Rikus had long ago voiced his own suspicions that the dwarf would resort to treachery to recover the book. To the mul’s mind, however, the most condemning indications of the cleric’s betrayal were the times he or his dwarves had refused to do as commanded and the lengths to which he had gone to endear himself to Neeva.
“Seize Caelum,” Rikus ordered.
Styan, who looked greatly relieved, moved to obey. Neeva cut him off and stepped in front of the dwarf. “Leave him alone.”
Styan reached for his dagger and tried to circle around the female gladiator. Neeva disarmed him with a lightning-fast kick that sent his blade flying, then grabbed a handful of his long gray hair and jerked him into her grasp. She slipped a hand around his chin and placed the other against the back of his neck.
“Don’t even flinch,” she hissed “As it is, it’s been too long since I’ve killed a templar.”
“Release him!” Rikus ordered, stepping off the marble throne. When she did not obey, he repeated his order. “Let Styan go.”
“No,” Neeva answered. “If you take another step, Rikus, I’ll snap his neck.”
“That’s your choice,” the mul countered, drawing the Scourge. “It won’t save Caelum.”
Neeva yelled in anger, then pushed Styan halfway across the room and unsheathed her own sword. “If you mean to kill him, you’ll have to fight past me.”
Rikus stopped. “You don’t mean that,” he said, his gaze fixed on her emerald eyes.
“Neeva, don’t,” Caelum said. He took a slow step toward Rikus.
“Be quiet and let me handle this,” Neeva ordered, once again placing herself between the dwarf and Rikus. To the mul, she said, “If you believe Maetan-”
“It’s not Maetan I believe, it’s what happened since the dwarves joined us,” Rikus countered. “The Urikites have countered every move we’ve made before we made it.”
“Perhaps there is a spy,” Neeva allowed. “It’s not Caelum, though. It doesn’t make sense. He’s the one who saved us from the halflings, and he fought with us at Umbra’s ambush-”
“That was when we lost Jaseela’s company,” Styan pointed out, still lying on the floor.
“Thanks to you,” Gaanon said. “If your templars would have been there, we’d have won.”
“True-but the dwarves weren’t there either,” said Jaseela.
“How can you say that?” Neeva demanded. “Caelum was, and he saved your life!”
“Only because she was standing next to him,” Rikus said. “He didn’t save any of her retainers.”
Caelum stepped from behind Neeva. “Rikus, I can understand why you choose to believe our enemy’s word over mine,” the dwarf said, his voice edged in anger. “But Neeva does not deserve such an insult. Apologize to her, or I’ll take measures.”
Neeva scowled. “Caelum, I’m not the one in danger here. Be quiet.”
Rikus shook his head, astonished by the dwarf’s tone. “Take measures!” The mul shouted. “Are you threatening me?”
Caelum blanched, but did not back down. “No, I’m warning you,” he said. He stepped forward, shrugging off Neeva’s hand when she tried to restrain him. “Believe that I’m the spy if you want. Go ahead and kill me. But you won’t mistreat Neeva while I’m alive.”
Jaseela stepped to the mul’s side. “Maybe we’d better think this through,” she said. “What if Maetan’s lying? He has no reason to tell us the truth. He might be trying to avenge himself on Caelum for bringing that river of fire down on his army, or he might be protecting the real spy.” She glanced at Styan meaningfully, then turned back to the dwarf who remained standing before Rikus. “Besides, I don’t think Caelum’s acting much like a spy.”
“No, he’s not,” Rikus agreed. He looked from the noblewoman to the dwarf. “He’s acting like a dwarf with focus.”
Caelum met Rikus’s eyes evenly. “That is so,” he admitted. “On the day Neeva saved my life, I swore to protect her always.”
“Then it stands to reason Caelum can’t be the spy,” Neeva said. She gently laid a hand on the dwarf’s shoulder. “Betraying the legion would be a violation of his focus.”
“Unless he’s lying about his focus,” Rikus said, glaring at Neeva. Despite his growing anger, the mul sheathed his sword and stepped away. “I don’t know whether he’s the spy or not, Neeva, but he’s your responsibility. If he betrays us later, you’ll suffer the same as him. Nothing will save you-not even what there is, or was, between us.”
Neeva’s eyes softened. “You’re doing the right thing.” She, too, sheathed her sword, then gave him a weak smile. “Thank you.”
Rikus turned away without responding. “Now leave-everyone,” he ordered. “Maetan and I will talk alone.”
The others frowned and began to object, but Rikus was in no mood for arguments. “Do it!” he ordered. “And don’t come back until I call you.”
The time had come to kill the Urikite, and Rikus thought it would be safer if there was no one else in the room when he attacked. Though Maetan had made it clear that he expected to die, the mindbender had given no indication that he intended to offer up his life without a fight. With the Scourge in his hand the mul would have some defense against the Urikite’s mental attacks, but no one else had the benefit of such protection.
When everyone except Gaanon filed toward the doors, Rikus nodded to him. “You, too, my friend.”
“But if he intends to attack you-”
“He’ll do it whether or not you’re holding him,” the mul said. “A mindbender doesn’t need his hands.”
As Gaanon reluctantly released Maetan and moved toward the exit, Tamar demanded, Are you preparing to kill him?
Don’t try to stop me, Rikus warned.
Why would I want to? As long as he lives, he’s an obstacle to recovering the book, she answered. But you’ll need help, or he’ll use the Way against you.