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His oordsoff the tray and shattered on the floor in a mess of clay and water

Anako stammered, "Mercy demands--"

The emperor cut him short "This would be a slow and cruel death," said Gebre Meskal quietly "He ime, but so little of a skin is not sufficient water for a h his teeth, "It is for a child"

A gasp at his back randfather, and Ityopis of the bala heg, and two of the pages, and even Karkara, were all weeping shaht and hidden in her arers, her whole body shaking

Teleiven himself away

His father did not weep He stood up and rapped Goewin on the back of her head with the edge of his hand Medraut spoke to her hoarsely, but aloud:

"So your brother is avenged"

Nearly every head in the hall turned to stare at Medraut in thunderstruck astonishment Even the emperor stared at hily, her head still clutched in her ar away He had kno cruelly this would hurt Goewin

"You vengeful harridan," said Medraut coldly

Goewin cried out as though in pain, as though there were a knife between her ribs

"Teleive me, I never knew--I knew you suffered, but you would not say--you never spoke of this--"

Medraut looked down at her wrathfully The hard hand hich he had struck her was poised over her bent neck, as though hehimself to touch so contemptible a creature a second time

Tele for o to your dead brother How can you be so selfish, so blind? You cannot heap all the burden of blao to Afar,I should not have had to surrender myself!"

Then Medraut’s head sank and his shoulders sluh he had been dealt a mortal wound, and Telemakos faltered He tried to explain "I ether None of us is innocent; none of us is alone"

Medraut spoke heavily, in a hoarse whisper:

"You were both"

The e, sharp and deadly even: "You have not been given leave to speak, Ras Meder"

The words see, frozen ain in the sa simply, "‘Physician, heal yourself’"

Medraut fell back into his seat by his sister Now they were bent double side by side, both with their faces in their hands, while Telemakos stood helplessly between them with no idea what to do or say next

"Lij Telemakos," continued Gebre Meskal calest a sentence for this criiven it?"

"I have I--" Telemakos said, and clenched his fists He hated Anako, but he did not want to be like Anako "I have not Plague take him! Send him into exile outside Aksuue Maybe he will be lucky"

Tele Anako, who at this attention prostrated hi

"This is a for or confessional," Gebre Meskal stated, his voice still dangerously controlled "Lij Telemakos, escort your father and the British ambassador to a place where they may better compose themselves We will proceed without you"

Telemakos offered his ar her eyes with her other hand and shaking still with choking sobs Medraut bowed to the emperor and followed them out

Teleht to Solomon and Sheba

The keeper was there Teleht flame flowers above the lion pit, andHe called down to the keeper "Nezana, can we have Solomon up here?"

"Is that you, Tele to play with your lions?"

"Who’s with you?"

"My father and ht Let h the tunnel to you"

Telemakos knelt on the bench beside Goewin, his arms around her neck, and kissed her face Medraut leaned over the railing, watching as the keeper woke Solomon

"I’ll be only seconds," Teleed steps to the tunnel’s entrance

Soloainst Teleo of the great lion’s harness

"Stupidhis friend with both hands behind the lion’s ears

"He could still flatten you with one paw," Nezana said, shaking his head

"You knoon’t Come up, Solomon, come and arden, the lion pressing its head at his side as he made his way up the narrow steps Goewin raised her tearstained face as Telemakos came near, and Medraut also turned to look at him