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The whining stopped
"--for a tis you to Aksum, enerous gift, Mukarrib," said Gedar
How poht No one calls Abreha "federator" unless it is in a forrows mistrustful of me, and this is one small way to mollify his suspicions"
They think they are alone, Telemakos realized The lion is asleep and the kennelmen have been sent away They don’t know I’ your cousin?" Gedar asked
"Oh, no ift I do not want to raise the Aksumite emperor’s hackles with empty words"
"Your wish is my command," Gedar answered Abreha with obsequious humility "I am your servant"
Teleerly, too practiced an eavesdropper to uessed there was more to Gedar thanlow and quickly "I will tell it once only Send no more of your cryptic carrion threats, all those foul dead birds, to Gebre Meskal or his counselor Kidane; my vizier is sure now that Kidane is not the in to risk yourself I do not like such underhand methods in any case We will flush out the emperor’s spies some other way"
Teleht breath an to crowd his spirit like circling vultures
"Grind to pieces any amole salt you have kept from before the new year, for you e with Hiood your loss"
Oh, o away Go away I don’t want to hear this I don’t want to know
"It is all quite old," said Gedar "I received nothing after the emperor shut down the operation in the Salt Desert How he ed to break that apart is still a an to whine again
"Ah, the elusive sunbird; the scourge of Afar The voice crying in the wilderness"
Oh, my najashi
Telemakos had never known such betrayal His heartbeat, fast and furious in his ears, was not loud enough to stifle the sound of Abreha’s voice, relentlessly continuing this unbearable, unbelievable conversation
"Sunbird is an old naer use it"
"What did the Scorpion tell you?" Gedar asked
"Many contradictory stories," said Abreha quietly, "and few of them seem true Hara was desperate, and a liar, and knew that I wasan exauilty of every last thing we accused him of, but there was betrayal of our contract on my part as well as his, and he defied and denied me at the end as far as he was able"
"Ah well," said Gedar "How Gebre Meskal unraveled the enterprise in Afar is of little matter now his quarantine is lifted"
"Still, I should like to knoho or what his link was there, and if he will strike against us with the saht know more, but he will remain Gebre Meskal’s prisoner until the Hanish Islands are ue in al-Muza, I was never able to set foot on al-Kabir, the fortress island I cannot landsure of a water supply and a defensible place to make camp But if we cannot take the islands from without, maybe we can take theents have infiltrated Gebre Meskal’s navy, I will by then have better o, and we can attempt a mutiny"
Serpent! Serpent! Serpent!
Tele the pup back with itswould stay with the rest of the pack until Gedar went home
"See what more you can learn from the boy," Abreha finished "I’ll send for hiht It will be appropriate, after our quest today, and you are neighbors in your own land Engage him in talk of his father; he thirsts for word of his family I shall turn the talk to my will"
Your will be damned, Telemakos fumed, his throat constricted with fury and betrayal Serpent! I will give you nothing I will give you less than nothing
Through his anger, fear brushed Teleot to be upstairs before the najashi sends for ed it He followed Abreha and Gedar into the palace, slipping soundlessly past them when they stopped to discuss the day’s hunt with Tharan in the steward’s reception hall Telemakos took the steps two at a tiht have coood nature "Your sister has not yetall day Queen Muna is looking for you The najashi sent you soed birds chattered and fluted over their heads
"Why?" he ed at last His throat was raith the exertion of cli speed
"Shouldn’t you know?" Inas asked in surprise
"It is because you were hunting today, and they expect you to be all stiff and sore," put in Malika "They like to fuss over you Reazed at Telemakos with interest "You certainly don’t look very happy Your face is all tear streaked and you haven’t even bothered to wipe it off Do they give you opium only when they think you need it, or can you ask for it whenever you like?"
"Whenever I like," Telemakos said hoarsely, and stalked past the Muna and refusing to eat She saw Telemakos and turned her bowl over
"Boy! Boy! Tena’s Boy!" She scraly