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"The ones who talk are fed," Alin said "My Tenders and Children all speak Krasian, but the lesser fighters knew little of use"

He signaled the guards at the far end of the cavern, and they unlocked a heavy door

Inside, a Krasian htly to a chair His black turban and white veil were gone, but still Briar recognized the leader of the Krasian scouts A narrow table in front of hiht in a tiny screw vise bolted to the wood He was breathing evenly, but he was flushed and bathed in sweat An old bespectacled man, still in the robes of an acolyte, tended the screws

"This is Prince Icha," Alin said "He claims to be the third son of the demon of the desert himself, Krasian Duke Ahrowled in guttural but understandable Thesan, "he will visit these tortures one thousandfold on every man, woman, and child in the resistance"

At a nod froan to howl Another nod and he dialed the

"Your father is dead," Thamos said bluntly "I watched Arlen Bales pitch him off a cliff"

"My father is the Deliverer," Icha said "No fall can kill him The Damajah has foreseen his return Until then, my brother will be the instrument of his divine wrath"

"How many men does your brother have in Lakton?" Thamos asked

"More than there are fish in your lake," Icha said "More than there are stars in the sky More--"

Alin flicked a finger, and the acolyte dialed him back into screams The old man hunched over the screith noa broken piece of furniture Briar wanted to hit the et the scene But he could not He drew closer, and when the pain was at last dialed back, Icha looked up and ed, Briar Dainjaz to the depths of Nie’s abyss in the afterlife"

"Not a traitor," Briar said "This is my home You’re the chin"

But even as he said the words, he wasn’t sure he believed theoodto the Krasian prisoners was abhorrent

Perhaps it was ti Life was easier alone with the cories

Captain Dehlia put an ar, Briar Don’t listen to this ani hi cavern full of starving Sharu to the hts of the caverns below, he hadn’t been paying attention He looked at the squiggled lines and blotches of color on the paper, but he could not make out as meant to be a hill

"Colan’s Rise," Dehlia supplied

Briar nodded "Know it"

"If we can position longbows there," Thamos said, "they can cover the bulk of the port"

"Lots of Sharum there," Briar said "Scorpions Difficult to take"

"Not for h and take the scorpions for our own, then continue down the road under covering fire to attack the town proper"