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He knew they wouldn’t go right away By dawn, though, the painkilling balht decide even a visit to an eknub as e was better than the ache of broken bones

It was nearly ht when the Viper tesku Ikrum and the three who had tried to capture Evvy made their reports to Lady Zenadia, who had returned late froh she smiled briefly when Ikruuts Of the four Vipers, he was the only one unlistened with burn salve They still wore the clothes that Evvy had decorated with burn holes

"An exciting day," remarked the lady when Ikrum finished "I hope that uts"

Ikru thelory with these" He stroked the blackjack thrust into his sash "We haven’t talked to thee when the tiht to make an offer," the lady replied "With only a fen, they are ht They will have to take more casualties before they will see where their best interests lie Now, these two" She pointed to Orlana and Yoru "You will find the girl-child Evvy again Follow her -- do not try to take her now In due tier to join us You two and Ikruo Sajiv, I desire a private word"

Ikru Sajiv Hisin the lady’s face, a trace of iron in her dark eyes, e his mind Instead he bowed and followed Orlana and Yoru out

Once they were gone, the lady sat up on her couch, resting her sandaled feet on the courtyard tiles "Sajiv," she murmured, her voice soft and musical "How you have disappointed me! Two errors in as many days -- am I supposed to accept this?"

His forehead still pressed to the tiles, Sajiv muttered, "Not n blame elsewhere," she said reasonably "First you allow your nose ring, which I gave to you, to be taken by three mere thukdaks Then you and two others who have never disappointed irl I wish to ht be forced to wonder at your contribution?"

Sajiv forgot hier said this as not a good one for me"

The lady clenched her hands "Do not talk to ers!" she said sharply "Only dirt-people ill be useless all their lives heed their babble It serves as an excuse to avoid trying to better oneself, and I have no patience with it!"

Sajiv sat up on his knees, pale with rage "Toss you and toss your patience!" he snarled "You with your airs and jewels, telling us how to be a gang when you was never bound in your life!" He thrust out his right arh the back of his hand and his palm "I paid in blood to be a Viper -- you never paid, you never will! We’re your festering toy whilst your own kids chase gold and power for thes of Chammur, but you don’t fool me, and you don’t fool some of the others!"

The lady folded her hands in her lap, listening as closely as a student ht listen to a favorite teacher When Sajiv stopped for breath, panting, she undid the veil over the lower half of her face The smile on her lips was thin and icy "I see the inner truth of what you fumble to say," she told Sajiv "You present enerous person would give you a fresh chance, to err a new" She raised her hand "Or perhaps it is only a weak person ould do so"

Sajiv had no sense that someone had come up behind him until the silk cord dropped over his head and around his neck He barely had the chance to gasp before the tall, hairless, fat ht Thick muscles flexed under dark brown skin as the eunuch applied his strength; the cord bit deep, closing off the youth’s windpipe Sajiv weakened slowly, his burn- froo at the end, filling the air with stench as their contents dripped through his trousers

Through it all the lady sat gravely, unveiled, her eyes solemn She did not even wrinkle her nose at the smell When the eunuch let the boy’s corpse drop to the tiles, she stood "Dispose of that," she ordered "Have these tiles taken up and new ones laid down A different color would be nice -- red, I think"

The man bowed to her The traders who had her price from wealthy people with secrets

The lady patted his shoulder as if he were a dog "You did well Wash yourself before you enter ain" She walked into the house

Evvy surprised Briar when she arrived in theNot only was she clean froarment somewhere It looked as if it had once been a well made linen shift: it had no sleeves, and there were tiny holes where thread would have held lace on the garment It s in hard water with bad or no soap had turned it gray

"Better?" Evvy de up into his face She was bareheaded, her clean black hair sticking out at all angles Briar suspected that she cut it herself, with a knife and no mirror