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Where theand rounded with fat, Ubayid was rawhide lean and wiry He wore his black and silver hair cohtly braided His skin was brown and weathered fro mustache framed the top and sides of a thin-lipped ed a little, giving an emotionless expression to his brown eyes He wore the clothes of a free y trousers, boots, sash -- plus a sword on his left and a long dagger on his right He had been one of her first husband’s guards, but had chosen to make her interests his own

"Find Ikrum Fazhal and tell him to report to me immediately," the lady ordered "Then ask questions about this eknub pahan Discover where he goes I desire to irl from him, I shall court them, within limits I like servants to appreciate their value Since this pahan has made himself her friend, I shallthe dead girl over his shoulder and took her away, Ubayid looked at thethe left"

Her eyes widened with fury "I give you tooer have to punish them These urchins simply need to learn I will not accept failure"

When Ikru roo the spot where Orlana had died The lady heard the boy arrive, but did not look up from her book until well after the time he had dropped to his knees and laid his face on the floor

Finally she closed her book, keeping her place with her finger "Ikrum, you must inform your people I will not tolerate disrespect Look at me"

He raised his face Both of his eyes were black, one so badly bruised that it had swollen shut His nose had been broken; his lips split A crude bloodstained bandage rapped around his head

The lady’s book slid frohtened to sit on her couch, leaning down to tuck her fingers under his chin He let her turn his face this way and that as she inspected his wounds

"How did this happen?" she wanted to know, her eyes flashing "Who has done this to you?"

He tried to lick his lips and winced

"No, wait," she ordered To the servant who responded to the bell she rang she said, "My healer, coffee, food, and a footstool, at once" The servant ran to obey "Say nothing until you are cared for," the lady ordered Ikrue, she was soon able to reduce the swellings that covered Ikrum’s face and arms, heal his broken nose and cracked ribs, and dull the ache of what she told the lady was "a truly thorough beating"

When the healer was finished, the lady dismissed her Ikrum carefully sipped his hot, bitter coffee When he had emptied a cup, the lady poured a second for him with her own hands "Who?" she asked

"Gate Lords" Ikrum started to slide off the stool on which he sat, only to see the lady shake her head "I -- you remember, the sister of their tesku, I like her Maybe she likes ether and had his mates teach eld me next time"

"This reen silk draperies and veils fluttering around her "This disrespect -- that they would assault you!" She gripped Ikruan to rise from his stool "Now do you see?" she demanded fiercely "You did not want to deal with the Gate Lords, but do you not see we must? They heard of your recruithtened Anyone at the top of the tree must concern himself with those below They beat you to er to them"

"Tell me what to do," Ikruod of desert winds and theheat, ever wore a woht now? Was it Shaihun’s hennatinted claws that bit into his shoulders, and Shaihun who breathed spices into his face? "I will do it, I swear"

"Orlana is dead," the lady whispered, her dark eyes holding Ikruripped his shoulders "She failedThere are only two courses for us, Ikrum Victory or death I will not live halfway in this world Neither will my Vipers Here is what you will do" She spoke quietly, o of him "Crush our foes, Ikrum Give me victories"

9

Golden House echoed as ht to enter the building Flinching as the sound battered his sleepy ears, Briar inhaled the stea been fool enough to rent a stall He kneas a good idea -- people had to see his miniature trees before they would pay plenty of ed passionately for bed His ith Evvy the afternoon before had tired hiht

The last hour in particular had been a trial, he thought, and sipped his tea No doubt he’d asked too much of her first real stab at meditation, but how could he knoas too much? He was somewhere around fourteen, just a student himself, as Rosethorn often reminded him He would definitely be relieved when Jebilu took over