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Hector whirls on et you out of here"
"Not yet! They’re s his bow over his shoulder and fits an arrow He and Hector exchange a look, and Hector nods The guard steps forward, draws the bow, aims toward the milieu below
"Halt!" Hector booms "In the na only the histling above and the water rushing belo that everyone has stilled, I note bandages, a sling, a splinted leg, a head wrap stained brownish red
"We have their attention, Your Majesty," Hector says "Would you like to address them? Or do you wish to retreat? I recommend ret--"
"Hector, these people are wounded," I whisper
"They were most likely involved in the riots," he says matter-of-factly
They all stare up at ht is so familiar that my heart aches Who would hurt these people? "They look like they’ve been to war"
"Riots are war"
Oh My sto that they were probably injured in ain A nebulous, aimless kind, but a war nevertheless These are my people But maybe they’re my enemy too
"Do they have weapons?" I ask "Can they reach us froround and the advantage for now"
Maybe I should burn the place to the ground, force everyone to the surface But the Belleza Guerra rings in my head Always cultivate allies When that fails, cultivate fear in your enemies
I step forward Hector moves aside to let me pass, but I know from the whisper of steel on steel that he has drawn his sword Fernando’s eyes roahts in the space of an instant
My confidence grohich seee until I realize that this secret cavern remindsour war against Invierne Like ed but clean, wounded but proud I probably should not allowof kinship
"This is a surprise," I say, andto put them at ease, but I see only fear reflected back One wo hiainst her
I decide honesty is the best approach "I could send a company of soldiers to empty this place" Eyes widen, feet shift "It’s clear you’ve already caused soht be convinced to overlook that If you’re hiding here just to avoid the tax increase or to do so eyes, then I’ehtest
I try a different tack "Do you have a leader I can speak with? If not, you ht away" I step back froives me a quick nod of approval, even as she bends over to pull a dagger fro hairpin once, in my defense She slipped it under his jaw and into his brain with the ease of long practice and training
A voice rings from below "Your Majesty!"
Fernando trains his bow on an old man who has limped forward He is weathered by wind chap, his hair thin and gray A long piece of driftwood serves as his cane; it’s polished s it
"You lead these people?" I ask
"No, Your Majesty Lo Chato leads us, but he is not here I expect hiround beneath rasp for Hector’s arm to steady myself
I’ve heard the naated me when I was a prisoner in the eneine him with perfect clarity--his baby-s white hair I shudder to think of the preternatural grace of his ed to bury itself inside ht I had killed hi the name of an old enemy only weeks after one of his brethrenhas this village been here?"
"Al as Brisadulce itself But we live and do business above ground too, in the Wallows We are Your Majesty’s loyal subjects"
"I’in to tremble, and my breath comes too hard I need to make an exit before my weakened state is too apparent "When Lo Chato returns, tell him I require his presence in the palace He will not be harmed I wish only to speak with him I’ll leave ith my mayordomo that he is to be received at once"
The old man inclines his head in what I presue "You should know that he is a private, reclusive person He will be wary of your summons"
"Then you must convince him I would be very disappointed if he did not co in the faces below Then I bid thee to retreat
"Tyrant!" someone yells at my back, and I whirl
The people shift uncoaze, and I can’t tell who the heckler is "Fernando," I say, clenchingshot"
He looses the arrow at once It thuds into the ground at the old man’s feet Its fletched tail vibrates with impact, as the crowd recoils
"Do not," I say, "add sedition to your transgressions"
I turn away and head into the tunnel, Hector and Xi our return journey, I nearly trip over ht It was a sroup--e so well guarded? Have they clie and traveled this path to reach the catacoroup? Maybe the whole city?
Most disturbing of all is the mysterious man called Lo Chato He could be my assassin And I have invited him to my threshold But the Belleza Guerra devotes a whole chapter to the art of keeping one’s ene the right thing
By the tiasps and pain shoots throughof spiced wine and a day of sleep
Fernando asks permission to stay behind "I’d like to experiaping hole we just climbed out of "I want to see how it opens from beneath, determine how often it is used"