page33 (1/2)

“I live the war”

She didn’t knohat thatto say Part of her wanted to knohat he , too frightening, his body a canvas of cuts and wounds, his strength fore incomparable She’d never ht it possible that a man could do what Tair did

But there was a dark side, too He wasn’t a good ination be called thoughtful, kind, or compassionate “How do you live war?”

“You attack Steal Injure Kill”

“I see” And she did, too well She could picture hi all of the above, and remorselessly, as well “You’ve killed in self-defense?”

“If you want to call it that”

Again she hesitated “And if I don’t?”

“It’s what it is”

He e,” he added quietly “A settling of scores”

“Revenge for what?”

“Taking as mine”

“Yours as in money…land…?”

“As in women and children”

Tally sed, put down her bread and dusted her fingers off “You’ve been married?”

“Yes”

She didn’t knohat to say next For so herself to ask about his wife She knew men in Baraka and Ouaha often had several wives but Tally didn’t want to iine Tair ives, couldn’t stand to think he had another woally, morally

She shifted unco