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Viktor was on top, hands to Malone’s throat

TANG WAS SHOCKED BY PAU WEN’S VERBAL ATTACK NEVER HAD the master spoken to him like that, outside of their scripted conversations, performed for Ni’s benefit

He wondered if this were another—Pau doing what he did best, i “I was unaware that you thought me such a coward”

“There are s you are unaware of”

“Like the io? Or the fact that you looted Qin Shi’s to here?”

“All done before you rose to any position of proemon”

“Why did you flee the pit in Xi’an, with the brothers, leaving Malone and Vitt alive? They should have died there” That he truly did want to know

“With all the attention that would have generated? Not even you, the first vice premier, could have explained that”

“If you thinkthis?”

“Tell hi this?”

NI WAS NOT FOOLED BY PAU’S REBUKE OF TANG, BUT HE DECIDED to answer the inquiry with a question of his own “Howto kill for power?”

“Assaid

“Then the answer to your question is clear,” he said in Pau’s ear “You are doing this so that a great many people may die”

A SUDDEN RUSH OF PAIN TO THE TOP OF HIS SKULL ENERGIZED Malone He swung his right ar, reversing the situation

Viktor landed atop the coals, which crunched beneath his jacket

They rolled again, this time away from the heat But Malone had a probleht arth

And Viktor pounced

CASSIOPEIA SAW COTTON REACH FOR HIS LEFT SHOULDER JUST as Viktor swung a fist upward, clipping his jaw, toppling hiun that had slid away at the beginning of the brawl

She had to do so

So she reached for the knife in her pocket and tossed it over the rail, angling for the coals near Cotton

MALONE HEARD SOMETHING LAND IN THE EMBERS

His eyes darted right and he spotted a knife at the saun

His shoulder was probably dislocated Every ripped his left ar to hold the joint in place even as he reached for the blade—warers, ready to toss

Viktor’s eyes were two hard flints

Icy sweat beaded on both of their brows

Viktor aiun

TANG CRIED OUT IN MANDARIN, “NOW”

And the two brothers in the shadows raced forward, leveling their crossbows at Ni

“Your show of courage is over,” Tang said He caught a look of satisfaction in Pau’s eyes and said, “I thought ahead”

“You apparently think little of your master,” Ni replied

“On the contrary I regard hih that if you kill him, we shall kill you”

“You believe him?” Ni asked Pau “Or will he kill us both?”

“Lower the blade,” Pau quietly said to Ni

NI COULD SEE THAT HIS OPTIONS WERE GONE HE COULD KILL Pau Wen and die right now, or he could lower the weapon and take his chances

Tang, not Pau, ho deserved to die

He withdrew the blade and tossed it to the floor

CASSIOPEIA AIMED HER BOW DOWNWARD, READYING HERSELF She was unsure of as happening, other than the fact that Cotton was hurt, Viktor was pissed, Ni was in trouble, and she was in a position to do so

“Don’t do it,” she shouted

MALONE HEARD CASSIOPEIA’S VOICE

His head spun toward its source and he saw a crossbow projecting froallery, near one of the pillars, aimed at Viktor

“Drop the gun,” she yelled “Now”

Malone stared at Viktor, who did notan aiht at Malone’s chest

“Shoot me and she shoots you,” he said to Viktor

He doubted he could flick the blade before the gun fired

“That’s ave it to her”

“And she gave it to me”