«Did you do this, Blade?» asked Krog without raising his voice.

«I did,» Blade replied, keeping his voice at exactly the same calm level. «It seemed to me that Halda was ordering Narlena deliberately starved. I did not wish to provoke a quarrel between you and your daughter by complaining of it to you. I decided to see that Narlena got the food she needed this way.» He looked at Krog's face, hoping to see belief but not really expecting it. This story was the best he could think up. But he hardly expected it to be good enough to fool Krog.

It did not. The skepticism Blade feared appeared on the leader's face, and he stood in a frowning silence for a while. Finally he said, «Blade, the Dreamer slaves are no concern of yours. I have said this before. Why did you concern yourself with this one?»

Before Blade could reply, Halda broke in, her voice shrill with anger. «I say it was because he plans to escape and wanted to get this girl out before he did, so that she could not be punished. He cared for her when they were Dreamers together, and he cares for her still. Ask her!»

Krog's frown deepened. «Blade, is this true? No, you wouldn't tell the truth, I think. We will have to get it out of the slave.» He bent down and grasped Narlena by the hair, pulling her head up so that he could look into her face. Blade saw that her lip was trickling blood. «Narlena-«he was using her name at least «-did you and the war master have plans to escape together?»

«No, Master. Why should we?» Narlena was giving a perfect impression of honest bewilderment at a preposterous accusation.

Krog let Narlena's head drop back to the floor. «We shall have to question her. Halda, you are most expert at this. Go and get what you will need, and be quick about it!» Blade was very slightly relieved to see an expression of distaste on Krog's face. Only enough, however, to keep him from vomiting on the spot or killing both Krog and Halda and making a desperate run for it. Krog's humanity had its limits. When it was a question of finding out about a threat to his power, he would do anything to anybody. Blade knew that «anybody» included himself. Or at least it certainly would include himself if Narlena broke under the torture.

Halda tore out of the room at a dead run and was back so quickly that she had obviously run both ways. In her arms was a sickening collection of gleaming instruments whose purpose was unmistakable. She dropped them with a clatter on the floor in clear view of Narlena and knelt down and began rummaging through them. The naked blood-lust in her face kept on threatening Blade's control of both his stomach and temper.

He turned to Krog. «Am I needed for this, Krog? I still have things to do elsewhere this evening.»

Krog looked at him for a moment in silence, and Blade's nerves tightened. Had he said too much, confirmed Krog's suspicions? Would Krog's next words be an order to the guards to seize him? If they were, there was going to be a great deal of blood on the floor of this chamber in a short time. None of it would be Narlena's if he could help it.

Krog shook his head slowly. «Stay here, Blade. You have not seen what happens to a person who betrays me. I think it is time you did so.» From the granite-hard set of the leader's jaw Blade knew that any further protests or comments by him would be useless and dangerous.

At a barked order from Halda the guards moved to cut Narlena's bonds and flipped her over on her back. Halda knelt down beside the girl, knife in hand, and with a quick slash that took no care to avoid the skin, slashed through her kilt and jerked it away. This left Narlena nude with a thin line oozing red along the front of her left thigh.

«Hold her,» snapped Halda, and the four guards moved again, each one seizing hold of one of Narlena's limbs and spread-eagling her on the floor, They pulled so hard that Narlena's contorted face told Blade that her arms and legs were almost being yanked out of their sockets. He swallowed, reminding himself that it was also important-even if a great deal easier-for him to keep a straight face and give no hints of his feelings that Krog or Halda could pounce on. He was ten times more nervous now than he had been before the battle in the courtyard. And this time there would be no chance to work off the strain by fast action.

Halda knelt beside Narlena again, this time with a large needle glinting in one hand. She held it up in front of her victim's eyes, moved it back and forth over Narlena's body and suddenly jabbed. Narlena gasped, and Blade saw her eyes close briefly as the needle went in. It came out wet with blood.

«Well, slave, are you going to tell me why Blade was sending you food now?» Halda's voice was unsteady. She was obviously aroused.

«I told you already,» said Narlena in a small voice. «Liar,» said Halda coldly. then in a shriek, «Liar!» The needle jabbed in again. This time Narlena screamed.

Halda was relentless with her instruments-the needle, for what seemed like hours, until Narlena's body was covered with little spots of blood as though she had been attacked by a swarm of leeches; other needles, thrust deep under her fingernails and toenails; pincers and hot irons; something Blade was never able to remember clearly that Halda clamped over Narlena's groin, making her writhe and heave so that it took all the strength of the four sweating guards to hold her down. She did not scream because she had long since lost her voice. Only a rasping, hissing sound came out of her raw throat.

Blade's own throat was as dry as dust, too. But he knew that his stomach would rebel against even a mug of water. Only by keeping his hands clamped across his chest was he able to keep them from moving toward the hilt of his sword.

Krog's face showed no expression during all the torture, although his eyes occasionally flickered in Blade's direction. Each time that happened, Blade managed to meet Krog's gaze with an unflinching, expressionless face. It became an effort after a while. Blade was not sure how much longer he could keep himself under control when Halda finally stood up, her body glazed with sweat and her eyes as dull as if she herself had been tortured. She shook her head.

«Either the slave is telling the truth or she will die before she betrays Blade. There is nothing more I can do.» She turned to the guards. «Take the slave back to the slave quarters.» The four hefted Narlena and went out. Halda lingered for a moment behind them, turning to Blade with eyes still filled with hatred and distrust as well as the glaze of fatigue. «Why, Blade, why? What could she give you that I could not, that so great a bond could grow up between you? Why?» The last why was almost a scream. Gasping, her breasts heaving, she stumbled out through the curtain leaving Krog and Blade alone.

Krog's expression now changed for the first time in hours. A slow thin smile spread across his face. Blade wished he could return that smile. Krog said quietly, «Much of this I did because if I had refused it, Halda would have gone among her faction. She would have said I was getting soft, that I was giving in to you like a weak old man. And then her faction might have made great trouble for both of us. And for Narlena as well.» He paused. «And some of it I did because I was not sure what you were doing. I did suspect disloyalty. I advise you not to make me suspect it again.» He nodded in dismissal. Blade went out.