Page 36 of Lhora
“Why?” Regardless, he pulled the lever to decrease their speed as he turned the wheel to guide them over to the side if the road, until the vehicle finally stopped.
She pointed toward the wharf. “Do all the ships land there?”
“Not all of them. Mostly freighters and such. The warships land at a different quayside. Why?”
“That frigate. It looks like it’s in dry dock.”
Kalfis looked at where she was staring. “Oh, that’s theBeccan. She was in dry dock. Standard maintenance.”
“So she’s due to go back out soon?”
“I guess so. Why are you asking?”
She bit her lower lip as she faced him. “How far are we from the dungeon?”
“A few huares.”
“Take me there.”
“Why?”
“I have this crazy idea. It might not work. But if it does, Vadris Lon won’t be executed tonight, and no one from his crew will have to spend the rest of their lives rotting in that hellfa hole.”
“I was ordered to take you to Kotill.”
“So we’re taking a little detour.” She lowered her head slightly. “Are you willing to take the chance to save your brother?”
Kalfis drew back the throttle and eased the coach back on the road. At the next intersection, he exited onto it, leaving the main road and giving Lhora his answer.
18
Tunnel
The guards on duty looked up when a man entered the upper arraignment area of the dungeon. He wore the emblem of the Sarpi’s personal soldiers stationed at the manse, and he had the Beinight woman in his possession.
“I was told to bring her back after the Sarpen was finished with her.”
One of the guards laughed. “Yeah, we saw her leave with him last night. Goddesses know why he’d want to plug her.”
“Oh, we know why,” his partner argued. “Look at her. For a Beinight, she’s easy on the eyes.”
“Yeah, but how is she in bed?” the first man quipped, and they both chuckled.
Getting to his feet, the second guard started to go around his desk. “I’ll take her off your hands.”
The soldier jerked her out of his reach. “No. I was personally ordered to see her to her cell. Would you like to be on his bad side when I tell the Sarpen you prevented me from doing my duty?”
Both men glanced at each other. A decision was made, and the second guard snatched up the key, tossing it to him. “Here.”
The soldier gave them a nod of thanks and shoved the Beinight woman ahead of him. “Move it, tokko.”
She gave him a withering look as she stumbled toward the cage. Shoving her into it, the soldier hit the lever, and the enclosure sank through the floor.
* * *
As soon asthey were out of sight, Lhora loosened herself from the ties binding her wrists behind her back. “We need to hurry before more guards show up.”
“They won’t,” Kalfis assured her. “Shift change won’t be for at least another hour. That’ll be their midday meal break, and that’s when the food will arrive to feed the prisoners.”
