"_You_ talk of clumsiness!" Dallisa's voice, even thinned by the nightmare ringing in my head, held concentrated scorn. "Perhaps I shall release him, to find Rakhal when you failed! The Terrans have a price on Rakhal's head, too. And at least this man will not confuse himself with his prey!" "If you think I would let you bargain with a _Terranan_--" Dallisa cried passionately, "You trade with the Terrans! How would you stop me, then?" "I trade with them because I must. But for a matter involving the honor of the Great House--" "The Great House whose steps you would never have climbed, except for Rakhal!" Dallisa sounded as if she were chewing her words in little pieces and spitting them at Kyral. "Oh, you were clever to take us both as your consorts! You did not know it was Rakhal's doing, did you? Hate the Terrans, then!" She spat an obscenity at him. "Enjoy your hate, wallow in hating, and in the end all Shainsa will fall prey to the Toymaker, like Miellyn." "If you speak that name again," said Kyral very low, "I will kill you." "Like Miellyn, Miellyn, Miellyn," Dallisa repeated deliberately. "You fool, Rakhal knew nothing of Miellyn!" "He was seen--" "With _me_, you fool! With _me_! You cannot yet tell twin from twin? Rakhal came to _me_ to ask news of her!" Kyral cried out hoarsely, like a man in anguish, "Why didn't you tell me?" "You don't really have to ask, do you, Kyral?" "You bitch!" said Kyral. "You filthy bitch!" I heard the sound of a blow. The next moment Kyral ripped the blindfold from my eyes and I blinked in the blaze of light. My arms were wholly numb now, twisted above my head, but the jar of his touch sent fresh pain racing through me. Kyral's face swam out of the blaze of hell. "If that is true, then this is a damnable farce, Dallisa. You have lost our chance of learning what he knows of Miellyn." "What _he_ knows?" Dallisa lowered her hand from her face, where a bruise was already darkening. "Miellyn has twice appeared when I was with him. Loose him, Dallisa, and bargain with him. What we know of Rakhal for what he knows of Miellyn." "If you think I would let you bargain with _Terranan_," she mocked. "Weakling, this quarrel is _mine_! You fool, the others in the caravan will give me news, if you will not! _Where is Cuinn?_" From a million miles away Kyral laughed. "You've slipped the wrong hawk, Dallisa. The catmen killed him." His skean flicked loose. He climbed to a perch near the rope at my wrists. "Bargain with me, Rascar!" I coughed, unable to speak, and Kyral insisted, "Will you bargain? End this damned woman's farce which makes a mock of _shegri_?" The slant of sun told me there was light left. I found a shred of voice, not knowing what I was going to say until I had said it, irrevocably. "This is between Dallisa and me." Kyral glared at me in mounting rage. With four strides he was out of the room, flinging back a harsh, furious "I hope you kill each other!" and the door slammed.