rd him
now."

"Betray? I did this for no personal gain," Mikah protested.

"Only the purest of motives," Jason laughed coldly. "Don't believe a
word this pious crook tells you, Edipon. I'm not planning any
revolutions, he just said that to get my job."

"You caluminate me, Jason! I never lie--you are planning revolt. You
told me--"

"Silence both of you, or I'll have you beaten to death. This is my
judgment. The slave Mikah has betrayed the slave Jason, and whether
the slave Jason is planning rebellion or not is completely
unimportant. His assistant would have not denounced him unless he was
sure that he could do the work as well, which is the only fact that
has any importance to me. Your ideas about a worker-class have
troubled me Jason. I will be glad to kill them and you at the same
time. Chain him with the slaves. Mikah, I award you Jason's quarter
and woman, and as long as you do the work well I will not kill you. Do
it a long time and you will live a long time.

"Only the purest of motives, is that what you said, Mikah?" Jason
shouted back as he was kicked from the room.

* * * * *

The descent from the pinnacle of power was fast and smooth. Within
half an hour new shackles were on Jason's wrists and he was chained to
the wall in a dark room filled with other slaves. His leg-irons had
been left on as an additional reminder of his new status. He rattled
the chains and examined them in the dim light of a distant lamp as
soon as the door was closed.

"How comes the revolution?" the slave chained next to him leaned over
and asked in a hoarse whisper.

"Very funny, ha-ha," Jason grumbled, then moved closer for a better
look at the man who had a fine case of strabismus, his eyes pointing
in independent directions. "You look familiar ... are you the new
slave I talked to today?"

"That's me, Snarbi, fine soldier, pikeman, checked out on club and
dagger, seven kills and two possibles on my record, you can check it
yourself at the guild hall."

"I remember it all Snarbi, including the fact that you know your way
back to Appsala."

"I've been around."

"Then the revolution is still on, in fact it is starting right now but
I want to keep it small. Instead of freeing all these slaves what do
you say to the idea that we two escape by ourselves?"

"Best idea I heard since torture was invented, we don't need all these
stupid people. They just get in the way. Keep the operation s