asn't able to appreciate either the crisp autumn weather or the
functional beauty of Alanna's clanhome when the plane landed and her
guards, their weapons drawn, escorted her into the warriors' hall. The
mixture of fear about what was to come, anger at Jason, and the ache of
her injuries had her irritable, wanting to get the whole mess over with
so she wouldn't have to think about it any more.

Killian was waiting for her, sitting at the judicial-looking Chief's
Bench at the far end of the hall. Some clans had theirs ornamented, to
varying degrees, but Alanna's was plain: glossy jet-wood, the only
color on it the arms of Alanna's chief.

Dana's heart sank as she realized that Killian was clad in leather as
black as his Bench, again relieved only by his arms, rather than the
usual warrior-drab. She hadn't known he'd earned that--been acclaimed
by his peers as having honor so uncompromising it couldn't be
questioned. So much for the lady Arden's--and her own--hope of some
clemency, Dana thought. Yet Arden must have known the Alanna was
entitled to honor-black . . .

Urged forward by one of her guards, Dana approached the Bench and,
before she could be prompted, knelt. A Sandeman knelt only to the gods
and to @'s thakur, if @ had one, but this was a special case; Killian
was acting on Jason's behalf, so she had to show him the same degree of
respect. She heard a quiet sound of what seemed like approval from the
warriors and w'women beginning to gather in the hall, but didn't dare
let it reawaken her hopes.

She returned Killian's silent gaze. She would continue to abide by the
customs she had tried so long to observe--she still didn't see how she
could change that now, whatever the circumstances--but she had decided
during the flight that she had done nothing to be ashamed of, and
wouldn't act as if she had.

Killian nodded once, then accepted the tape her senior guard handed him
and slipped it into a viewer in the Bench. Dana could hear only a
murmur from the speaker as he played the tape, but she could see
Killian's face clearly, and she had seldom seen such an expression of
revulsion. Surely she hadn't done anything disgraceful enough to merit
that!

When Killian looked up from the Bench screen, his face was set and grim
enough to make Dana shiver. He looked at her steadily for several
seconds, then rose and came around the Bench to stand in front of her,
gesturing to one of the bystanders.

"Da, Glav