gling feet. I was....

The sound of boots rang on the stone and Kyral's voice, low and bitter,
demanded somewhere behind me, "What have you done with him?"

She did not answer, but I heard her chains clash lightly and imagined
her gesture. Kyral muttered, "Women have no genius at any torture
except...." His voice faded out into great distances. Their words came
to me over a sort of windy ringing, like the howling of lost men, dying
in the snowfast passes of the mountains.

"Speak up, you fool, he can't hear you now."

"If you have let him faint, you are clumsy!"

"_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 _h