Except that Hifadhi had looked at him in a way that only he could—right into the core of Shem’s being, into his transparent soul.
The surgeon placed a cool wet cloth on Shem’s head. “That will help a little. The rest of it is waiting for it to work its way through your system. If you—”
“SURGEON!” someone in the reception area shouted. “Two injured officers! Long knives!”
The surgeon ran out of the treatment room.
Shem took deep breaths as he heard shouts in the hallway. All he could do now was wait.
It didn’t take long. It seemed to be only seconds, but must have been closer to five minutes. Through the treatment room doors four soldiers hurriedly barged in, carrying in the two limp bodies of the lieutenants.
“On the other side of the room,” the surgeon ordered. “Soldier over there is already nauseated. And bring in more lanterns, so we can actually see something!”
Through the slits of his nearly-shut eyes Shem saw the soldiers set the two officers on bunks on the opposite side of the room. Two more surgeons’ assistants, rubbing sleep out of their eyes, rushed in to start attending to one lieutenant while the surgeon examined the other, and a private hastily brought in extra lanterns in each hand.
“He’s dead,” the surgeon said simply after only a moment of evaluation, not needing extra light to reach that conclusion.
Shem gulped.
High General Shin, who had rapidly dressed, judging by an unfastened button, a few skewed medals on his jacket and his lack of cap, strode into the treatment room.
“Dear Creator!” he breathed as he saw Heth with the long knife protruding from his throat. He looked over to see Lieutenant Xat with the knife coming out of his heart.
The assistants looked at him grimly and shook their heads.
Shem squeezed his eyes shut tight. He’d been trained too well. He tried not to listen anymore, but the general’s voice could’ve probably penetrated even the Dark Deserts of Death.
“Both dead! What happened?” Shem heard the general demand.
“Sir, we’re unsure. We found them on the floor like this,” someone, likely one of his guards, said.
“I think they had a fight,” another guard suggested. “I’ve heard words between them before, sir.”
General Shin paused before he announced, “The only way this could have been the result of a fight was if they stabbed each other at precisely the same time, which is highly unlikely! Did anyone hear anything? Any arguing? Fighting?”
Shem held his breath as someone else said, “We didn’t, but we sent Master Sergeant Neeks to see if anyone heard anything. We’ve also sent for Major Shin, sir, and Captain Karna is searching for witnesses.”
The High General grumbled quietly, and Shem heard what sounded like someone stroking a chin ripe with stubble. “Right outside my door. Neither I nor Mrs. Shin heard anything. Why would they draw their knives—”
A loud disturbance in the reception area halted General Shin’s musing.
“I saw the blood on the floor, and I want to know why!”
Shem peered his eyes open to see Joriana Shin burst through the treatment room door, a dressing gown wrapped around her bed clothes, and her brown hair in a long braid. She stopped when she saw the bloodied bodies of the lieutenants.
“Joriana, I told you to wait in our quarters! Two guards were—”
“—ineffective in keeping me there! Oh Relf, what happened?” she whimpered as her husband put a bracing arm around her. The guards assigned to her had followed her in and looked apologetically at the High General.
“That’s what we’re trying to piece together. No one knows. Except . . .”
Shem shut his eyes again in a vain attempt to control his breathing, so he didn’t notice that the High General had moved until he heard, “Zenos!”
Shem’s entire body flinched. Panicked, he opened his eyes and thought he would retch again as he looked up into the hardened face of the High General looming over him. It was like seeing a gray rock falling slowly at him, and it was furious.
“Sir?” he squeaked.
“How long have you been here?”
“Not long, sir.”
“He came in just before the officers were discovered, General,” the surgeon explained. “Vomited on the floor. I’d stay back a pace or two if I were you. Not sure yet what ails him.”
The High General nodded once. “Came in just before . . . Corporal, did you hear or see or notice anything? Anything unusual, whatsoever?”
Shem’s breathing became rapid. “Sir, all I noticed was the direction of the surgery. I just came off duty and was walking to my barracks when I could feel something was wrong in my belly.”