"Three thousand actually. And taking us hostage won't serve either. We took steps—which we're not planning to tell about." He smiled insincerely. "Not drowning . . . it's so bad for the water quality downstream. There are better ways. You"—he turned to the dripping captain—"We need to talk to you. Back there." He pointed to a low shed, dimly visible on the shore. "Wait."
They stayed like puppets. Well, mostly. Bey drifted toward Shael. "I can hear them perfectly well," he said quietly. "Your father is telling Wickus that, as you are about to marry his prince, he'd better cooperate. He's also said that once he's taken you away they're welcome to slit all our throats."
Leyla made a retching noise. "Shael. Prince Jaybe is at least fifty-five. He likes his girls young. Prepubescent. He keeps at least one with him all the time. Get used to the idea."
"It doesn't matter which midden he had planned to bribe with me. I'm not going. At least . . . I'll run away as soon as I can," she said quietly.
Captain Wickus was doing a wonderful job of fawning and shivering at the same time. "Ah . . . I believe you mentioned an anesthetic, my good lady. His Highness has assured me that it would be best to follow your suggestion after all. Er, so as not to affront you ladies, perhaps the pris . . . gentlemen will care to come to our temp'ry headquarters over there." He pointed at the hut from which he and the Tyrant had emerged. "Also I could grab a dry blanket."
"No. You do it right here. It won't be the first men's bare bottoms Shael and I've seen. We don't trust you. Besides, the shivering'll help you lose some of that lard." Leyla's voice was hard.
So Keilin found himself presenting his bare buttocks to have a lump the size of a half-thaler coin cut out of him. His face was burning considerably more than his bum. He had mutely submitted to Cap's injected local anesthetic. He'd quietly gone through S'kith's nerve-block exercises too. One of them had worked. The flesh was carefully weighed on antique jeweller's scales while the Tyrant snorted his impatience. A neat form of debt discharge was handed to Bey, who happened to be nearest.
"That's done then," said one of the Amphirians, who had been forced to cut with care he'd been ill prepared for. He decided to take out his ire in another way. He shoved Keilin right over the nearby pier edge. "Go for a wash, thief!"
Arms flailing, Keilin fell to splash in the cold black river water. For a moment he started to panic. He'd drown right here. Then his feet touched the ooze bottom. He was barely thigh-deep.
From above came the sound of several blows, as well as an anxious call of "Cay! Are you all right, Cay?"
"Fine!" he called up. Then realizing how ridiculous this sounded he continued, "Just wet. It's shallow here. I'll walk in and come round."
He waded towards the shore. The burst of intense worry and fear from Shael had washed through his mind like a tide. He knew now. He had to get her out of there. And tied to the last pier piles was the answer. He hadn't even seen it in the dark water. It was a wide flat-bottomed boat, hidden under the pier.
Now he understood. The river wharf's normal complement of vessels were lying at anchor somewhere off in the river. But their crews had come in, possibly leaving a watchman or two on the boats. He simply slashed the painter and scrambled into it. Using the pier pilings and timbers he silently pulled the craft along to where the acrimonious debate was continuing. Obviously his comment about the river being shallow here had been noticed. Shael had moved considerably further out along the pier, until she found the way behind her blocked too. Soon he was just below them. Bey's grizzly ancestry gave him preternaturally sharp hearing. He'd both heard and smelled Keilin coming back. There was really no need for the boy's whisper.
"And you want me to marry some fat old pervert. My! I should have stuck to Deshin. He was at least going to make me an empress."
"It's what you'll end up being, my dear. To a far greater empire than that fool can hold. Power stretching from Arlinn to Amphir. Between Amphir and my holdings, with the forces of Arlinn rallying to my call, I'll crush his pretensions very rapidly. The fickle ones that rallied to him will desert him just as fast. Anyway, as to your future husband's sexual preferences, they need not concern you. We had you taught that. You'll find your own discreet entertainment. At least he's normal, not like your other suitor."
"At least Deshin's lover was there of his own free will, and not as a confused little girl told to please the prince . . . or else." Leyla's voice spoke volumes.
"Shut up, woman. Hold your tongue before your betters."
"To hell with you, you pompous old fart. And I'll kill you before those bowmen of yours can get a decent bead on me," said Leyla, angry now beyond logic.