The Diamond Throne

laugh.
    ‘That was rare, my Lord,’ Sparhawk congratulated the abbot. ‘It was exactly the right tone.’
    ‘I’m not a complete novice at this sort of thing, Sparhawk,’ the abbot said. He looked at the big Pandion shrewdly ‘You Pandions have a reputation for brutality, particularly where questioning captives is concerned.’
    ‘It seems to me I’ve heard some rumours to that effect, yes,’ Sparhawk admitted.
    ‘But you don’t really do anything to people, do you?’
    ‘Not usually, no. It’s the reputation that persuades people to co-operate. Do you have any idea how hard – and messy – it is actually to torture people? We planted those rumours about our order ourselves. After all, why work if you don’t have to?’
    ‘My feelings exactly, Sparhawk. Now,’ the abbot said eagerly, ‘why don’t you tell me about the naked lady – and the bridge –and anything else you might have run across? Don’t leave anything out. I’m only a poor cloistered monk, and I don’t really get much fun out of life.’

Chapter 20
    Sparhawk winced and drew his breath in sharply. ‘Sephrenia, do you have to dig straight in?’ he complained.
    ‘Don’t be such a baby,’ she told him, continuing to pick at the sliver in his hand with her needle. ‘If I don’t get it all out, it’s going to fester.’
    He sighed and gritted his teeth together as she continued to probe. He looked at Flute, who had both hands across her mouth as if to stifle a giggle.
    ‘You think it’s funny?’ he asked her crossly.
    She lifted her pipes and blew a derisive little trill.
    ‘I’ve been thinking, Sparhawk,’ the abbot said. ‘If Annias has people in Jiroch the same as he has here in Cippria, wouldn’t it be safer just to go around it and avoid the possibility of being recognized?’
    ‘I think we’ll have to chance it, my Lord,’ Sparhawk said. ‘I’ve got a friend in Jiroch I need to talk with before we go upriver.’ He looked down at his black robe. ‘These ought to get us past a casual glance.’
    ‘I think it’s dangerous, Sparhawk.’
    ‘Not if we’re careful, I hope.’
    Kurik, who had been saddling their horses and loading the pack mule the abbot had given them, came into the room. He was carrying a long, narrow wooden case. ‘Do you really have to take this?’ he asked Sephrenia.
    ‘Yes, Kurik,’ she replied in a sad voice. ‘I do.’ ‘What’s in it?’
    ‘A pair of swords. They’re a part of the burden I bear.’
    ‘It’s a pretty large box for only two swords.’
    ‘There’ll be others, I’m afraid.’ She sighed, then began to wrap Sparhawk’s hand with a strip of linen cloth.
    ‘It doesn’t need a bandage, Sephrenia,’ he objected. ‘It was only a splinter.’
    She gave him a long, steady stare.
    He gave up. ‘All right,’ he said. ‘Do whatever you think is best.’
    ‘Thank you.’ She tied the end of the bandage.
    ‘You’ll send word to Larium then, my Lord?’ Sparhawk asked the abbot.
    ‘On the next ship that leaves the harbour, Sir Sparhawk.’
    Sparhawk thought a moment. ‘I don’t think we’ll be going back to Madel,’ he said. ‘We have some companions staying at the house of the Marquis Lycien there.’
    The abbot nodded. ‘I know him,’ he said.
    ‘Could you get word to them as well? Tell them that if everything works out at Dabour, we’ll be going home from there. I think they might as well go on back to Cimmura.’
    ‘I’ll see to it, Sparhawk.’
    Sparhawk tugged thoughtfully at the knot on his bandage.
    ‘Leave it alone,’ Sephrenia told him.
    He took his hand away. ‘I’m not trying to tell the preceptors what to do,’ he said to the abbot, ‘but you might suggest in your message that a few small contingents of Church Knights in the streets of Rendorish cities right now might remind the local population of just how unpleasant things can get if they pay too much attention to all these rumours.’
    ‘And head off the need for whole armies later on,’ the abbot agreed. ‘I’ll definitely mention it in my report.’
    Sparhawk rose to his feet, ‘I’m in your debt again, my Lord Abbot,’ he said. ‘You always seem to be here when I need you.’
    ‘We serve the same master, Sparhawk,’ the abbot replied. He grinned then. ‘Besides,’ he added, ‘I sort of like you. You Pandions don’t always do things the way we would, but you get results, and that’s what counts, isn’t it?’
    ‘We can hope.’
    ‘Be careful in the desert,