The Balintol Cycle I

Chapter fifteen

Chapter fifteenThe bully boy guards marched us off and they were not particularly gentle with us, not at all, by Krun. Dagert and I were dragged into a small square room with a single tiny window high up, and tied down with bristly ropes in chairs that were clamped to the floor. Neither of us spoke a word.

The room contained another chair, this one with a cushion, and a table along the side wall. Four lanterns burned. One of them needed to be trimmed and gave off a thin trail of black smoke. The guards waited.

He strutted in, this Khon the Mak, very brisk and businesslike. A couple of his retainers brought in two rapiers, two main gauches and the bits and pieces of a braxter. These exhibits were placed on the table. Khonstanton sat on the cushioned chair and regarded us balefully, one ha