Damn!
Daya jumped up.
On the other side of the room, the Pengali stopped talking. Large eyes observed him.
“Be patient,” said the male.
Daya spoke through gritted teeth. “I can’t be patient. She needs me now.” And there is a whole army after me.
Outside the rain came down incessantly and water clattered from overflowing gutters.
He clenched his fists in his pockets.
* * * *
The footsteps came back again, much slower this time. Men spoke in Mirani, but their speech was uneducated, too unlike that of Iztho for Jessica to understand.
She crouched behind the door. Soon they would discover that it was open and look inside, and she would have to run.
* * * *
Daya opened the door into the courtyard, letting in a cloud of droplets. Water dripped from the leaves of the tree into deep pud
