“Give him to us,” said their leader.
“Traitors,” cried one of the young men.
“Give him to us,” the officer repeated. It was t’Senife.
In anger they flung Kurt at the guardsman, threw him sprawling on the stones. The guards in their haste were no more gentle, snatching him up again, half dragging him through the sally port into the Afen grounds.
Hysterical outcries came from the crowd as they closed the door, barring the multitude outside. Something heavy struck the door, a barrage of missiles like the patter of hail for a moment. The shrieking rose and died away.
The Methi’s guard gathered him up, hauling his bruised arms, pulling him along with them until they were sure that he would walk as rapidly as they.
They took him by the back stairs and up.
XIII
“Sit down,” Djan snapped.
Kurt let himself into the nearest chair, although Djan continued to stand. She looked over his head toward the guards who waited.
“Are things under control?”
“They would not enter the Afen grounds.”
“Wake the day guard. Double watch on every post, especially the sally port. T’Lised, bring h’Elas here.”
Kurt glanced up. “Mim-”
“Yes, Mim.” Djan dismissed the guard with a wave of her hand and swept her silk and brocade skirts aside to take a chair. No flicker of sympathy touched her face as Kurt lifted a shaking hand to wipe his face and tried to collect his shattered nerves.
“Is she all right?” he asked.
“She will mend. Nym reported you missing when you failed to return; my men found her wandering the dock. I couldn’t get sense out of her-she kept demanding to go to Bias-until I finally got through to her the fact that you were missing too. Then Kta came here saying you’d come back to Elas and then left again to find me. He was able to pass the gate in company with some of my men or I doubt he’d have made it through, given the mood of the people out there. So I sent Kta home again under guard and told him to wait there, and I hope he did. After the riot you created in the temple square, finding you was simple.”
Kurt bowed his head, glad enough to know Mim was safe, too tired to argue.
“Do you even remotely realize what trouble you caused? My men are in danger of being killed out there because of you.”
“I’m sorry.”
“What happened to you?”
“TTefur’s men hauled me out of the market, held me in some warehouse until dark and took me out-I suppose to dispose of me in the harbor. I escaped. I…may have killed one or two of them.” Djan swore under her breath. “What else?” “Those who were taking me from the temple-if your men recognized them; one was in the market. T’Tefur’s men. One was a man I told you used to watch Elas….”
“Shall I call Shan here? If you repeat those things to his face-”
“I’ll kill him.”
“You will do nothing of the sort,” Djan shouted, suddenly at the end of her patience. “You caused me trouble enough, you and your precious little native wife. I know well enough your stubbornness, but I promise you this: if you cause me any more trouble, I’ll hold you and all Elas directly responsible.”
“What am I supposed to do, wait for the next time? Is my wife going to have to go into hiding for fear of them and I not be able to do anything or lay a hand on the men I know are responsible?”
“You chose to live here, you begged me for the privilege, and you chose all the problems of living in a nemet house arid having a nemet wife. Now enjoy it.” “I’m asking you to do something.”
“And I’m telling you I’ve had enough problems from you. You’re becoming a liability to me.”
The door opened cautiously and Mim entered the room, stood transfixed as Kurt rose to his feet. Her face dissolved in tears and for a moment she did not move. Then she cast herself to her knees and fell upon her face before Djan.