“Prove me wrong,” Xar repeated.
“That’s what Haplo said.” Bane did not allow himself to be inconvenienced by the truth. “He was going to prove you wrong.”
Xar shook his head slowly. “You must have been mistaken, child. If Haplo had discovered a Sartan in the Nexus, he would have brought the enemy to me.”
“I would have brought the old man to you, Grandfather,” said Bane. “Haplo could have, but he didn’t.” No mention of the dragon. “He warned the Sartan to leave quickly, because you might be coming.”
Xar’s breath hissed through clenched teeth, the gnarled hand that had been stroking Bane’s curls jerked spasmodically, accidentally pulling the child’s hair. Bane winced from the pain, inwardly reveled in it. He guessed that Xar was hurting far worse than Bane himself and that Haplo would be the one to suffer for it.
Xar suddenly grasped hold of Bane’s hair, jerked his head back, forced the blue eyes to meet Xar’s black ones. The lord held the child in his daunting gaze long, searching, penetrating to the bottom of Bane’s soul—not a very far drop.
Bane looked back unblinking, unflinching in Xar’s rough grip. Xar knew Bane for what he was—a skilled and cunning liar—and Bane knew Xar knew. The child had floated enough truth on the surface to conceal the lies beneath. And, with that uncanny insight into adults gained from long and lonely hours when he had nothing to do except study them, Bane guessed that Xar would be too hurt by Haplo’s betrayal to probe deeper.
“I told you, Grandfather,” Bane said earnestly, “Haplo doesn’t love you. I’m the only one.”
The hand holding Bane went suddenly nerveless. Xar released the boy. The lord stared out into the twilight, his pain raw and visible in the ravaged face, in the sudden sagging of the shoulders, the limpness of the hand.
Bane had not expected this, was displeased, jealous of Haplo’s ability to cause such pain.
Love breaks the heart.
Bane flung his arms around Xar’s legs, hugged him close.
“I hate him, Grandfather! I hate him for hurting you. He should be punished, shouldn’t he, Grandfather? You punished me, the time I lied to you. And Haplo’s done worse than that. You told me about the time you punished him before he went to Chelestra, how you could have killed him, but you didn’t, because you wanted him to learn from his punishment. You must do that again, Grandfather. Punish him like that again.”
Annoyed, Xar started to try to free himself from Bane’s clinging grasp, then stopped. Sighing, the lord again fondled the boy’s hair, stared out into the twilight. “I told you about that time, Bane, because I wanted you to understand the reason for your punishment and for his. I do not inflict pain wantonly. We learn from pain, that’s why our bodies feel it. But some, apparently, choose to ignore the lesson.”
“And so you’ll punish him again?” Bane peered upward.
“The time for punishment is past, child.”
Though Bane had been waiting for a year to hear those words, spoken in that tone, he couldn’t help but shudder.
“You’re going to kill him?” Bane whispered, overawed.
“No, child,” said the Lord of the Nexus, twisting the golden curls. “You are.”
Haplo arrived back at the lord’s house. Entering, he crossed the living area, heading for Xar’s library.
“He’s gone,” said Bane, seated cross-legged on the floor, his elbows on his knees, his chin on his hands. He was studying Sartan runes.
“Gone.” Haplo stopped, stared at Bane, frowning, then looked back at the doorway leading to the library. “Are you sure?”
“See for yourself.” Bane shrugged.
Haplo did. He walked into the library, glanced around, then returned. “Where did Lord Xar go? To the Labyrinth?”
Bane held out a hand. “Here, dog. Here, boy.”
The dog pattered over, sniffed warily at the Sartan book of runes.
“Grandfather went to that world—the one made of stone. The one where the dead bodies walk.” Bane looked up, blue eyes large and glittering. “Will you tell me about that world? Grandfather said you might—”
“Abarrach?” Haplo asked in disbelief. “He’s gone already. Without—” The Patryn stalked out of the room. “Dog, stay,” he ordered as the animal started to follow.