guard and started the fire. If caught, he would be cast into the dungeons, if
they did not kill him out of hand. And if he offered to demonstrate his skill in
his defense, he might wish that they had…
He could not return to the Palace to accuse the ‘Commissioner’, but if he could
reach the Maze he could hide indefinitely-there were still a few who owed him
favors there.
And then . . . Zanderei would either assassinate Prince Kadakithis, or go
peacefully home. The former seemed more likely, for one does not return a honed
blade to the sheath without blooding it, and in that case Coricidius would fall
as well.
And what would become of Sanctuary? The thought troubled his satisfaction. What
kind of tyrant would the Empire send to avenge its son? For all his clumsiness,
at least Prince Kittycat meant well, and if they must be ruled by foreigners,
surely the ones they were accustomed to would be best.
And it’s all in my hands… Trying to control laughter, Lalo unwisely took
too deep a breath, and began to cough again. Here I wallow in the Prince’s
garbage, deciding what his fate shall be? Power bubbled in his veins like wine
of Caronne. I could send word to Coricidius-he started this, he might believe me
. . . or-he remembered rumors he had heard about Shadowspawn-I might be able to
get word to the Prince himself. . .
But first I have to get out of here?
Cautiously Lalo poked his head over the rim of the cart. There was a whiff of
smoke in the air, and above the wall he could see torches winking like glowworms