thought. I’ll contact you with my decision.”
“Very well,” Alten snarled, rising to his feet. “But don’t take too long making
up your mind. Your black skin makes it difficult to judge the infection-but I’d
guess you don’t have much time left to make your choice.”
“How much?” Saliman asked.
“A day or two. After that we’d have to take the legs off completely to save his
life-but by then it might only be a choice of deaths.”
“Very well,” Jubal agreed.
“But in case I’m wrong,” Stulwig said sud-‘denly, “I’d like my payment now.”
The slaver’s head came up with a jerk, but his aide had fore-reached him.
“Here,” Saliman said, tossing the healer a small pouch of coins, “for your
services and your silence.”
Alten hefted the purse with raised eyebrows, nodded and started for the doorway.
“Healer!” Jubal called from the floor, halting the man in mid-stride. “Currently
only the three of us know my whereabouts. If any come hunting us and fail to
finish the job, one, or both, of us will see you suffer hard before you die.”
Alten hesitated then moistened his lips. “And if someone finds you
accidentally?”
“Then we’ll kill you-accidentally,” Saliman concluded.
The healer looked from one set of cold eyes to the other, jerked his head in a
half-nod of agreement and finally left. For a long time after his departure
silence reigned in the hovel.
“Where did you get the money?” Jubal asked when such thoughts were far from his
aide’s mind.
“What?”
“The money you gave Stulwig,” Jubal clarified. “Don’t tell me you had the
presence of mind to gather our house-funds from their hiding places in the