some other course of action. “Kama, why are you here, of all places?” he asked,
closing the door behind him.
With Walegrin’s help, she explained her situation. How the PFLS leader. Zip, had
misinterpreted her encounter with Stra-ton and Walegrin and how that mistake had
started the downward spiral of events which culminated with not merely the
attempt on the Stepson’s life but the sabotage of all he had tried to
accomplish.
Molin, though he listened attentively, took a few moments to congratulate
himself. Had he dismissed Walegrin, he would have helped Kama because he loved
her-and, in time, she would have rejected him for it. Now, he could help her
because he had heard and believed her story before witnesses. She might still
reject him-she would always prefer action to intrigue, he suspected-but it
wouldn’t be through the weakness called love.
“You have two choices, Kama,” he explained when both she and Walegrin were
silent. “No one would be surprised if you had died today. I could easily see to
it that everyone believed that you had. You could take a horse from the stables
and no one would ever think to come looking for you.” He paused. “Or you can
clear your name.”
“I want my name,” she replied without hesitation. “I’ll appeal to the Emperor’s
justice….” It was her turn to pause and calculate options. “Brachis-” She
looked around the room and remembered the Stormchildren, the witches, and the
ir-remedial absence of Vashanka. “I’ll get the truth out of Zip,” she concluded.
Molin shook his head and turned to Walegrin. “Would you believe anything that