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The leader of the Sarabandi was dead.
A waidata vessel stood beside the couch. Jason sniffed at it. A
strangely sweet odor could be smelled through the pungent liquid.
There was a disturbance at the gate. Jason heard it thrown open,
then feet pounding through the house coupled with the clanking of
weapons. Armed pirates burst through the door, then froze when they
saw Sette lying on the couch. They backed away as a member of the
council followed them into the chamber. He placed his hand over
Sette s heart, his face rapidly going from tanned to white in dierns.
 Call the healers, he cried out in a quavering voice.  I fear Sette is
dead.
A pirate ran from the room to fetch the healers. Another went to
summon the High Priest, while others ran to summon the other
members of the council.
Tarn was the first to appear, ahead of the healers and the priests.
Jason noticed a suppressed gleam of triumph in his eyes. Tarn lived
furthest away from Sette, and yet he had been the first into the
chamber, even quicker than the High Priest who lived in the temple less
than one hundred eters from Sette s gate. He must have been waiting
close by, aware that strange events were happening in Sette s house.
A pirate dragged the naked slave into the chamber, bringing the
waidata vessel with him. He forced the slave to his knees at the feet of
the senior councilor and handed him the almost full vessel.
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THE RIDE TO REVENGE
 I found him in the main chamber, he growled.  He wouldn t
answer my questions.
The councilor looked from the vessel in his hand to the slave, then
at the healers who had arrived and were fussing over Sette. The chief
healer stepped away from the couch and turned to face the High Priest
and the councilors, who had assembled by this time.
 Sette is dead, he announced simply, the words catching in his
throat.
 How did it happen? the High Priest demanded.
The healer reached for the waidata vessel and sniffed at it.
 He was killed with the juice of the datura fungus. The waidata was
used to disguise the taste from Sette, he muttered, handing the vessel
to the High Priest.
The priest sniffed the vessel, his nose twitching at the sweet smell.
The councilor handed him the vessel that had been found beside the
slave. The smell was the same. He turned to the armed pirates.
 Take him away, he thundered, pointing to the naked slaves.  He
has served Sette poisoned waidata. He shall spend the rest of his life on
the oar benches.
Tarn moved quickly forward to stand beside the High Priest.
 Let the slave prove his innocence by drinking from the same cup,
Tarn cried.  If the waidata isn t poisoned and Sette died from other
causes, then he will live and can go to the oars. If he is guilty, then let
him suffer the same fate as his master.
There was a chorus of agreement. The pirates grabbed the slave and
hauled him from the chamber, the crowd following. The temple was
close, judgment would be swift. Tarn watched them go, a grim smile of
triumph on his lips. He didn t know Jason was in the room with him.
Jason followed him to the temple. Whoever had administered the
poison didn t matter, but he was certain it had been administered at
Tarn s command.
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THE RIDE TO REVENGE
The slave was dragged before the altar and thrown to his knees at
the feet of Anubis. The High Priest towered over him, the waidata
vessel in his hands. He lifted the vessel toward the gods.
 Let your judgment be hidden in the liquid of this vessel, Lord
Anubis, he intoned.  Our beloved leader and your loyal servant Sette
has fallen to the hands of an assassin. Let your judgment be swift, your
revenge immediate.
He handed the vessel to the slave, who looked blankly at it.
 Drink, the High Priest commanded.
The slave raised the vessel slowly to his lips and drank deeply,
emptying the cup. His body tensed. He clutched at his throat, then
gasped and fell forward at the High Priest s feet.
He was dead.
He was also innocent. No assassin, no matter how hardened, would
calmly drink from a vessel he knew contained the poison he had
administered to his victim. Jason couldn t believe the slave would have
remained in the house after he had killed his master. He would have
flown, attempting to escape from the fate he knew would await him. He
must have been drugged, then the poisoned waidata placed beside him
after the murder had been committed. He had been used as a dupe to
cover the tracks of the real assassins.
The slave s body was dragged outside the temple and tied to a pillar
with a notice advising others of his crime.
The council gathered at the council chambers to confirm Tarn s
appointment as leader of the Sarabandi. They had no option. They had
voted him in unopposed only the previous day. They declared the next
day an official day of mourning. Sette would be carried in honor to the
tomb of his ancestors as the second sun neared the horizon. As the day
ended, so would his mortal remains be removed from the sight of his
human kindred when the entrance to the tomb was sealed.
Jason returned to the caravan, worried by what he had seen.
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THE RIDE TO REVENGE
 What ails the people of Sarando? Carto asked when he saw Jason
enter the circle of firelight.
 Sette is dead.
 He can t be, he gasped.  He appear in excellent health this
morning.
 He was, but an assassin made sure he didn t live to enjoy his old
age.
Carto sunk to his knees before the flames, his face pale. The other
entertainers huddled around in little groups as Jason told them what had
happened. He gave them no details other than those that would have
been known to the general population. To have said too much would be
to reveal his true identity. Mira moved to his side. She was crying and
shivering. She crouched against him, seeking both warmth and comfort.
He put his arm around her, drawing her close.
 Sarando is finished, she muttered sadly.  Tarn will lead the
Sarabandi against the people of the plains. They will repel him, then
take their revenge on us. We are doomed. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]