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.Oncelost, never recovered, no matter what the retribution.The gods had no more claim onArman s heart.They had broken their covenant with him too many times.He had insisted to Senator Mekus he wanted an opportunity to question thereplacement hostages from Vinri when they arrived, which they did two days after theSolstice.He had them taken to the blue reception hall and then extracted their unofficialleader for a private audience in his office.The man was sullen, with none of the air ofpleasant cooperation Arman had come to associate with the first group of hostages, butArman wouldn t hold that against him.The man had good cause. I want you to tell me how the soldier died last month why he was killed by yourpeople. He wasn t killed, my lord, the man said, making no attempt to hide his anger. Hewas surprised by the husband of the woman he was raping, and he was injured in the fightthat followed.He killed the husband first, slashed the woman with his sword, and died fromhis injuries which he inflicted himself he slipped in the blood and cracked his skull.Ourman wasn t even armed. Do you have any proof of this? Ask anyone, my lord.He attacked the woman in her own home, and any number of ussaw the end of the fight.If you believe our kind, that is, he added with a sneer.This would explain the lack of detail, if true.He questioned the man further, and thencarefully interrogated each of the other nine hostages separately and without allowing thema chance to confer.The story was the same in each case, with only the slight differencesthat came from different vantage points.This fact, the impression of honest anger, and his previous suspicions, were enough to make him believe this new version of events.He felt utterly sick with fury and shame at the deception, and the unjustness andpointlessness of the hostage deaths.If the men responsible had been in Utuk, he d havetaken great pleasure in venting his rage and punishing them for their betrayal of their duty.Frustrated by the distance and slow communication, he had few options, but he exercisedthem all.He asked for a meeting with Her Serenity that very day to bring the matter to herattention she granted the audience, with Mekus in attendance.That suited Armanperfectly.He laid out the information he received and carefully detailed why he believedthe story to be true, but he was surprised at the lack of reaction on both the part of hissovereign and the senator at the gruesome story. We really don t know what you want us to do, Arman, Kita said, sounding less thanenthralled. The people are dead, we can t bring them back to life. Your highness, you can send the new arrivals home, or offer to compensate them.It sa simple matter of justice.Even an apology Mekus snorted. General, don t be ridiculous.We re waging a war against thesepeople.We don t offer apologies or compensation to the enemy. Senator, with respect, the hostages and the villages are not the enemy, they re nowHer Serenity s subjects, to which the law of the Prij applies. Then they shouldn t have killed one of our soldiers, should they? They Kita held up her hand. Enough.We don t wish to engage in this unseemly discussionany further.Arman, the senator is correct we re at war, and in wars, people die.When thepeace is restored, then perhaps.We shall do something as a gesture, perhaps erect a statueto improve their town square.The sovereign of the Prij does not explain her actions toanyone, or apologise. She rose, and they stood too. That is all.Good day, senator,general. Arman bowed, seething with anger.There was warfare and there was simple murder.He knew which had occurred a month earlier.Outside the private chambers, Mekus regarded him with undisguised scorn. Was theresomething else, general? Yes, senator, there was another matter.I ve been hearing reports of attacks againsthostages, and mistreatment in the houses in which they re being kept.I believe one womanmay even be pregnant. I don t believe I m responsible for that, general. I don t mean to imply you are, senator.But it concerns me such mistreatment maybear bitter fruit in the future when Darshian is entirely under our control. Mekus gave him a scornful look. You sound as if a handful of disgruntled farmers areyour only concern these days.Are you not occupied with enough affairs? Yes, senator, I am.But I have a care to the military implications. Mekus snorted, flicking his hand dismissively. There are none.Don t be a fool.As formistreatment, I heard your own servant might have a complaint in that direction, so Isuggest you don t put your hand in that thurl s nest for your own peace of mind
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