Part 37 (2/2)
Lord Tomawaritomo came and stood over them, gazing down at her with his cat eyes. ”Good. You care for this whipping boy.”
She realized then that she had made a mistake. She shouldn't have put her arms around Pony. She should have ignored his presence, refusing to acknowledge him. Lord Tomawaritomo knew now that he could affect her by hurting Pony.
”You didn't have to beat him,” she snapped.
”One does not lightly take a warrior prisoner,” Tomtom said. ”They are made st.u.r.dily. One can cut them down to almost nothing before their life force gives out.”
Tomtom lifted his hand and the squat torturer scurried forward wearing its bloodstained leather ap.r.o.n, boning knife glittering in his hand.
”You don't have to hurt him,” Tinker cried, tightening her hold on Pony. ”I'll make a gate.”
”I am not afraid.” Pony pulled out of her arms and managed to get to his feet. ”Go ahead. Torture me. Kill me. She will not do what you ask of her.”
Tomtom stepped back. ”We will take only his sword arm first.”
”No!” Tinker shouted, stepping between the oni and Pony, spreading wide her arms to s.h.i.+eld him. ”Don't hurt him! I'll do it! Just don't hurt him.”
”Tinker domi domi!” Pony caught hold of her, pulled her back. ”Do not do what they ask of you.”
Tinker wriggled in his hold. ”I can't watch them kill you little by little.”
”I do not care what they do to me,” Pony said.
”Pony, I can't.” She swung around to focus on him. ”I know myself too well. I can't sit and watch you scream your life away. I'll break. Maybe I can last until you've been tortured to death. But then they'll go find someone else to hold against me, and I won't be able to say no again, especially not after watching them cut you to pieces. I will will break. I would rather break break. I would rather break now now, without having to take your screams to my grave, than after you're dead.”
”I see,” Pony said quietly. ”Forgive me my selfishness.”
”You do not understand.” Tomtom's voice was a dangerous low rumble. ”They will take his bones just so you know how serious I am. For any disobedience, the punishment will be worse.”
Tinker could not imagine worse, but she was sure that Tomtom could. ”No. No. Don't hurt him. I'll do what you want.”
”Yes. You will.” Tomtom gave an order. One of the warriors bent down and caught her by the waist, lifting her off the ground, while the other two caught hold of Pony.
”No! No!” Tinker cried. ”If he's hurt, I will do nothing!”
”If torturing him does not work, we'll get another. One that works better.”
Oilcan! She cried out as if struck, and then thought quickly. Did she have any leverage point beyond her ability? ”Leave him alone, and I'll finish in a month!”
Tomtom whipped around and had her by the throat before she could react. ”A month? That is twenty-eight days?”
He was going by the moon cycle, instead of Earth's calendar, but she wasn't going to argue schematics with him.
”Yes, twenty-eight days,” she whispered. ”Hurt him, and I'll do nothing! No matter who you get to replace him.”
”You're lying,” Tomtom said, making her stomach turn to lead and sink. ”You cannot do it in a month.”
”Yes, I can!” she cried. ”The process is easier than I thought. I'll make a gate in a month, but only if you torture no one-I'd rather die than reward those who harmed ones I love.”
Tomtom c.o.c.ked his head, considering her. ”Twenty-one days.”
”What? Three weeks?”
”Twenty-one days or I'll have the bones removed.”
She glanced at Pony, and wet her mouth. ”Fine, I'll do it in twenty-one. But I'll need work crews: carpenters, electricians, and Riki.”
”So be it.” Tomtom gave an order, and the guards started to separate them again.
”Wait!” Tinker cried. ”No! We had a deal!”
”He is spell-marked,” Tomtom said. ”The skin will have to be flayed.”
”No!” Tinker said. ”He's not to be hurt in any way.”
”I'd be a fool to let him keep the spells,” Tomtom said. ”You could use them to escape.”
”I promise I won't!” She beat on the ma.s.sive arms holding her, trying to get to Pony. ”On my honor, and the honor of my house, I will stay here without escaping and build your gate. Harm him, and I will do nothing.”
Tomtom shook his head. ”What is it with you domana domana and your sentimentalism for your underlings? It must be genetic. It makes you weak.” and your sentimentalism for your underlings? It must be genetic. It makes you weak.”
”Fine. I'm weak.” She kicked her feet, dangling as she was in the guard's hold, emphasizing that she was small and scrawny. ”I'll give my word and stay without trying to escape and build your gate within twenty-one days only only if he's completely unharmed.” if he's completely unharmed.”
Tomtom came to grip her chin and gaze deep into her eyes. ”Say it again.”
So she repeated it. Carefully.
”Sparrow said that we'll only be able to hold her with promises freely given,” Riki said. ”If she can hold a warrior, then her word must be binding: she can't lie when giving her word.”
”Very well.” Tomtom released Tinker's chin and growled a command. She found herself on her feet, Pony supporting her. ”Take them back to her room. She'll start working tomorrow at first light.”
Riki helped her support Pony on the long walk to her bedroom, through dusty warehouses and barren offices. The sekasha sekasha concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other, only flinches of pain on his face showing how badly he was hurt. Tinker wanted to scream accusations at Riki, but Chiyo's punishment was still stark in her mind. Even the kitsune thought that the breeding had been considered the kindest of the possible punishments. concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other, only flinches of pain on his face showing how badly he was hurt. Tinker wanted to scream accusations at Riki, but Chiyo's punishment was still stark in her mind. Even the kitsune thought that the breeding had been considered the kindest of the possible punishments.
”I'm sorry,” Riki said as he delivered them to the bedroom that proved-without Chiyo's presence-to be windowless.
”Why?”
He took her to mean ”why Pony,” although she wasn't sure herself which of the many whys she meant. Why did he continue serving such a monster? Why had he kept her silent-thus, and in hindsight, safe from Tomtom's anger? Why hadn't he chosen one of the many humans she loved? ”I find that I actually think of myself as human more than I thought,” Riki said. ”It was easier to pick an elf; I was taught to hate them.”
”I'm an elf.”
”You'll always be a human to me.”
Only humans said things like that, so maybe he was telling the truth. Still, she couldn't find any room to forgive him.
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