The Two of Swords: Part 6 by K. J. Parker

Author:K. J. Parker [Parker, K. J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9780356505619
Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group
Published: 2015-07-13T22:00:00+00:00

Later, he went to see her in the cells under the guardhouse. It was bright sunlight outside and dark in the cell, and it took his eyes a while to get used to the contrast.

“They broke your arm,” he said.

“Yes.” She was sitting on the floor with her back to the wall, cradling it in her lap.

“I’m sorry.”

“Of course you are.”

He didn’t want to look at her, but he felt he had to. “You didn’t tell them anything.”

“No.”

His mouth felt dry. “The chief examiner says he can’t be sure you’re not holding something back. He’s very experienced in these matters.”

“I’d sort of gathered that.”

“He thinks he should try again, just in case. Better safe than sorry, was what he said.”

She closed her eyes. “I can see his point,” she said quietly. “After all, it’s his reputation at stake.”

He swallowed. It wasn’t easy to do. “Are you sure there’s nothing you can tell me?”

Just the ghost of a grin. “I wish there was, believe me. But unfortunately there isn’t.”

He nodded. “There’s a very good surgeon here,” he said. “He’ll be able to save the arm, I’m sure of it. He patched me up once when I was in a hell of a mess.”

“That’s a comfort,” she said.

“I’m sorry.” He turned away and spoke to the wall. “I just wanted you to know, I understand what it’s like.”

She looked at him as though he was stupid. “No, you don’t.”

“I had a broken leg once. My men took it in turns to carry me. It was four days before we got to the outpost. It hurt like hell and by the time we got there I was hoarse from screaming.” He looked back at her. For some reason, he was angry. “Does that count?”

“No,” she said. “No, it doesn’t.”

Of course it didn’t. Now she’d made him feel ridiculous. All wrong; he was supposed to be torturing her, not the other way round. “You knew the risks,” he said. “When you joined.”

“What the hell has that got to do with anything?”

Nothing at all. “I’ll send the surgeon to set your arm.”

“You can if you like. A bit pointless, though, don’t you think? If they’re going to break the other one tomorrow. Or will it be tonight? Or were you going to do a leg next?”

“Please yourself,” he said.

“Am I being ungrateful?” she said. “Stupid ungrateful bitch. Not a very attractive quality in a woman. Mind you, neither is an arm the wrong way round.” And then she laughed. “You look so stupid when you’re embarrassed,” she said. “Practically half-witted. Please go away now, it hurts when I laugh.”

He banged on the door. The jailer took a long time, and for just a moment he was afraid he’d be stuck there, locked in, with her, indefinitely. The bright light outside hurt his eyes. He went and found the chief examiner. “Are you sure?” he said.

The examiner was eating bread and cheese; he’d worked through and missed lunch. “It’s not a precise business,” he said mildly. “In my professional opinion—”

“Yes?”

He pursed his lips.

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