Hood (a Hyllis family story #7) by Laurence Dahners

Author:Laurence Dahners [Dahners, Laurence]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-11-08T16:00:00+00:00

***

Tarc started back into Realth. He wanted to talk to Sylvia Martin about her father. Somehow, the fact that he’d saved Martin’s daughter made him feel like her dad couldn’t be as bad as Pongo said he was.

From behind him, Lizeth’s voice called, “Tarc, wait up.”

After the arguing they’d done last time, Tarc was not at all sure he wanted Lizeth with him. Nonetheless, he stopped and waited for her to jog up to him. He said, “Hey Lizeth. You’re off duty too?”

Lizeth nodded, then looked down at the blanket-wrapped bundle he was carrying. “You’re bringing your bow?”

Tarc shrugged, “Just in case.”

Lizeth sighed and turned her eyes to the city. “Last night I went in and made a circuit around the palace, trying to figure out whether that S.O.B. recaptured the girls.”

“What’d you find out?”

Lizeth snorted, “That I can’t tell one girl from another with my ghirit.” She shrugged, “The king didn’t have any girls with him though, so… I’m hoping that means they’re okay.”

Tarc said, “Last time I was in the city I checked with Kali. She said they were all still at their homes. Her family’s worried about her though. She might join the caravan for the next few legs. Her dad wants to send her to live with her uncle in Denton’s Crossing.”

Lizeth shook her head, “I get a sick feeling every time I think about leaving that bastard Uray alive. I don’t think that… abomination of a man’s going to change just because you threatened him, made him dizzy, and punched him in the nuts a few times.”

Tarc hesitated, then sighed. “Yeah, I think you’re right.” He hesitated, then continued, “I’ve talked to… some people who should know. They agree with you. If I punish him some more, he might behave for a few weeks, but once he hasn’t heard from us for a while… Once he thought we might not be watching…” Tarc shook his head, “then they think he’ll go back to his old ways. Maybe worse. It’d be bad.”

Lizeth gave Tarc an eager look, “You’ve changed your mind? You’re gonna kill the son of a bitch after all?”

Tarc shrugged, “Maybe? I’m trying to figure out whether there’s a way to keep them from having a massive fight over the succession. Getting hundreds of people killed to keep a few from getting raped…” He shook his head and gave her a pleading look, “What the hell’s the right and wrong of questions like that!”

“Yeah,” Lizeth said, “I think… I think you should do something more than just killing Uray. But I sure as hell don’t know what.”

“I’ve talked to… someone in the palace guard,” Tarc said. “He thinks one of the guard lieutenants would make a good king. Family man, good tactician, good listener, ethical. He says this lieutenant wants to turn Realth into a democracy.”

They walked in silence for a minute or two, then Lizeth said, “I can see how you could kill Uray. But I don’t have any idea how you’d put a lieutenant on the throne? A few well-placed arrows aren’t going to make that happen.

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