“You will speak the truth when questioned. If you lie to me, you will die very unpleasantly,” Thero told him. “At the first lie it will blind you; at the second it will cut off your nose; at the third it will cut out your lying tongue.” He was pleased to see the color drain from the man’s face. “However,”

he went on, “if you tell the truth, Commander Klia may show you mercy. The choice is entirely yours.”

Thero seldom exercised his powers with this sort of force, but in the case of this traitor, he was happy to make an exception. “Commander, ask what you will.”

Klia fixed the rider with a dark look. “Who gave you that coded letter?”

Caem opened and closed his mouth several times, clearly warring with himself. At last, voice trembling, he said softly, “No one, Commander. I wrote it.”

“I see. You are the spy?”

“Yes, Commander.”

“Are there others?”

“None that I know of, Commander.”

“And who directed you to send reports about me?”

The rider hesitated again, eyes fixed on the blur of the spinning blade. No doubt he could feel the stir it made in the air. “Major Salana.”

Klia exchanged a look of shock with Myrhini. “Commander Myr’s aide? In Bilairy’s name, why?”

“I don’t know, Commander, and that’s the truth! I only did it for the money, and the promise of a transfer and promotion in the major’s squadron, once we get back to winter quarters in Rhíminee.”

“Why did you turn coat against me? Do you have some grievance with me?”

Caem hung his head. “No, Commander. It was just the money.”

“And just what was the price of your loyalty to me?” The words were tinged with hurt.

Caem mumbled something.

“Speak up!” Myrhini snapped.

“Five silver full sesters for every message sent,” Caem blurted out, beginning to snivel. “I’m sorry, Commander! It was stupid and disloyal and I wish I could take it all back.”

“Does Captain Danos know what you’ve been doing?”

“No, Commander, by the Flame! He’s blameless in all this.”

“All what?”

“Whatever it is that made the major want me to spy. I don’t know what it is, and that’s the truth.”

The ivory dagger bore out the declaration. True or not, it was what Caem believed.

“Is Commander Myr mixed up in all this?”

“I don’t know.”

“Do you know Danos’s father, Duke Reltheus?” asked Thero.

“Not really, though I’ve seen him a few times, in the city.”

“And it was not he who asked you to spy?”

“No, my lord. I only know about the major.”

“Tell me everything you know about the plot against me,” Klia ordered.

“I swear on my life, Commander, I only took the major’s money and posted the messages! Major Salana is the only one I ever talked to.”