She couldn't see Jason's expression clearly in the dark, but his voice grew sharp and heated. "Nobody. The court said my mom got to name me, so she picked the least popular boy's name that year to make my dad angry."

Kira stared at him in shock. "Are you sure she really did that? That it wasn't some lie she told to hurt you?"

"I looked it up," Jason said, his words as stiff as his body language. "It was the least popular boy's name the year I was born."

"Jason, I'm so—"

"Don't say you're sorry! I don't want anyone feeling sorry for me!"

She stepped back from him. "Everything good in my life is a dig at your life, isn't it? That's why the first time we met you said you should hate me."

"Yeah."

"Why don't you?"

He didn't answer, and at first she thought he wouldn't. But Jason spoke in a rough voice. "Hating you, hating anybody else, wouldn't make my life any better. My parents think tearing other people down, tearing me down, makes them bigger. But I know it doesn't. It makes them smaller. And I am not going to be like them."

"You're not like them."

"What have I ever done to make you think that?" he demanded.

"A lot of things! All right, you're not exactly perfect. But the guy I saw helping that little boy with his math is a good person. Jason, you can make your name something to be proud of. Or you can change your name. But I think the best revenge on your mother is for people to know that Jason did something important."

He made a small sound of derision, staring up at the star-filled sky. "Yeah. Sure." His voice carried all the sullenness of the teenager she had first met.

"We should get going," Kira said, deliberately ignoring Jason's tone of voice because she knew she had inadvertently dug into an old scar. "We need to be on the waterfront at first light so we can get a ride out of Dorcastle without risking being seen by many people. You saw how closely I resemble that statue." She started along the deserted street as it ran through the open area before the wall, heading toward where more buildings began. Jason followed, saying nothing.

They were nearly among those buildings when Kira heard the tramp of feet and the sound of some metal objects clanking against each other. "Jason! Follow me!"

She ran into the shadow of the nearest building, crouching behind the stairs at the entry. Jason had just joined her when several men and women came into sight not much more than ten lances away. They all wore stout leather armor on their chests and shoulders, and all carried short swords as well as hardwood truncheons. One also carried a pistol in a holster at his hip.

"It's a night patrol of the city watch," Kira whispered to Jason.