“What do you mean, in his shelter?”

“Leck’s animal shelter. He rescues animals, Lord Prince, you’ll know that.”

“Yes, of course,” Po said. “But I didn’t know about the shelter.”

The man seemed to enjoy being the center of Po’s attention. He glanced at his companions and lifted his chin. “Well, Lord Prince, he’s got hundreds of them, dogs, squirrels, rabbits, bleeding from slashes on their backs and bellies.”

Po narrowed his eyes. “Slashes on their backs and bellies,” he repeated carefully.

“You know. As if they’d run into something sharp,” the man said.

Po stared at him for a moment. “Of course. And any broken bones? Any sickness?”

The man considered. “I’ve never heard tell of any of that, Lord Prince. Just lots of cuts and slashes that take a wondrous long time to heal. He’s got a staff of children who help him nurse the little creatures to recovery. They say he’s very dedicated to his animals.”

Po pursed his lips. He glanced at Katsa. “I see,” he said. “And do you know what sickness the girls died of?”

The man shrugged. “Children are not very strong.”

“We’ve moved to a different topic now,” the biggest merchant said, interrupting. “We agreed to give you information about the kidnapping, not about this. We’ll be wanting more money to compensate.”

“And anyway, I’m suddenly dying of a sickness called boredom,” his partner said.

“Oh,” said the first, “perhaps you have a more amusing diversion in mind?”

“With different company,” said the man in the corner.

They were laughing now, the six of them chuckling over a private joke Katsa had a feeling she understood. “Alas for protective fathers and locked bedroom doors,” the partner said, very low to his friends, but not too low for Katsa’s sensitive ears. She surged toward the men before the burst of laughter had even begun.

Po blocked her so fast that she knew he must have started imperceptibly first. “Stop,” he said to her softly. “Think. Breathe.”

The wave of impulsive anger swept over her, and she allowed his body to block her path to the merchant, to the two of them, to all six of them, for these men were all the same to her.

“You’re the only man in seven kingdoms who can keep that wildcat on a leash,” said one of the two men. She wasn’t sure which one, for she was distracted by the effect the words had on Po’s face.

“It’s fortunate for us she has such a sensible keeper,” the man continued. “And you’re a lucky fellow yourself. The wild ones are the most fun, if you can control them.”

Po looked at her, but he didn’t see her. His eyes snapped, silver ice and gold fire. The arm that blocked her stiffened, and his hand tightened into a fist. He inhaled, endlessly it seemed. He was furious; she saw this, and she thought he was going to strike the man who had spoken; and for a panicky moment she didn’t know whether to stop him or help him.