‘I’m a plain man, my Lord,’ Sparhawk replied, scratching at one mailed armpit. ‘Subtlety isn’t one of my strong points.’ He nudged the captive with one foot. ‘All right, then, Elius, I’ll make things simple for you. All you have to do at first is confirm a number of statements.’ He drew up a chair and sat down, crossing his legs. ‘First of all, your cousin, the Primate of Cimmura, has his eyes on the throne of the Archprelacy, right?’

‘You have no proof of that.’

‘Break his thumb, Kurik.’

Still holding the consul’s wrist in his grip, Kurik prised open the man’s clenched fist and grasped his thumb. ‘In how many places, my Lord?’ he asked politely

‘Do as many as you can, Kurik. Give him something to think about.’

‘No! No! It’s true!’ Elius gasped, his eyes wide with terror.

‘We’re making real progress here,’ Sparhawk observed with a relaxed smile. ‘Now. You’ve had dealings in the past with a white-haired man named Martel. He works for your cousin from time to time. Am I right?’

‘Y-yes,’ Elius faltered.

‘Notice how it gets easier as you go along? In fact it was you who set Martel and his hirelings on me that night about ten years ago, wasn’t it?’

‘It was his idea,’ Elius blurted quickly. ‘I’d received orders from my cousin to co-operate with him. He suggested that I summon you that night. I had no idea that he intended to kill you.’

‘You’re very naïve then, Elius. Lately, a fair number of travellers from the northern kingdoms have been circulating rumours here in Cippria that there’s a groundswell of sympathy for Rendorish aims in those kingdoms. Is Martel in any way connected with that campaign?’

Elius stared at him, his lips pressed fearfully shut.

Slowly, Kurik began to bend his thumb back.

‘Yes! Yes!’ Elius squeaked, arching back in pain.

‘You were almost backsliding there, Elius,’ Sparhawk chided. ‘I’d watch that if I were you. The whole purpose of Martel’s campaign here is to persuade the city dwellers of Rendor to join with the desert nomads in an Eshandist uprising against the Church. Am I right?’

‘Martel doesn’t confide in me all that much, but I suppose that’s his ultimate goal, yes.’

‘And he’s supplying weapons, right?’

‘I’ve heard that he is.’

‘This next one is tricky, Elius, so listen carefully. The real point here is to stir things up so that the Church Knights will have to come here and quiet them down again. Isn’t that so?’

Elius nodded sullenly ‘Martel himself hasn’t said so, but my cousin intimated as much to me in his last letter.’

‘And the uprising is to be timed to coincide with the election of the new Archprelate in the Basilica of Chyrellos?’