“Ruling a people means you are responsible for them,” the Patron said. He slowly made his way toward the front of the table. “It means that when they suffer, you suffer. When you retreat, they retreat. It is a heavy burden.”

“I cannot imagine,” Dasai said.

“No, you cannot,” the Patron said. “My intelligence officers know a ciphered letter when they see one. Give me the cipher.”

Roh reached for Dasai’s sleeve. Dasai moved his arm away, turning it into a shrug. “I’m afraid I can’t share the cipher with you,” Dasai said. “It is not mine to gift. But I can tell you the correspondence did relate to the number of Saiduan here in Kuonrada. The Kai wished to understand how thinly your forces were stretched, so that we may assess the threat the invaders will pose to us. We know they will come to our shores soon.”

“I invited you here,” the Patron said, low. “I fed you. I clothed you. I invited you to my own table!”

Dasai handed Roh his cane. Roh tried to meet his look, but Dasai’s gaze was downcast. Dasai slowly, and with great effort, began to get to his knees. Roh offered his hand. Dasai leaned on him. The old man grimaced. Once he reached his knees, he extended the full length of his body before the Patron and lay prostrate.

“I am yours,” Dasai said.

Roh watched Aramey and Nioni. They looked at Dasai with expressions of naked horror. Kihin and Chali stood close to one another. Roh thought Kihin was trembling. Chali met Roh’s look, eyes wide, and gave a single shake of his head. Roh knew that look, that gesture – shut up, he was saying. Don’t run into this. Don’t make a mess of it.

Roh gazed at the sanisi. He called up the litany he would need: a vortex about the size of the room, a vortex whose heart he and the other Dhai could stand safely within for… as long as he could hold them.

“I will not have traitors in my house,” the Patron said. He made a cutting gesture with his hand.

The sanisi beside the Patron stepped forward. They took hold of Chali and pushed him against the table.

“No, no!” Roh said. Kihin grabbed his tunic. Held him back.

The sanisi made Chali put both of his palms on the table.

“You’re the lucky messenger,” the Patron said to Chali. “You are spared for one purpose. You will go back to your scheming Kai and tell him I uncovered his treachery and meted out justice. Tell him his spies are all dead, and I look forward to seeing these invaders destroy his country as they have destroyed mine.” He gestured to the sanisi.

They cut off Chali’s hands. Chali screamed.

Roh tried to charge forward, but a blue curtain of Para’s breath came down in front of the table.