“Probably would have, too.” Execarne took aim. “Sorry. I liked you all. Except you, Nitu, you’re an utter boor. But you could start a war, in the wrong courtroom. Hold still, now.”

“Wait!” Baru roared. These were Tain Hu’s beloved! These were the people who would rule Aurdwynn and achieve the Coyote dream! “Don’t shoot!”

The door behind Baru opened. The motion caught Execarne’s eye. He whirled.

Ulyu Xe came through.

Execarne shot her.

The crossbow quarrel went through her left eye like the fatal image of an archon and killed her instantly. Without even a cry Xe fell against Baru who caught her without any surprise. Dead, of course, of course, the day after they fucked, as predictable as the turn of the seasons.

“Hello,” Xe said, with mild curiosity. “Why did you trip me?”

Baru nearly shrieked. Execarne had never fired, Ulyu had just tripped over Baru’s foot as she whirled, and thus fell, gracefully, into Baru’s arms.

“I’m sorry!” Baru cried, and then, remembering the leveled crossbow, she whirled back to Execarne—“No, wait! Don’t shoot! I’ll get them all out safely!”

The prisoners had by now formed a makeshift phalanx in front of the fireplace. Ake led the line with chopsticks in her fist. Ude brandished an empty bottle, Nitu bellowed and waved her fists, and Run had seized a walking stick. The herbalist Yythel seemed to be going through the cabinets for anything poisonous. Dziransi stood before them with his arms open and his fungus eyes shining mad:

“Try to kill me,” he bellowed, “I am chosen! I had a dream from the hammer!”

“No one’s dying here!” Baru shouted. “Ake, please, wait. Execarne, wait. I promise I’m going to get you out.”

“Of course you are,” Yythel said. “Just like you got the duchess Vultjag out.”

“I believe her.” Xe rolled to her feet. “She did get the duchess out, remember? And all of us. It was Her Grace’s choice to come back.”

Baru was not actually sure how to proceed. She had no hope of guiding her vultjagata to safety across open ground—not against trained soldiers. And there were far too many of them to send down a well one at a time.

Baru threw away the physical solutions, and reached for her own powers.

“You’ll turn yourselves over to the Oriati,” she said. “Execarne, that’s it, that’s what we do—send them to the Oriati. Send them to the Oriati and ask for asylum in the care of Prince Tau-indi Bosoka.”

“And then what?” Nitu the cook shouted. “The tunks experiment on us? They pierce us with metals and put worms in our legs?”