Sparhawk stepped to the weeping boy’s side, his own eyes also streaming tears. He dropped his sword and reached out to take the hilt of the one which Talen was trying to drive into Adus. Then he took hold of the sword’s cross-piece with his other hand. ‘You do it like this, Talen,’ he said almost clinically, as if he were merely giving instructions on the practice field.

Then, standing one on either side of the whimpering Adus, the boy and the man took hold of the sword, their hands touching on the hilt.

‘We don’t have to hurry, Sparhawk,’ Talen grated from between clenched teeth.

‘No,’ Sparhawk agreed. ‘Not really, if you don’t want to.’

Adus shrieked as they slowly pushed the sword into him. The shriek broke off as a great fountain of blood gushed from his mouth. ‘Please!’ he gurgled.

Sparhawk and Talen grimly twisted the sword.

Adus shrieked again, banging his head on the floor and beating a rapid tattoo on the flagstones with his heels. He arched his quivering body, belched forth another gusher of blood and collapsed in an inert heap.

Talen, weeping, sprawled across the body, clawing at the dead man’s staring eyes. Then Sparhawk bent, gently picked the boy up and carried him back to where Kurik lay.

Chapter 29

There was still fighting in the torchlit corridor, the clash of steel on steel, cries, shouts, groans. Sparhawk knew that he must go to the aid of his friends, but the enormity of what had just happened left him stunned, unable to move. Talen knelt beside Kurik’s lifeless body, weeping and pounding his fist on the flagstone floor.

‘I have to go,’ the big Pandion told the boy.

Talen did not answer.

‘Berit,’ Sparhawk called, ‘come here.’

The young apprentice came cautiously out of the alcove, his axe in his hands.

‘Help Talen,’ Sparhawk said. ‘Take Kurik back inside.’

Berit was staring in disbelief at Kurik.

‘Move, boy!’ Sparhawk said sharply, ‘and take care of Sephrenia.’

‘Sparhawk!’ Kalten shouted. ‘There are more of them coming!’

‘On the way!’ Sparhawk looked at Talen. ‘I have to go,’ he told the boy again.

‘Go ahead,’ Talen replied. Then he looked up, his tear-streaked face savage. ‘Kill them all, Sparhawk,’ he said fiercely. ‘Kill them all.’

Sparhawk nodded. That would help Talen a bit, he thought as

‘Is there any hope?’ Kalten asked, parrying a Zemoch spear-thrust.

‘No.’

‘I’m sorry, Sparhawk.’