Shih-ka’i nodded. “Your imprisonment won’t be hard. You won’t be treated as a trophy, or such. You’ll live in comfort. You simply won’t be allowed to return home.”

“How about if I give my parole?” He was thinking of Sherilee now, and growing melancholy. Never to see her again? That was sad.

Shih-ka’i smiled. “I think not. It has long been the estimation of the Council that you are the empire’s most dangerous enemy. Having met your army, with it at a severe disadvantage, and been thoroughly bloodied, I’m inclined to agree. I owe you a life. Don’t ask for more.”

Ragnarson smiled too. They understood each other, somewhat. “I was thinking of a woman. I’ll miss her a lot.”

“She’s now Queen. And seems to be doing an unexpectedly competent job of maintaining order.”

Bragi shied away from thoughts of Kavelin, except to remark, “I didn’t mean Inger. She and I went our own ways before I came east. I was thinking of… a girl I knew. A girl I’ll miss. There was something special there.”

Shih-ka’i paced. After nearly a minute, he said, “Perhaps something can be arranged. We’ll speak of it after I’ve considered. For now, rest. You have a lot of recovering to do.” He removed the pillows from behind Ragnarson’s back.

As Shih-ka’i was about to depart, Bragi said, “Lord Ssu-ma? You’re all right.”

Shih-ka’i’s eyebrow rose questioningly.

“Just saying I’m pleased that there are decent men among the Tervola.”

Shih-ka’i smiled. “Thank you. Though I don’t think my colleagues would enjoy hearing that.”

“Probably not.”

The stay at Sam Chordine’s home had become a grinding bore for Sherilee. She was becoming neurotic, worrying about the King and fending off the fat man. “Kris,” she said one morning, “I’ll go crazy if we stay here much longer.”

“We may not. We may go back.”

“Back? We can’t do that.”

“I talked to Aral again a little while ago. He’s heard from the Marena Dimura. Inger still thinks we’re dead. Credence wants us to come back and prove we’re not. To give him a rallying point.”

“He wants young Bragi for a pretender, you mean.”

“Yes.”

“He could be that with us still here. The kids are too young for the Marena Dimura life, and that’s what they’d have to live. I could do it if I thought there was any point….” She burst into tears.

“What is it?”

“Kris, I miss him. We never had that much time together, but it’s like part of me has been ripped out. I just can’t believe he’s dead.”

Kristen took the smaller woman into her arms, comforted her. “I know. I know. It’s still unreal to me, too. But we’re going to have to accept it.”