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Earth and Water Chapter Four Rumors |
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Phraortes moved to the tent
entrance, lifting the tent flap slightly and peering outside.
"And what need do you have of him
yourself?" said Phraortes, turning back to me.
"Certainly, it cannot be just as messenger? Are there other uses you have for him? Other, perhaps less public, needs? There have been rumors-"
Well, that was enough.
"Phraortes," I breathed quietly,
"if you wish to keep your tongue, you will hold it where it may do the most
good. I will have no trouble feeding it
to the wild dogs."
Phraortes flushed. "You cannot threaten me! I will have the king handle you as you should
have been handled years ago. I know your
sympathies, and I know your desires! If
I find one shred of evidence of your duplicity, it is not my tongue you will
find hammered to a post, but yours!"
I leapt to my feet, outraged. "You dog!
First you impugn my honor, and now my loyalty! And what of yours? Are you so far removed from your own roots,
you have forgotten what it means to care about something bigger than yourself? What care you for this boy with whom you have
nothing in common but the dubious fact you are both human? Take care!
I may be an alien in this army, but there are others who would cut off
their right arms to have a crack at you, if they knew what I know!"
He glared at me, stunned. But he recovered quickly, letting out a
snarl. "Let fly with what you know, Spartan.
I have the king's full confidence, and I fear no man within this army."
We stood, rooted to our positions,
slinging pure hatred across the intervening space. Finally, I straightened, remembering I was,
at least at one time, a king.
"Get out," I said softly. "It is in both of our interests at this time
to protect this boy. For that, I will
let you live. Count yourself
fortunate. Now leave."
He did leave then, his ugly visage
wearing a mask of hatred.
I sat down heavily, feeling every
moment of my many years. What did I
really know of Phraortes anyway? It was
just suspicions, rumors. He didn't know
that of course. At some point I'd have
to find out what he was really all about.
At some point, the spy would have to feel the eye turned upon him. But was it worth it any more? Why can I not just accept my fate? Why can I not acknowledge that I will never
go home? Because,of course, I
can't. For me at least, the world -my
world - is at war. In this chaos is my
final chance, and it may never come again.
I need to get another message to
Leonidas. Not now, of course. The tides are in his favor. But at some point, soon, that will not be the
case. He has tasted our mettle and knows
at least that Xerxes will not be going anywhere. Meanwhile, Phraortes' suspicions are
aroused. I will not be able to send
another open message as I did today. I
will have to wait for my chance.
It will come.
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