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slaveys in the castle were in
the room, the soldier's Head, spoke. He told the slaveys not to be
afraid. That all he wanted was Pfnaravin.
    A painted priest was with the Army Head.
Though he did not look like the priests of Fulgur, she knew he was
a priest. Platinia could tell priests in the dark! She could smell
them! She hated priests!
    The Army Head asked the question -- where was
Pfnaravin -- over and over. Did anyone know where Pfnaravin was? No
one knew.
    Platinia knew. But she did not say. The Head
of the soldiers was a man. It was better to hide from men! All men
were dangerous!
    The Army Head had gone to stand before
Zwicia. "What is your name?" the Head had asked. From down the
line, Platinia could not hear Zwicia's answer. If Zwicia gave an
answer. Sometimes Zwicia could not talk. Sometimes when she did,
her talk was strange. Platinia knew this was from staring at the
pictures that Zwicia's crystal made. This was called the
crystal-sickness. "I will ask you only once," the Head said in a
loud, unfriendly voice. "A hideous fate awaits you if I even think
you lie."
    Hideous meant bad. Platinia could tell.
    "Where is the Mage, Pfnaravin?"
    Though Platinia was too far away to hear what
Zwicia said, by bending over just a little, Platinia could see that
Zwicia was waving her hands like she did when she had
crystal-sickness. When she was like that, either she did not talk
or, when she did, her talk did not make sense.
    This had all happened just a little while
ago.
    Now, Platinia saw a soldier behind Zwicia
pushing Zwicia forward. The Head had wanted that. Zwicia was pushed
to the center of the line and turned so that she faced the others.
Another soldier brought a wooden chair for Zwicia so that she could
sit.
    There was something about what was happening
that Platinia did not like. Something that reminded her of when she
was the sacrifice of Tenebrae in Fulgur's temple.
    Then she was sure! It was the priest! He had
a jar of burning pepper! He would hurt Zwicia with the pepper! Put
it on her body. In her eyes! Priests had done that to Platinia and
it hurt her very much. Hurt her very long!
    Did this mean that all slaveys in the line
were to be tortured, one by one? Platinia, too!?
    Platinia must do something! Something to stop
the priest before he came to hurt her!
    Though it was dangerous to speak so that all
eyes looked at you, it was now more dangerous not to speak.
    "I know where Pfnaravin is." Platinia said
that in her tiny voice. She was very much afraid!
    "What?" It was the Head. He had stopped
looking down at Zwicia. He was now looking up and down the line of
slaveys. "Who said that? Step forward!" Platinia took a tiny step
so that he looked at her. "What could a child know of this matter?"
he said, in softer tones, smiling for the first time that Platinia
saw. He did not fool her with his smile. He would hurt her if he
knew she was an Etherial. He must never find that out!
    "I am not a child," Platinia said in her
little voice. So little, that the room gave no ... echo ... when
she spoke.
    The Army Head walked down the line, stopping
before her. "I see, now, that you are no child," he said, nodding
his head, smiling down his wrinkled smile. He was big; but smaller
than most men she knew. "Understand that I am Leet, Head of these
men from Malachite. If you know something, you had better tell me
now. Where has Pfnaravin gone?"
    "To the other world."
    "And how do you know that?"
    "I was with him when he did that." She must
keep him from knowing that she had the power to help! The power of
an Etherial!
    "He ... left ... from here?" The Head -- Leet
-- waved his arm (the one that he could move) at the room.
    "From a tower up above." Platinia pointed as
best she could.
    "And when is he coming back?"
    "I ... don't ... know."
    "Step back in line, then." The Head was
finished asking questions. Platinia could see it in his eyes. She
could see in his mind that he would give the order to have the
priest begin to torture