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her. The idea of that sort of skill frightened her more than a little. With
limbs so completely immobilized, she couldn't even hope to roll across the
sand and vanish down the shaft.
Now the man was standing up and walking across the chamber, to retrieve her
sword, then returning to sit cross-legged in the sand in front of her. His
eyes roamed over her bare body, obviously lingering on breasts and hips and
thighs and between her legs. There was no distaste in those eyes as they
roamed.
Indeed there was undeniable admiration. And Alanyra could not deny that she
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found it pleasant that the
Stranger admired her. It was exceedingly odd that she should care what this
unknown man thought of her. But it was true nonetheless.
The Stranger laid the sword across his knees and smiled at her. It was the
last expression she would have expected, after the last few minutes. Surprise
momentarily robbed her of the ability to think clearly.
The Stranger had to repeat his first question before she could answer him.
"Who are you?"
It didn't occur to her to lie. "I am the Lady Alanyra, Chief of Clan Gnyr."
"Where am I?"
"You are in one of the chambers in the Reefs of the Clan."
"Why am I here?"
Alanyra hesitated. Anger flickered in the Stranger's eyes. She could not keep
out of her mind a picture of those hands working on her body with the intent
to bruise flesh, break bones, send terrible pain
shooting through her. Never mind that the man could not escape punishment for
whatever he did to her, that his own death would be long and slow if he harmed
her. That obviously didn't play any part in his thinking. He wanted answers to
his questions and would go straight after them until he got them, however he
needed to get them.
"Since I saw you killing the yulon on the reef, I have wanted to " She
hesitated. "Capture" didn't sound right. "I have wanted to meet you. Your
fighting skills make me wonder that you are perhaps from no people in the
world."
Was the man hesitating, as if for once he was in doubt of what he should say?
He must be! Alanyra suddenly found it easier to breathe.
"I am probably not from any people you have ever heard of," the Stranger said.
"I came a very long distance to travel and fight among the people of these
oceans. I came to the people of the Sea Cities of
Talgar first, so I fought among them against your people at first. But I do
not hate your people."
These last words were said as if there could be no possible doubt about them.
And in fact Alanyra found it impossible to doubt them. She also found it
impossible to keep her heart from pounding in terrible excitement. Would this
Stranger stand apart from both the Sea Cities and the Sea Masters, to play the
long-dreamed-of part in her plans? She found the emotions running through her
at this thought so intense that she knew tears were welling up in her eyes. It
was wrong that a Noble Lady of the Sea
Masters should weep for joy in front of a man who might be from anywhere, for
all his apparent virtues.
But it was also inevitable.
"You do not hate the Sea Masters?" Her voice wasn't quite steady. But she knew
that if she waited until her voice was steady, she would wait a very long
time.
"No. Why should I? I come from a far-distant land, and neither you nor the
people of the Sea Cities have done anything to make me hate them." He
hesitated. "I am not even sure why you hate each other.
You seem very much alike, even to some of your names for the creatures of the
sea. You both call the great reptiles that you have tamed for war yulons, for
example."
This time Alanyra couldn't have said a word to save her life. Her throat was
too tight. This was the
Stranger! He couldn't have taken any of the Truth-Finder drug. He must have
realized her plans and done something to avoid taking it. But here he was,
speaking as freely as if he were filled with it, saying things she had dreamed
of hearing for five years. It was a terrible moment, to have such a long and
dearly held dream coming true before her eyes.
And in the form of such a magnificent man, she reminded herself. That was very
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