Free The Dragon Revenant by Katharine Kerr

forward as a candidate for the Outer Circle. Our backing carries great weight, you know.”
    “Oh yes, and, as I say, I’m honored beyond dreaming.” One thin trickle of fear-sweat ran down Baruma’s ribs, but he forced himself to smile. “And I suppose someone will be keeping track of this mysterious Rhodry?”
    “Of course. The man you know as Gwin, actually. He’s the logical choice. He knows what the slave looks like and all.”
    Baruma hesitated, wondering if Gwin were really trustworthy where Rhodry was concerned, but arguing with a Hawkmaster’s decisions ranked very low on his list of enjoyable pastimes.
    “Excellent. I have reason to believe that Rhodry’s a much more dangerous man than the Old One realizes.”
    “Indeed? Because he swore he’d kill you?”
    The humor in the master’s voice made Baruma furious, but he kept his own voice steady and light.
    “I should have realized that Gwin would mention that little incident. Well, yes, partly because of that. Do you blame me? You know as well as I do that barbarians are more than willing to die if it’ll salvage their precious honor. No sensible, civilized man would try to escape his owner, but Rhodry of Aberwyn is neither civilized nor sensible.”
    “You’ve got a point, don’t you? You know, I think it might be safer all around to have Rhodry in our hands rather than wandering round the islands with this spice trader.”
    Baruma’s heart pounded once. The Hawkmaster already knew a great deal more than he’d realized.
    “I agree, of course,” Baruma said. “I suppose it’ll be easy enough for your men to take Rhodry alive. The Old One was adamant: we had to leave him alive.”
    “Oh, was he? That’s an interesting piece of news. Very well, kidnapping it is. I’ll put Gwin and some of my men on the trail on the morrow. We can probably learn a great deal simply by asking this Rhodry the right questions. He might be unwilling to answer, but then, we have ways of dealing with the recalcitrant.”
    “You certainly do, yes.” Baruma was by now thoroughly frightened, but he knew that he had to speak the truth now rather than let the master find it out on his own later. “But Rhodry can tell you nothing. The Old One ordered me to crush his mind.”
    The master spun around and stared straight at him. The lamplight struck the hood at an angle, allowing Baruma to get an impression of narrow eyes and a sneering mouth. Showing fear or groveling now would be fatal.
    “I followed my orders, of course. I wish you’d come forward earlier with this proposal.”
    “So do I.” The master’s tone was ironic rather than angry, and Baruma could breathe more easily. “I don’t suppose there’s any way to restore his memory?”
    “None. No human being could possibly break the ensorcelment I put upon him. No matter how long he lives, he’ll never remember so much as his own true name.”
    “That’s a pity, but well, we’ll have to work round it.”
    “Let me see, the man who was calling himself Merryc is still in Eldidd, isn’t he?”
    “Yes, and working out very nicely, too, judging from his last letter.”
    “And we at least know that Rhodry originally came from Aberwyn.”
    “You know, my friend, you and I might be able to work very well together. You think, and I like that. Curse this winter weather! There won’t be another ship across in months now, and that means no news from Merryc till spring. But at any rate, what do you think of my bargain?”
    Since answering too quickly would be suspicious, Baruma made a show of considering. After all, he reminded himself, gaining the Old One’s backing was only hypothetical, while the Hawkmaster’s offer was very real indeed—for better or for worse.
    “I think that it’s a crucial turning of my fate, and that I’d be a fool to refuse it.” Also a dead man if I refuse it, he added to himself. “How shall we seal it?”
    “The way these things are always sealed, my friend: in