The Mist and the Lightning. Part II

Orel didn't answer looking down.

Asa lay down next to Tol and hugged him closing her eyes. It was quiet in the room. They sat like that for an hour, everyone submerged in their thoughts. At last Lis raised his head.

"It's getting lighter," he said, "we'll need to go to the camp soon. Squint-Eye is not here yet."

Nikto got up. "I need a shot." He took his bag and walked to Orel's bedroom.

"Check how Enriki's doing," Orel said.

"All right."

Nikto left, and just a minute later they heard a soft knock on the door.

"Who's there?" Lis jumped up.

"Lis, it's me, Squint-Eye."

Lis quickly opened the door letting Squint-Eye in. He nearly ran in, his face was anxious.

"Arel, you're here! What happened?"

"What do you think?" Orel asked in an icy voice.

Squint-Eye looked around, saw Tol and Asa sleeping together on the sofa.

"Asa is here, too," he said getting even paler and tensing. "Bey?"

"Where have you been?"

"Arel, I… I was fulfilling the order… in the Upper City, you know…"

"You're losing qualification," Orel said. "For you to spend so much time for one lousy order – don't feed me this shit, Squint-Eye!" Orel's only eye glared.

Nikto returned to the room.

"Enriki is delirious," he said, "but I think he'll survive."

"Did you hear?" Orel said to Squint-Eye. "Pray gods for him to survive!"

"Arel, look, his clothes are all wet," Lis said looking at Squint-Eye. "Did you fall into the river?"

Squint-Eye grabbed his head convulsively as if trying to cover it from their stares. His black hair parted in the middle clung to his cheeks. Lis took his wrist roughly, turned his hand towards Orel.

"Look," he said. There were a few fresh scratches on Squint-Eye's arm.

"I scratched myself by accident," Squint-Eye said in a trembling voice. He looked at Nikto fearfully who met his gaze but said nothing.

"Do you believe him, Arel?" Lis said.

"No," Orel was turning a cigarette pack in his hands.

"Orel, for gods' sake, forgive me! I'll pay!" Squint-Eye was shaking.

"Of course," Orel tossed the pack away. "You let us down and it's your luck I need you now or I'd strangle you with my own hands. And for now, Lis, take him to the dungeon, to the post."

"No!" Squint-Eye screamed. "No!"

Asa woke up with his voice and sat in bed.

"No, not the post! I cannot stay in a locked room! Anything but that!" Squint-Eye fell on the floor. Lis pulled him by his cloak.

"Get up, enough of this comedy."

"No!" submitting to him, Squint-Eye got up. "I don't want back to the cell, to the dungeon!" His face distorted, he was shivering. "I'd better die than go to prison again!" He pushed Lis away trying to take out his knives.

Nikto was faster than him. He rushed to Squint-Eye and quickly twisted his arms back. Squint-Eye screamed. Lis pulled the knives from the sheathes on his belt and tossed them on the table.

"That's better," he punched Squint-Eye in his belly a few times. Squint-Eye bent down wheezing. Nikto didn't let him go. Lis turned to Orel.

"More? Or enough?"

Orel got up, walked up to Squint-Eye, grasped his head in his palms turning Squint-Eye's pale face upwards.

"Stop with your madness. Do you hear me?"

"Don't touch me!" Squint-Eye jerked trying to free his arms but only hurt himself worse. "Make the Unclean let me go!" He tried to turn to Nikto.

Nikto twisted his arms even more; his joints cracked. Squint-Eye shrieked in pain.

"What are you doing, Nik?" Orel asked half-surprised, half-frightened.

"He wants to break his arms off!" Lis laughed. "Go on, don't restrict yourself!"

Nikto pushed Squint-Eye away, letting him go. He cursed in Unclean.

Squint-Eye fell on the floor, his arms didn't obey him. He curled in a ball on the floor not looking at them. Orel knelt next to him. "Bert, where have you been?"

"I fulfilled the order," Squint-Eye sobbed. "Then I decided to take a swim."

"Dressed," Lis added. Squint-Eye looked at him askance, sniffed.

"Do you know that Bey attacked us while you were taking a swim?" Orel said in a calm, icy voice. "We fought without you. Enriki nearly died. Do you know why? Because you were not there to help him. He led both his and your soldiers. And Bey has flair about such things. He understood at once Enriki was alone. He sent Edin Ol to attack. Enriki was unhorsed, he was wounded, horses stomped on him. There was no one to stand by him."

"But I didn't know! Everything was quiet! You stayed in your castle, they went for a routine check, I went to fulfill an order in the Upper City," Squint-Eye swallowed hard. "Who could know Bey would attack!"

"You had to know Bey could attack any moment! You always have to be on guard, wait and be ready! You cannot do anything else," Orel squeezed his shoulders. "You cannot do whatever you want. You cannot go for a swim or wherever you've been. You don't have such a possibility. Do you understand me? You have to be here, with us, do only what I order, and as soon as you do it, you have to come back at once, for another order, and then again and again. You're not free, you're on the team!"

Squint-Eye raised his eyes at Orel.

"Am I a slave?"

"Yes, if you want that, you are a slave. If you like it this way. If you feel like a slave, it's your choice!" Orel turned to Lis. "Lis, do you feel like a slave in our team?"

"Of course, I don't!" Lis snorted looking at Squint-Eye with contempt.

"You see, Bertran Dallen, you're the one to blame in your unenviable position!" Orel continued. "You couldn't make others take you into consideration. There was time when you were one of the best! Everyone loved and respected you! I loved you too! Huh, Bert, do you remember?" Orel talked quietly, almost tenderly. "You were brave and fierce, everyone was afraid of you. And your face wasn't grey like now, your eyes were not red and swollen, always bruised. Your hair," he touched Squint-Eye's dark hair, cut jaggedly, "your hair was long. You were a real warrior. I was proud you were with me."

Squint-Eye covered his face. "Orel, shut up, it was a long time ago! And I don't care! I don't even want to recall it, I became different."

"Why? Bert, why?" Orel moved closer to him, took his scratched hand. Squint-Eye shuddered, yanking his fingers away from Orel convulsively.

"Don't! Don't call me by my name! Everyone knows here my name is Squint-Eye! My name is Squint-Eye! Squint-Eye! Squint-Eye!"

Lis looked at him in disgust.

"Why are you treating him like a child, Arel? Don't you see he became a complete nonentity?"