"Jarl ..." whispered Sais. But her voice held only proud farewell; no tears nor fears, no piteous entreaty.
A raider gripped her shoulder.
Jarl said, "Wait...."
He spoke to Bor Legat, but his eyes were on the grenade that stood beside the Mercurian on the table. A tremor of chill fascination touched him as he stared at the safety pin, the firing lever.
"A change of heart—?" Legat smiled his ghoulish smile. "For a moment, there, I thought you'd let us have the woman."
"No, Bor," Jarl Corvett said tightly, and in that moment a raider's own wild recklessness was singing in him. "I've other plans for Sais and you. If they work, she'll live, and so will I—and you, you scum, there'll come a day when you'll have your chance to die by inches!"
"What—?" Bor Legat came erect, as if he could not believe the words he heard.
Sais' eyes went wide. She tried to push back from Jarl.
A raider crewman reached for his arm.
"You heard me right," Jarl Corvett said. He let his shoulders slump and made as if to turn away. Of a sudden his muscles were tense to aching.