"Nsharra speaks truth. The man may have blundered into killing without realizing his crime."
Nelson was astonished. Why should the Winged One, seemingly farthest of them all from humanity, speak for him?
"Have you grown blind who boast sharpest sight, Ei?" raged the tiger. "Can you not see the deadly danger in these men?"
"Yet we could use him as hostage to free Barin!" Tark reminded them again anxiously. There was a silence in which they all looked at Kree. Nelson realized that, in this Council, the Guardian's decision would carry.
Kree spoke slowly. "We can do both things you wish. We can use this outlander as a hostage for Barin and at the same time we can punish him for what he has done. This man came into L'Lan to help shatter the Brotherhood. There is a penalty that we invoke on those who sin against the Brotherhood."
Nelson did not understand. But his brief flicker of relief vanished as he saw the horror that came into Nsharra's eyes.
"Let the man die rather than that!" she exclaimed. "He does not merit that penalty since he knew nothing of the Brotherhood!"
"He will learn and he will learn quickly," Kree said grimly.
"The Guardian is right! The punishment of the ancients for the outlander!" cried Quorr, tiger-eyes blazing.
"Tark, it shall be one of your clan," Kree told the wolf. "But that one must volunteer."