"What's going on here? Who is this guard? How did you find me?"
"First," Tamar said, "I'm going to find out why this son of Gubo was about to send a spear into you!"
At Jotan's blank expression, Tamar explained what had been about to happen when he and Alurna arrived. Whereupon Jotan took the trembling Sitab by the front of his tunic and shook him until most of his breath was gone.
"Who sent you?" Jotan snarled. "Speak before I strangle you with my bare hands!"
"I dare not tell you! He would kill me!" Sitab cried through chattering teeth.
Again Jotan shook him. "But I will cut you into tiny pieces if you do not tell. First I will cut your toes and fingers from your rotten body, then I will dig out your eyes and chop off your——"
Sitab had fainted.
Three ringing slaps brought the man back to consciousness. In a voice made shrill with terror he gave the name of the man who had sent him.
Tamar and Jotan stared at each other in utter amazement as the name of Vokal fell from those craven lips. Angrily Jotan hurled the shrinking figure from him, Sitab fell headlong against the stone wall and lapsed into a motionless heap of quivering flesh.
Tamar said, "That's all we need! We can go to Jaltor and tell him what this coward has said; then he will free you and your father and put Vokal in your place."