Those words seemed to release Fordak's paralyzed muscles. Voicing a wild cry he bounded from the stool and was nearly to the door before Tamar and Javan brought him down. He continued to struggle frantically while they bound lengths of rawhide about his arms and legs. When he was securely tied they dragged him back to the stool.
Jotan said, "Take off one of his sandals."
Fordak yelled in terror and jerked back, almost falling from the stool.
"Stuff something in his mouth before he has half the city here."
Gagged and bound, Fordak was helpless to do more than gurgle and sweat as Javan knelt and bared one of his feet.
"Now," Jotan said grimly, "we'll see what effect this will have in getting information."
With a quick movement he placed the white-hot length of flint firmly against the delicate skin of the instep and held it there.
An eerie, muffled scream pushed past the gag in Fordak's mouth. So intense was the note of animal pain that the three men felt their flesh crawl with the sound.
Abruptly the bound guard stiffened, his eyes swam in their sockets, and he fell back in a faint.