IV
Through a swimming rainbow haze Ciaran saw the relaxed, dull faces of the slaves.
"You are nothing. You are no one. You exist only to serve; to work; to obey. Do you hear and understand?"
The line of humans swayed and made a small moaning sigh. It held nothing but amazement and desire. They repeated the litany through thick animal mouths.
"Your minds are open to mine. You will hear my thoughts. Once told, you will not forget. You will feel hunger and thirst, but not weariness. You will have no need to stop and rest, or sleep."
Again the litany. Ciaran passed a hand over his face. He was sweating. In spite of himself the light and the soulless, mesmeric voice were getting him. He hit his own jaw with his knuckles, thanking whatever gods there were that the source of the light had been hidden from him. He knew he could never have bucked it.
More, perhaps, of the power of the Stone of Destiny?
A sudden sharp rattle of fragments brought his attention to the scrap heap. The hermit was already half way over it.
And Mouse was right at his heels.