"Not worth it," Sin decided. "It would be a tedious task, I fear. A
third Closed World mind for the Faith would have made the victory
simpler, but no matter." She shrugged.
"The Rebels still die under the new weapons?" she asked her military
chief.
"Yes, Highness Sin," Wor responded. "It will end soon now. Shall I--?"
He made a snapping motion with his hands.
Sin shook her head. "Not so quickly, Wor." She raised her voice
slightly. "Margaret, do you want this thing?"
Eldon resisted the temptation to turn, for that would have betrayed
that he understood every word.
Margaret's voice came clearly from behind him.
"No!" she declared, her tone indicating revulsion at the sight of his
maimed ugliness and the grime that clung to his blood-flecked skin.
Then quickly she changed her mind.
"For the Faith, Highness Sin--yes. He was always a fool, but with
proper care perhaps enough of his mind can be restored to hasten The
Night."
"Granted." Sin sounded pleased at Margaret's devotion to the Faith.
"This idiot creature could not possibly be El-ve-don. But have your
slaves take it out of my sight. It sickens me."
Eldon heard the girl he had once loved give an order, felt
himself lifted and carried. A few minutes later, still feigning
semiconsciousness, he was deposited on a soft bed.
"What do you want with this thing?" It was the big man Sin had
addressed as Wor, and he sounded suspicious.