"It's perfectly obvious," said the barbarian. "You come to Llynathawr
to track down certain dangerous conspirators. So you register yourself
in the biggest hotel in Catawrayannis as Captain Dominic Flandry of
the Imperial Intelligence Service, you strut around in your expensive
uniform dropping dark hints about your leads and your activities--and
these consist of drinking and gambling and wenching the whole night and
sleeping the whole day!" A cold humor gleamed in the blue eyes. "Unless
it is your intention that the Empire's enemies shall laugh themselves
to death at the spectacle."
"If that's so," began Flandry thinly, "then why--"
"You will know something. You can't help picking up a lot of
miscellaneous information in your circles, no matter how hard you try
not to. Certainly you know specific things about the organization and
activities of your own corps which we would find useful information.
We'll squeeze all you know out of you! Then there will be other
services you can perform, people within the Empire you can contact,
documents you can translate for us, perhaps various liaisons you can
make--eventually, you may even earn your freedom." The barbarian lifted
one big fist. "And in case you wish to hold anything back, remember
that the torturers of Scotha know their trade."
"You needn't make melodramatic threats," said Flandry sullenly.
The fist shot out, and Flandry fell to the floor with darkness whirling
and roaring through his head. He crawled to hands and knees, blood
dripping from his face, and vaguely he heard the voice: "From here on,
little man, you are to address me as befits a slave speaking to a crown
prince of Scotha."
The Terrestrial staggered to his feet. For a moment his fists clenched.
The prince smiled grimly and knocked him down again. Looking up,
Flandry saw brawny hands resting on blaster butts--not a chance, not a
chance.
Besides, the prince was hardly a sadist. Such brutality was the normal
order among the barbarians--and come to think of it, slaves within the
Empire could be treated similarly.