"And if he's not?"
Beudag stiffened. Starke did too.
"Then," said Beudag quietly, "they'll wait."
"Until he is?"
"Or until they must surrender."
Rann nodded. To the guards she said, "See that this woman is well fed
and well treated."
Beudag and her escort had turned to go when Starke said, "Wait." The
guards looked at Rann, who nodded, and glanced quizzically at Starke.
Starke said:
"Is Faolan dead?"
Rann hesitated. Then she smiled. "No. You have the most damnably tough
mind, Starke. You struck deep, but not deep enough. He may still die,
but.... No, he's not dead." She turned to Beudag and said with easy
mockery, "You needn't hold anger against Starke. I'm the one who should
be angry." Her eyes came back to Starke. They didn't look angry.
Starke said, "There's something else. Conan--the Conan that used to
be, before Falga."
"Beudag's Conan."
"Yeah. Why did he betray his people?"
Rann studied him. Her strange pale lips curved, her sharp white teeth
glistening wickedly with barbed humor. Then she turned to Beudag.
Beudag was still standing like a carved image, but her smooth muscles
were ridged with tension, and her eyes were not the eyes of an image.
"Conan or Starke," said Rann, "she's still Beudag, isn't she? All
right, I'll tell you. Conan betrayed his people because I put it into
his mind to do it. He fought me. He made a good fight of it. But he
wasn't quite as tough as you are, Starke."
There was a silence. For the first time since entering the room, Hugh
Starke looked at Beudag. After a moment she sighed and lifted her chin
and smiled, a deep, faint smile. The guards walked out beside her, but
she was more erect and lighter of step than either of them.
"Well," said Rann, when they were gone, "and what about you,
Hugh-Starke-Called-Conan."
"Have I any choice?"
"I always keep my bargains."
"Then give me my dough and let me clear the hell out of here."
"Sure that's what you want?"
"That's what I want."
"You could stay a while, you know."
"With you."
Rann lifted her frosty-white shoulders. "I'm not promising half my
kingdom, or even part of it. But you might be amused."
"I got no sense of humor."
"Don't you even want to see what happens to Crom Dhu?"