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. Miran? Is he Still holding on by a thread.So the doctors say& He let go ofher.It was the shooting of Miran, the youngest of the three Korneli children, that had triggered the revolt inthe citadel.Miran, her favorite brother bookish and gentle, more interested in philosophy and poetrythan in warfare had been the first casualty of the siege. Iovan! shouted one of the men. Do wecontinue the search? Iovan passed one hand over his dirt-smeared face as if trying tocollect his thoughts. No.It s too dark now.Let s take the prisoner back to the citadel.We ll interrogate him there. Water& Gavril heard a voice pleading from the sulphurous clouds of his fevered dreams.After a whilehe came to realize that the croaking words were issuing from his own throat.He opened eyelids as stiff asold parchment and gazed blearily about him.It must be near dawn, he reckoned, as a pale shaft of jagged light fell on him through a broken-panedwindow. Water& His lips could barely frame the word.His tongue, leather-dry, clacked against his palate.Hismouth seemed filled with cinders.It was as if all the moisture in his body had been seared away, leavinghim a desiccated shell.He had forgotten the terrible toll the attack would take on his body.Now he knew again the reality of thethirst that could never be quenched by water alone.All around him lay sprawled figures.Sleeping, he hoped, not dead.One man near him gave a gruntingsnore and turned over on his side.Weapons lay piled in corners.The smell of sweaty feet and unwashedbodies hung stale in the air.This chamber was being used as an improvised barracks.And then he saw it.An earthernware water pitcher.So close, all he had to do was reach outMetal bracelets bit into his wrists, arresting his efforts with a jerk.He was shackled, hand and foot.Hecould not even crawl toward the prize he craved. Water& He tried again.Even to enunciate that single word cost him enormous effort.If he didn t getwater soon, he would die.A door clanged open. Dawn muster! Wake up! a voice bellowed. On your feet!The sprawled figures slowly began to move.Groaning and yawning, men stretched stiff limbs, scratchedthemselves, sat up. Out in the courtyard! Quick!They shuffled around Gavril, clumsy with sleep.No one seemed to care he was there. Another suspect! Chain him up!Gavril recognized the snarling voice of Iovan, the rebel who had tried to shoot him the night before.A man was flung onto the floor close by; two of the militia grabbed him by his arms and clampedshackles onto his wrists and ankles.O Claims he s from Muscobar.Claims he s come to join the rebellion. Iovan aimed a vicious kick at theman s back; the prisoner jerked but did not cry out.These are my countrymen& and they are behaving no better than the Tielen invaders.What shappened to us? Gavril closed his eyes, sickened at what he had seen, sickened by his own weakness. Stop, Iovan! That s enough.It was the girl, Raisa, who had found him last night on the beach.She would help him.If only he couldmuster the strength to call to her. Raisa.Water& The next moment, someone thrust a tin cup of water into hishands. Here.He drank, water streaming down his chin, soaking into his tattered shirt.He didn t care.Yet the morewater he gulped down, the more his body craved. More. This burning thirst seemed unquenchable.Sherefilled his cup. The citadel is crawling with Eugene s spies, Iovan was saying loudly. Put them all up against the walland shoot them.That s the only form of negotiation Eugene understands. Minister Vashteli is ready to interrogate the prisoners, announced one of the militia. The one who says he s Smarnan first. Iovan came and stood over Gavril. Unshackle him.The militiaman knelt to unlock the shackles around Gavril s wrists, leaving his ankles chained together. You.On your feet.Still dripping, Gavril got unsteadily to his feet. Look at him! He s too weak to plead his case, Raisa hissed toIovan.Iovan shrugged. At least give him something to restore his strength. And then you ll stop nagging me? Iovan pulled a metal flask from inside his jacket. Here.Smarnanbrandy.Gavril took a quick swig from the flask and winced as the brandy scorched his parched throat.Hissenses sharpened a little. My name, he said slowly, is Gavril Andar.Rafael Lukan will vouch for me.There was no point complicating matters further by giving his Azhkendi name and title. Andar? Raisa echoed. But Gavril Andar disappeared last year. I told you not to trust him, Iovan muttered. Lukan s with the Minister now. Raisa turned to her brother. Let Lukan decide the matter, Iovan. Bring him to the council chamber, then. Iovan kicked out at the water pitcher, sending it rolling into acorner.The council chamber, high in the Old Citadel, had been hit in the bombardment.Tarpaulins had beendraped to cover a gaping hole in the roof, and piles of debris, tile shards, shattered beams, and plasterhad been swept to the side of the chamber.A tall man and a woman were talking together in low voices; they turned as, ankle-chains chinking, Gavrilshuffled into the chamber. Lukan! whispered Gavril, unable to restrain his emotion at the sight of a familiar face after so long inprison. Lukan, it s me.Lukan stared at him, a frown of puzzlement creasing his face. Gavril? he said.He came closer. Gavril? Then he gave a shout that echoed around the broken rafters and hurried up to Gavril, flinging his armsabout him and hugging him. Welcome home! He held him at arm s length. But dear God, what havethey done to you? Gavril saw concern in Lukan s dark eyes. I hardly recognized you at first, with yourhead shaved This was in no way the happy homecoming he had dreamed of so often in the bitter cold of Azhkendir.He was too aware of Iovan standing close by, stroking the barrel of his pistol. How shall we tell your mother? Lukan was saying. We don t want it to come as too much of ashock My mother? Yes, she s up at the villa right now.Elysia was here, in Smarna? A red haze swirled before Gavril s eyes.He swayed on his feet.Pride alonehad kept him standing to face his captors, and he was not sure how long he could sustain the effort.Lukan caught hold of him and steadied him, both hands resting on his shoulders. So who is this young man, Lukan? asked the woman, coming forward. You know his mother well, Minister.This is Elysia Andar s son, Gavril. Then why is he chained like a prisoner? Iovan? Lukan turned to Iovan Korneli, smiling. Would you like to explain to Minister Vashteli why Gavrilis in chains? Because, Iovan said, scowling, we were ordered to round up anyone found on the beaches.And wefound him his clothes wringing wet as if he d just swam ashore from one of the sinking ships. I see. Minister Vashteli gazed searchingly at Gavril. Gavril Andar, can you explain why you were foundin such suspicious circumstances?It was time for the truth. I came to help you. One of the minister s elegantly plucked brows quirked in alook of surprise. To help us? You? burst out Iovan, his voice hot with scorn. I have a& weapon, Gavril said, choosing his wordswith care. A lethal weapon.Yesterday I unleashed it on the Tielens in the bay.But in using it, I almostdrowned.If Raisa had not found me& Tell us about this weapon, said Minister Vashteli, her eyes fixed on his. Is it some kind of explosivedevice? Those who watched from the citadel were half-blinded by the brightness
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