"Lord Virzal!" Dirzed objected, scandalized. "You have no right to ask
Sarnax to betray confidences!"

Sarnax spat against the door. "In the face of Jirzyn of Starpha!" he
said. "And in the face of his _zortan_ mother, and of his father,
whoever he was! Dirzed, do not talk foolishly; one does not speak of
betraying betrayers." He turned to Verkan Vall. "They have three
menservants of the family of Starpha; your Assassin, Olirzon,
discarnated the other three. There is one of Prince Jirzyn's poor
relations, named Girzad. There are three other men, Volitionalist
precinct workers, who came with Girzad, and four Assassins, the three
who were here, and one who came with Girzad. Eleven, against the three
of us."

"The four of us, Sarnax," Dalla corrected. She had buckled on a
hunting pistol, and had a light deer rifle under her arm.

Something moved at the bottom of the descent tube. Verkan Vall gave it
a short burst, though it was probably only a dummy, dropped to draw
fire.

"The four of us, Lady Dallona," Sarnax agreed. "As to your other
Assassin, the one who stayed in the airboat, I don't know how he
fared. You see, about twenty minutes ago, this Girzad arrived in an
airboat, with an Assassin and these three Volitionalist workers.
Erarno and I were at the top of the dome when he came in. He told us
that he had orders from Prince Jirzyn to discarnate the Lady Dallona
and Dirzed at once. Tarnod, the gamekeeper"--Sarnax spat ceremoniously
against the door again--"told him you were here, and that Marnik was