The Prisoner

Kallida slapped the pale faced man again, a quick correction for another smart remark from the sharp tongue of the prisoner, and Kelvin watched astonished as the man touched with his tongue the blood of his lip. There were mere seconds of silence as the thin lips of the man, cut and bleeding, curled tightly into a contemptible sneer.

'Five days of this... Kallida's been beating him ever since we got here. It's incredible to me, but he keeps making these snide comments anyway. The man can't seem to control his tongue. Well, no. He does control it. He controls it well and bitter.'

"Once more!" Kallida commanded. "Where is the Ambassador hiding?"

"Did it ever occur to you that if I had known I would have told you a few hundred blows ago? Or has all the magic corrupted your mind so far that you can no longer reason?" Garner answered coldly.

"You said you spoke with him!" Kallida contemptuously contended.