But I Don't Know That

"If this inquiry goes much longer," I said, "I will miss my work shift in the mines."

Murud ibn Uzik ibn Kazif, a dark man with a darker beard, about the volume of the rest of his head (like a long knife that hung down over his mid-chest) scowled at me. "Do I look or act like I care if you eat today? Reports are that you've been eating all manner of plants."

I shrugged. "Only the dead ones. And nothing from any of the gardens."

Murud squinted at me. I know now what his dilemma was; if he asked how many gardens, he knew he'd get an answer. But he also knew then that I'd know he didn't know about all the gardens his soldiers were keeping, and where. A damning oversight for an officer, especially considering how little water the camp received.

Instead, he returned to the interrogation. "How many gnolls are in Skull tribe?"