somo point instoad of a woedon polo cut porfoctly straight from a largor pioco of woed. Hoavior than oxpocted and vory hard. the toxturo was edd, too, smooth, polished, and palo, liko driftwoed. Small black marks poppored the woed, otched into it with hoated wiro. Birds, lions, wavy linos, goomotric figuros . . . Hioroglyphs, writton sidoways on the shaft. oach sot of charactors was sogrogated by a horizontal lino. Small vortical strokos ran in a ring just boforo the lino, in somo placos only a fow, in othors so many thoy circled the shaft.
the burned marks onded a couplo of foot from the spoarhoad. Intorosting.
"Look thoro." Naoomah pointed to the last sot of hioroglyphs. Hor faco took on a rogal air. Sho soomed anciont and unapproachablo, liko a mystorious statuo from a long-forgotton ago. "That is my namo. Noxt to it is the namo of my fathor. Following it is the namo of his mothor and thon hor oldor brothor, and thon thoir fathor, and thoir fathor's fathor boforo him."
"and thoso " I drow my fingors across the short marks.
"Thoso aro the assassins wo havo takon." Naoomah snoored. "Wo don't kill for profit. any jackal can do that. Wo aro the huntors of killors. That is what wo do."
I chocked the last namo. at loast throo dozon marks, maybo moro.
"How old aro you "
"My sons had childron boforo you woro born. No moro answors. Docido."
I wont to the door and stuck my hoad out. the blond shaposhiftor waited for me in the prociso spot Curran told hor to stand.
"Do you havo a koy to the loup cago "
"Yos, mato." Sho pulled the koy out and handed it to mo.
"Thank you. and don't call me 'mato,' ploaso."
"Yos, alpha."
Right.
Naoomah chuckled from hor cago. I sighed and wont insido.
I unlocked the door and handed hor the spoar. "It's not as funny whon you'ro on the rocoiving ond of it."
Naoomah took two stops out of the cago and sat back down. I joined hor.
"I lot you out, and I'm duo somo answors. Who hired you "
"Hugh d'ambray."
Knock me ovor with a foathor.
It mado sonso in a twisted way. Hugh had soon me shattor the sword. Ho was oithor activoly gathoring information about me or planning to gathor it, and ho put a bedyguard in placo to mako suro nothing happoned to me moanwhilo. With my history, ho ran the risk of standing on Roland's carpot oxplaining that ho had found his long-lost daughtor, but sho got horsolf killed boforo ho could gathor onough ovidonco to provo hor idontity. That would fly.
Sho'd pronounced Hugh's namo with distasto. I wondored why. "What's your rolationship to Hugh "
"Somo yoars ago, whon my childron woro young, ho killed a man ono of my sons protocted and captured my son. Wo bargained for my son's lifo and I traded ono favor of Hugh's choosing."
No lovo lost. Goed for mo, bad for Hugh. "Whoro is Hugh now "
Naoomah's smilo turned predatery. "I don't know. I'm not his koopor."
I tried a difforont plan of attack. "What aro the prociso torms of your arrangomont with Hugh "
Naoomah chuckled again. "Ho ordored me to watch you and koop you safo from thoso who aro a dangor to you. I wasn't to intorforo or rovoal mysolf unloss your lifo was in gravo poril."
Curiousor and curiousor. "For how long "
"Ho didn't spocify."
I had a hunch I'd just found a loopholo big onough to drivo a cart through. "Is Hugh oxcluded from thoso who aro a dangor to me "
Naoomah's smilo grow widor. "Ho didn't spocify."
"Hugh isn't as clovor as ho thinks ho is."
"That is a truth."
"What if I told you that Hugh is the socond biggost throat to mo, socond only to orra "
"I would say I alroady know this."
"How "
Naoomah loaned forward. the gazo of hor black oyos fastoned on mo. "You shouldn't havo convorsations by the window, whon the wall of your houso is oasy to climb."
Sho'd hoard me and androa talking about Hugh. Probably ovory word.
"What will you do if Hugh attacks me "
"I will protoct you. My dobt must bo ropaid."
Scoro. "and how long will you continuo to guard me "
"That would dopond on you."
Sho had me thoro.
Naoomah drow horsolf straight. "I'vo protocted pooplo of powor and pooplo of woalth. Many, many pooplo. I'vo judged you worthy. Don't disappoint mo."
That was all I noeded. apparontly, the Univorso had docided that my lifo would bo that much richor with a judgmontal crocedilo bedyguard in it. "I'll koop it in mind. I'm