I don’t matter to her. She’ll use me again and again to please him.” She was gazing desperately up at him. “But I can’t bear it. I can stand most things, but not that. I’ll tell you whatever you want to know. It’s a kind of bargain, isn’t it? But you don’t have to promise to keep me safe, or send me away somewhere. Just keep me away from him.”
“Hush.” He reached out to stroke her hair. “I will promise to keep you safe. But I can’t do that unless you help yourself. You’re still not telling me names. Give me his name, Dalai.”
She was silent. “It’s very…hard. She said no one is supposed to know it. She said she would send me to—” She swallowed. “Varak. His name is Nils Varak.” She was looking searchingly at his face. “But I think you knew it, didn’t you?”
“But I had to be absolutely certain. Now I am.” He added grimly, “I believe you’re aware that Varak’s presence here in Maldara is a huge secret. There aren’t many people who would be brave enough to say his name.”
“Yes, I knew it was a secret. That’s why Madam spent all that money for that plastic surgeon to change his face. And I’m not brave. I had to do it. After I came back tonight, I was lying in bed and shaking. Because I knew I was going to have to do it. I knew I had to ask you to help.” She braced herself, and, suddenly, she was no longer trembling. “Because I’m not strong enough. I don’t know any of the ways that you would. I’ll have to learn them. You were always so strong when you were with her. You were never afraid. You even laughed at her when she tried to order you about. If I do what you wish, you’ll keep her from giving me to him again.” She paused, then said quietly, “Or because I believe you hate him, you will kill him. That would be much better.”
Gideon felt a ripple of shock. He had not expected those last words. Dalai had spoken with no passion, only simplicity and determination. But who could blame her after all she had been through? “I’ll never let you go back to him.” He smiled grimly. “And, if you can tell me where to find the bastard, I have friends who will be glad to go with me and see that Varak will never live to see another day.”
She closed her eyes for a moment. “I’m sorry to make you do this. I know it should be me.” She opened her eyes. “But I will repay you.”
“Just tell me where I can find him.”
She nodded. “He has a compound deep in the rain forest over an hour from here. It’s off Nagali Highway, and the roads going to and from the property are patrolled by Madam’s soldiers. And he has his own soldiers at the compound. Many soldiers. I don’t know how many.” She paused, thinking. “He likes explosives. I’ve seen them in the warehouse there.”
“Yes, I’m aware that he likes explosives,” Gideon said harshly. “Anything else?”
She shook her head. “I’m sorry. I was always in the bedroom.”
He felt another bolt of rage and pity. “Nothing to be sorry about. You’ve told me a great deal. We don’t have to talk about him anymore. Let’s talk about Zahra. She’s very important, too.”
“She can’t help you get to the compound,” Dalai said quickly. “Varak doesn’t like her to come there. He’s afraid she’ll be followed.”
“No, forget about the compound for a moment. I need to know everything about her relationship with Varak. We might be able to use it. Are they lovers?”
She shook her head. “She used to sleep with him. But she doesn’t anymore. She sends him whores…or me.”
“That doesn’t surprise me. Well, why does she put up with him? What binds them together?”
“I don’t know what you mean.” She was backing away from him. “I have to go now. I’ve been here too long.”
She was suddenly on edge, he realized. She had started to shake again. The minute he had started to question her about Zahra…He was thinking back to the conversation in her room. “You’re frightened. You said something about Zahra’s sending you to the place where there was no air. What did you mean?”
“It’s not important to you. I’ve told you about Varak. He’s the only one you have to worry about.” She started to back toward the stable.