Slaves of Socorro

Mind yourself in that guardroom," Gilan told him. Thorn grinned cheerfully. He never had any stomach butterflies before a fight. "I plan to be subtle," he said. Gilan looked at him, his head tilted curiously. "How's that?" "Once we go through that door, I'll bash anything that moves. And if they don't move, Stig will bash them." "You have a strange concept of subtle," Gilan said. Thorn's grin grew wider, "So I've been told.

Hal: "...Then we'll leave in a huff, taking you with us." "I've always wanted to travel in a huff," Ingvar mused. "It sounds very comfortable. I imagine they're well padded." "Lined with feathers, in fact," Gilan put in.

What now?" Lydia asked. "I assume we have a plan B?" He shook his head. "We're way past plan B," he told her. "And we've gone past plan C as well. We're up to plan D now." "And what's plan D?" He jerked his head down the alley to the corner. "Anyone comes round that corner, we shoot them." She pursed her lips critically. "Doesn't sound too ingenious," she said. He shrugged. "I'm not good at ingenious. I'm good at dangerous.

Who’s Ikbar?” Ulf said. His brother turned away to hide a smirk. Gilan glanced at Hal curiously, saw he wasn’t planning to answer, so spoke in his place. “He was an Arridan demigod, I believe.” “Oh, don’t,” Hal said quietly. But it was too late. “And what did he do?” “Well, Ulf, I’m not sure that he did too much of anything,” Gilan said. “Just paraded round being a demigod.

You think our mam likes you better than me?” challenged whichever one was the other. (Don’t blame me. I’ve lost track too.)

I think you're wonderful too, Hal!" Stephan said, in a workmanlike approximation of Ophelia's breathless, admiring tones. The crew laughed even harder. Lydia snorted through her nose.

Oh dear, oh deary me!" Thorn said in a ridiculous falsetto voice. "What are we going to do? It's twelve big hairy guardsmen and Mahmel in a natty green hat." It was all very well to joke about it, Hal thought, but the situation was serious.

Karina and Tho-orn, sitting in a tree-ee. Kay-eye-ess-ess-eye-en-gee.

My name is Gilan. The King wants to see you.

Just wanted you to know, there’s been no . . . funny business between me and your mam. No . . . hanky-panky, if you know what I mean?” For