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rapier point from snicking through left-hand’s throat and right-hand’s eye. They both fell — quite slowly — and the one with only one eye made a considerable noise about it. I swung for the fellow grasping Nisha.
    “Put the princess down gently, dom.”
    Fweygo used his tail hand dagger to finish off the Chulik right at that moment. That added tremendous impetus to my words.
    “I’m only — I meant her no harm—”
    “Oh, I quite believe you. Just put her down gently.”
    He did exactly as I expected him to do. Fweygo also guessed aright. He said: “You catch. I’ll—” He didn’t finish for what we both anticipated occurred then.
    The kidnapper heaved up the little princess and hurled her at us and then started to run off.
    Obeying Fweygo I dropped my blades and caught Nisha, cradling her. The Kildoi had just started to hare off after the fleeing man when he hauled up. He laughed delightedly.
    The fellow leaped abruptly a foot into the air, span about, eyes goggling, mouth open trying to scream. That was rather too much for him to achieve, what with the dagger transfixing his throat. The throwing dagger had knifed from the shadows of a doorway, a single thin streak of light. From that doorway Tiri stepped into view.
    She said: “Rolan told me — Nisha—?”
    “Has fainted.” I looked reproachfully at Fweygo. “You were damned unfair! You should have caught Nisha. I’ve only got two arms!”
    Tiri moved swiftly in her graceful walk. She held out her arms. “I’ll take her, poor little thing.”
    The more I saw of this talented temple dancer the more I became impressed. Her gray-green eyes looked down in sympathy on the girl, who began to stir. “Where are the others?” Tiri wanted to know.
    I bent down to retrieve my weapons, leaving it to the Kildoi to answer. “Oh — they’ll be here soon I expect. We’d better find Princess Nandisha and the numims.”
    “Yes, by Zair! And sharply, too.”

Chapter five
    Princess Nandisha’s cadade would have carried out a ruthless enquiry. Ranaj was spared that chore. The two men of his guard he suspected of treachery — the one who was late and the other who was unwell — had been among our unfortunate fellows slain by the kidnappers.
    “They have no feelings for those they buy,” he commented.
    The general opinion was that this two-pronged onslaught was not the work of the Hyr Kov Khonstanton, Khon the Mak, but rather that of Prince Ortyg.
    “It’s that slimy little creature’s style,” said Nandisha. She panted and her hair was ruffled and wild. She had not fully recovered, half out of her wits with fear for her missing son. No trace of him had been found at The Clipped Rhok. The City Watch had been informed but no one expected a result from them. We would have to wait for the kidnappers to contact us — if Prince Byrom still lived. As for the City Guard who patrolled in the upper city, they just might have an informer somewhere with knowledge of what went forward in this plot against Nandisha and who would talk in return for gold.
    Serinka insisted that her mistress must rest and we all trooped out leaving a strong guard at every entrance to her quarters. Tiri told me our new young acquaintance was called Dimpy and that the Puncture Lady had stuck him with soothing needles, bound up his wounds and given him a sleeping draught. He would be out for burs yet.
    I reflected as we went along to the refectory for much needed inner sustenance that Tiri, Fweygo and I were forming a nice little team.
    There appeared little chance that nice state of affairs would continue much longer. Tiri had tasks to perform in the Temple of Cymbaro to which we were not privy and we had tasks for the Star Lords. Again I realized how fortunate I’d been that my gross dereliction of duty had not been punished by a trip back to Earth. All the same, whilst Tiri remained with us I would take pleasure from her company. Fweygo and I discussed our predicament. Prince Tom, a