Maia

"Well, at that, sir, we both of us did get angry, I'll admit. So Lortil, he says, 'Don't you try that stuff with us,' he says. 'Gome on,' he says to me, 'if she won't put her clothes on, we'll just have to put 'em on for her, won't we?' So he goes to grab her and stuff a cloth in her mouth, sir; keep her quiet, see, while we was getting her clothes on. But she was too much for us, sir, and that's the plain truth. She bit my finger very near through, and then she flew at Lortil, sir, scratching and biting, and at the same time she'd begun screaming at the top of her voice, just like she'd said she would. So I thought, well, this has got to be stopped quick, I thought. She had her arms right round Lortil, sir-only he still had nothing on, you see-and she was biting and scratching at his shoulders and his neck. So I tried to pull her away from him, only I couldn't-she was locked against him that tight there was nothing I could get a hold of. Well, I wasn't thinking too clearly, sir: I mean, the girl was carrying on like a wild animal, really, and we were both just about frantic. She had her teeth sunk in Lortil's shoulder, and I took her by the head and jerked it back-well, it was hard, I don't deny it was- only I felt I had to get her off him at all costs, you see. And then all of a sudden she just went limp and fell on the ground, and Lortil, he says, 'Oh, Cran almighty,' he says, 'I reckon her neck's broke!' And so it was, sir; she was dead as a rat. There was nothing we could do. So as soon as we realized that, Lortil says, 'Well, there's no help for it,' he says. 'Only thing to do is make a clean breast of the whole business.' So we went straight off and reported to tryzatt Miarn. And that's the truth, sir, every word. We're both very sorry this should have come about, only there was provocation, like."

"Do you want to ask these men any questions, Captain Mollo?" said Elleroth.

"We're only got your word for all this, haven't we?" said Mollo. "You've no other evidence to put forward?"

"No, sir, 'ceptin' for the bites and scratches, and we had no reason to want to kill the girl, sir. Neither of us had had any drink-it was early morning, like I said: and as soon as we realized what we'd done we come straight forward, sir."

"Do you want to ask any questions?" said Elleroth,

turning to Bayub-Otal, Zen-Kurel and Zirek. They shook their heads.

"Is the guard outside?" asked Elleroth.

"Yes, sir," answered the second tryzatt.

"Take them outside and keep them somewhere nearby," said Elleroth. "Tryzatt Miarn, will you stay behind, please?"

When the two soldiers had gone he said, "Now, I want your personal opinion of these men, Miarn."

"They're both good men, sir. Done well in Chalcon, sir, and in the battle, too."

"Do you believe they're telling the truth?"

"Seeing what you said about the dead young woman, sir, I'm very sorry to have to say it, but yes, sir, I think they are."

"How much money did you find in her clothes?" asked Elleroth.

"Forty-two meld, sir; all in one-meld pieces."

"Thank you, tryzatt; that's all."

The tryzatt saluted and went out. Elleroth sat silent for almost a full minute. At length he said, "I confess this defeats me. Here's this obviously very brave and charming girl, who went to Bekla and helped to kill Sencho-one of the most heroic exploits I've ever heard of in my life- and according to these men-and they are decent enough men in the normal way, as I know myself-wouldn't you agree, Mollo?-"

"Two of the best I've got. Can't expect soldiers to be basting saints, that's it, 'specially after a campaign like this-"

"Excuse me, sir," said Zirek. "I'm afraid the truth is that what seems so strange to you is perfectly understandable to me. I knew Meris very well: I believe every word the soldiers said and I can tell you why."

The others listened as he told them all he knew of Meris, from Belishba to Lapan.

"Poor girl!" said Elleroth, when he had finished. "Well, she's not the first and she won't be the last. Thank you, Zirek: that makes everything very clear. So you'd agree, Mollo, that she really brought it on herself?"

Mollo nodded morosely. "But they can't be let off altogether."

"Oh, no. They're both guilty of condoning a woman in breaking curfew and whoring round the camp; and on top

of that, Dectaron's guilty of leaving his duty while on guard, and that's a serious offense. What do you think?"

"I'd offer them their choice between dishonorable discharge and a flogging."

"But-er-wouldn't that just mean that you'd lose two good soldiers?"