The Dinosaur Knights by Victor Milan Page A

Beauty and Truth and the people of Providence!”
    Mor Laurent barked laughter. “Is that what you call it here? Back home across the Lisette we call it treason.”
    Violette shot to her feet as if she had a spring up her butt. “You lie!”
    The broad face darkened. “Release me, and I’ll challenge you or any champion you care to name for that slander.”
    â€œWill you want to fight me if I ask why we should believe you, an enemy, Mor Laurent?” Bogardus asked.
    Laurent glared at him a moment. Then he shrugged. “Believe what you want; all your opinions matter to me as much as those of as many fatties. If you want to kill me, get to it. I’m easily bored.”
    A large portion of the crowd enthusiastically seconded the suggestion. But Bogardus said, “If you satisfy us you’re telling the truth, we’ll set you free. The only conditions are that you ride straightaway across the border, and never bear arms against Providence again.”
    He looked at Karyl. Rob did likewise. Karyl nodded crisply. Stéphanie glared at Rob.
    â€œThey’ll be plenty more for you to skewer, my dear,” Rob muttered to her. “We need this one unpunctured, please.”
    He knew that if Mor Laurent had been among her rapists and tormentors she’d have killed him already no matter what anybody told her. The woods-runners had no more stomach for obedience than Rob did himself.
    Laurent shrugged again. “Very well. It’s cheaper than a ransom, and the pickings have been thin of late. I agree to your terms, on my honor as a belted knight. The man’s treason served us well enough, but I’ve no more bloody use for a traitor to your side as to my own, as Torrey’s my witness. He said he’d smooth our road to take over the town if we spared him. And the whole bloody Council, why I don’t know.”
    â€œAnd had you spoken to him before?”
    â€œOh, yes. He said he’d help us see off this rag-tag rabble army of yours, and discredit your mercenary captains. Or better make an end to them. Said he thought them a greater threat than we were. A damned fool thing to say. But a traitor will say anything to justify his treachery.”
    â€œYou bastard!” Longeau hissed. “How can you tell such lies? What did the foreigners pay you?”
    â€œA spear at my neck, as any fool can see, handroach. Brave man, to spit on the honor of a trussed-up captive. But I’ll serve you back the same.”
    He looked around, bold as Bogardus. “Who saw this soft-fleshed sack of wind in the fighting? Anyone? Then how’d he get the wound? It can’t have been shaving: a kitten could lick his whiskers off for him.”
    Rob stepped up on the dais, snatched Longeau’s arm from its sling with a big square hand, and ripped off the bandage. Longeau struggled but couldn’t free himself. Rob held his arm up for all to see.
    The skin of his arm was white and intact.
    â€œA miraculous healing!” Rob declared. “That, or bouncer’s blood sprinkled on bandages to cover a fraud.”
    The crowd jumped to its feet, shouting fury. Longeau cringed. Rob let him go.
    â€œRelease the captive, please, Brother Rob,” Bogardus said beneath the tumult.
    Rob turned to Stéphanie. “Lend me your dagger.”
    Her green-hazel eyes blazed like stirred bonfires. “Please,” he said, acutely aware of how close he was to feeling his own guts wrapped around that spear. “We’ll give you all the vengeance you can stomach, Karyl and I. Promise.”
    Lips twisting in a snarl, she whipped her dagger from its arm sheath and threw it clattering to the tiles. Then she turned and stalked out. Rob watched the play of her muscle-rounded buttocks beneath the smooth brown skin until they vanished out the door.
    Shaking himself, he bent to pick up her knife. He raised a brow at Karyl as he straightened. Rob stepped up behind the