They moved for three days through the grim border country. All of it was either bare, gray rock towering toward a chill blue sky or endless, gloomy forest penetrated only by a few wretched, twisting roads and trails. Blade watched Dzhai clinging to the reins of his horse with his good hand, wincing every time a rough patch of road sent pain stabbing through his broken arm.

Very few people ever came here. The area was thoroughly inhospitable to man or beast, and it was deliberately allowed to stay that way, by the orders of His Magnificence Kul-Nam, as a barrier to the Steppemen. The lack of fodder, the poor roads, and the even worse weather that prevailed for half the year kept this part of Saram's border as thoroughly guarded against the Steppemen as an army of fifty thousand men could have done. Once more Blade had to admit that Kul-Nam had a certain amount of sense as well as a great lust for blood.

Then why were Duke Boros and his party riding through this land?

The law of Saram was that every noble and freeman above a certain rank had to pay his respect to the Emperor at least once every three years. Boros and Tulu were on their way to pay their visit to the Emperor while he was in residence at one of his southern castles. They had started their journey late, and the only way to reach the Emperor in time was to take a short route through the border country. In spite of the roads and the danger of bandits or Steppemen, the route would save them several days' traveling, enough to bring them before the Emperor on time. That was worth almost any amount of risk and inconvenience. Appearing late before the Emperor carried severe penalties.

Blade wondered if there were any crime or error in the Empire of Saram that did not carry severe penalties. The more he heard, the more he doubted it, and the less he looked forward to his reception by His Sublime Magnificence Kul-Nam, Emperor of All Saram.