“They were going to cast me out!”

“Not even Monel would do that without Magda’s judgment,” Linc snapped. “I’m no friend of his, Jerlet knows. There’s a lot about him I can’t stand. But he’d never hurt you with anything except his tongue. He and his guards were playing with you, and you were stupid enough to believe they meant what they were saying. Only Magda can give punishment, you know that.”

Peta dropped to his knees and clutched at Linc. “Help me, please! They’ll take me back for judgment—”

“That’s just what you deserve.”

“No! Please! Hide me… help me get away from them.”

Linc shook his head. “You can’t hide away, all by yourself. You’d either starve or have to steal food; Monel’s guards would catch you sooner or later. Or the rats would.”

“Please Linc! Do something. Don’t let them get me. They’ll…”

Linc pushed him away and stood up. “Come on, I’m taking you to Magda.”

“Noooo,” Peta cried.

“The best thing is to give yourself up. Maybe she’ll make your punishment easier then. I’ll ask her to go easy on you.”

“Very well spoken!”

Linc wheeled around. From out of the darkness above him, Monel and three guards came down the metal stairs. Two of the guards held Monel’s chair, grunting with each step they took. Another three guards appeared out of the shadows on the steps below them.

Monel was smiling. Once he had been as tall as Linc, but since the fall that ruined his legs and forced him to stay forever in his chair, his body had seemed to shrivel and dry out. Now he was a twisted, frail knot of anger and pain. His eyes burned in the darkness. His voice was as brittle-thin and hurtful as a bare high-voltage wire.