The sailors all chuckled in agreement, and all spoke up that it was more than fair. They vowed the rules would be followed.

Jagang returned his attention to the six women. "I have a gigantic army of big burly soldiers, and nowhere near enough whores to go around. Puts my men in an ugly mood. Until I have other duties for you, you'll serve in that capacity for all but four hours a day. Be thankful you have my ring in your lip; it'll keep them from killing you while they're having their fun."

Sister Cecilia spread her hands. She glowed with a kindly, innocent smile. "Emperor Jagang, your men are young and strong. I'm afraid they would find no enjoyment being with an old woman such as myself. I'm sorry."

"I'm sure they'll grin with delight to have you. You'll see."

"Emperor, Sister Cecilia is right. I'm afraid I, too, am too old and fat," Tovi said in her best elderly voice. "We would bring your men no satisfaction."

"Satisfaction? ' He took a bite of the roast on the point of his knife.”Satisfaction? Are you daft? This has nothing to do with satisfaction. I assure you, my men will enjoy your warm charms — but you misunderstand."

He waggled a finger at them, the greasy rings on his fingers glinting in the firelight. "You six were Sisters of the Light, and then Sisters of the Dark. You're probably the most powerful sorceresses in the world. This is lo leach you that you're little more than dung beneath my boots. I'll do with you as I please. Those with the gift are my weapons, now.

"This is to teach you a lesson. You have no say in it. Until I decide otherwise, I give you to my men lo use. If they want to twist your fingers and take bets on who can make you scream the loudest, then they will. If they want any other sort of pleasure from you, then they'll have it. They have quite varied tastes, and as long as they don't kill you, they're free to indulge them."

He shoved the rest of the piece of meat in his mouth. "After these fellows are done with you, anyway. Enjoy my gift, boys. Do as I ask, follow my rules, and I may have use of you in the future. Emperor Jagang treats his friends well."

A cheer for the emperor went up from the sailors.

Ulicia would have fallen when her legs buckled had not an arm circled her waist to pull her back tight against an eager sailor. She could smell his foul breath.

"Well, well, well, lass. Looks like you ladies are going to come out to play after all, and after you were so nasty to us."

Ulicia could hear herself whimper. Her lip throbbed in pain, but she knew it was only the beginning. She was so stunned by what was happening that she couldn't form a clear thought.

"Oh," Jagang said, stopping everyone. He gestured with his knife to Merissa. "Except that one. You can't have her," he said to the sailors. He waggled two fingers. "Step forward, darlin."

Merissa took two strides to the fur. Through the link, Ulicia could feel her legs trembling.

"Christabel was mine, exclusively. She was my favorite. But she's dead now, just to serve as a lesson for you." He glanced to where the sailors had already pulled her dress open. "You will take her place."

He returned his inky gaze to her eyes. "You did say, if I recall correctly, that you would lick my feet, if you must. You must." At Merissa's look of surprise, iagang smiled that deadly smile of his, framed by the little braids at the ends. "I told you, darlin, you dream things you've said when you're awake."

Merissa nodded weakly. "Yes, Excellency."

"Take off that dress. You might need something nice for later, if I choose to let you kill Richard Rahl for me." He looked to the other women as Merissa did as she was ordered. "I'm going to leave the link on you for now so you can each feel the lessons the others get. I wouldn't want you to miss out on any of it."

When Merissa had finished, Jagang turned the knife between a finger and thumb, and pointed it down, "Under the table, darlin."

Ulicia could feel the coarse fur rug against Merissa's knees, and then the rough stone floor under the table. The sailors leered at the sight.

Through sheer force of will, from her reservoir of haired for this man, Ulicia tapped strength and drew resolve. She was the leader of ihe Sisters of the Dark. Through the link, she spoke to the others. "We have all been through (he ritual. Worse than this has been done to us. We are Sisters of the Dark; remember who is our true Master, For now we are slaves to this leech, but he has made a huge mistake if he thinks we don't have minds. He has no power of his own except to use ours. We will think of something, and then Jagang will pay. Oh, sweet Master will he ever pay.

"But what are we going to do until then!" Armina screamed.

"Silence!" Nicci commanded. Ulicia could feel the probing fingers on Nicci, and she could feel the white heat of her rage, and she could feel her heart of black ice. "Remember each face. They will each pay. Listen to Ulicia. We'll think of something, and then we will teach them all lessons only we could envision."

''And don't any of you dare dream any of this," Ulicia warned. "The one thing we cannot afford is to let Jagang kill us, or all hope is lost. As long as we live, we have a chance to earn our way back into our Master's favor. We've been promised a reward for our souls, and I intend to have it. Have strength, my Sisters.

"But Richard Rahl is mine, " Merissa hissed. "Any who takes him in my stead will answer to me — and the Keeper." Even Jagang, had he been able to hear her, would have blanched at the venom in her warning. Through the link, Ulicia felt Merissa push her thick hair back out of the way. She could taste what Merissa tasted.

"I'm done with you. . " Jagang paused a moment as he drew a breath. He waved the knife. "Be gone."

Captain Blake snatched Ulicia by the hair. "Time for payback, lass."

She blinked as she looked down the length of the rusty sword held at her face. The point was no more than an inch away.

"Really, is this necessary? I told you that you could steal what you wanted and we wouldn't do anything to stop you, but I have to tell you that you're the third band of dangerous outlaws who have robbed us in the last couple of weeks, and we've nothing of value left."

By the way the lad's hand was shaking, he didn't look to be very practiced at his craft. By the way his skin clung to his bones, he didn't look to be very successful at it, either.

"Be quiet!" He snuck a look in the direction of his companion. "Have you found anything?"

The second young outlaw, squatting among the packs in the snow, and as thin as the first, darted glances around at the darkening woods to each side of the little-traveled road. He checked behind, to the bend in the road not far away where it vanished behind a screen of snow-crusted fir trees. In the center of the bend, just before the road vanished, was a bridge over a stream still rushing despite the fact it was winter. "No. Just old clothes and junk. No bacon, not even any bread."

The first danced back and forth on the balls of his feet, ready to bolt at the first sign of trouble. He brought his other hand up to the hilt to help hold the weight of the poorly made sword. "You look well fed. What do you two eat, old woman! Snow?"

She folded her hands against her belt as she sighed. She was tiring of this. "We work for our food as we go. You should try it. Work, I mean."

"Yeah? It's winter, old woman, in case you hadn't noticed. There's no work. Last autumn the army took our stores. My parents don't have anything to get them through the winter."

"I'm sorry, son. Perhaps. ."

"Hey! What's this, old man?" He had his finger through the dull silver collar. He gave it a yank. "How do you get this off? Answer me!"