Chapter 25

CHAPTER 25

After an hour of tooth-clenched politeness, the dispute in Najud’s kazr broke out in earnest.

Jirkat and Ilzay were resolute in asserting the priority of the rescue of their kinsmen, and Najud agreed with them. Jiqlaraz made the case for the traditional control of the eldest bikraj in a hunt like this.

The man’s nephew was too young to voice his own opinions, but Najud was rapidly coming to dislike Jiqlaraz with his condescending references to Najud as a newly declared jarghal. He wondered why Khizuwi had said so little thus far.

Penrys had refrained from interfering all this time, but he could feel the impatience rising in her, and now it broke out.

She stood up. “If you’ll forgive a foreigner’s opinion,” she said in feigned humility, “this is pointless. I’m sur……