Speech is Silver, but Silence is Golden

"But that was by my choice. It is my right to decide to whom my name should be revealed. I don't want someone else making that choice for me, not even you. I told you my name because you had already earnt my trust by your actions. As to the military aspect, in Aqualaria the true names of our generals are a state secret. For should a magic user amongst the enemy find out a general's true name, he could cast a spell using it in order to gain power over her."

"But you were willing to give your name away - and more than your name - by signing that contract, though."

"Do you want to reveal all of our business to this stranger? In any case, you know perfectly well that given the circumstances I had no choice but to sign."

"All right, I'm sorry. I had no idea how much significance names have for you in Aqualaria. It is not like that in my own land, perhaps because we have little time for magic."

"If I'd appreciated that, I wouldn't have given you my true name, but instead would have told you only my 'public' name by which I am generally known."

All this time the trapper, if that was what he was, had said nothing. Instead his gaze had flickered from Fred to Astra and then back again, depending on which of them was speaking.

1. Finally he spoke: "You are a strange one, lady. You are concerned that your name has been revealed, yet seem unconcerned that your body is revealed."
2. Still he said nothing.
3. Gradually, Fred and Astra come to realise that the reason the man hadn't spoken was that he was a deaf-mute. His gaze had flickered between them because he had to lip-read.
4. He opened his mouth and pointed inside it. To their horror, Fred and Astra realised that his tongue had been cut out.

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