Visited by Their Captor

The words penetrated Astra's doze, and with an effort she managed to open her eyes. The water had gone, she realised, but she still felt very tired from its after effects. She seemed to be lying on the floor of the cell. Over her stood a figure holding up a burning torch that dimly illuminated the cell. Ardua was lying next to her, seemingly still unconscious.

Astra realised that the rags by which she and Ardua had tied their hands to the rocky outcrop had gone, and so had the long chains by which they had been bound. With nothing to support them any longer, they had naturally finished up on the floor..

"Did you free us?" she asked the shadowy figure. "Aren't you afraid that we'll escape?"

The figure laughed. It was a man's laugh, cruel and mocking. "Escape? My dear girl, my magical water has left you so weak that you couldn't even stand upright unaided."

Astra realised that this was true. Even talking was an effort.

"That was your booby trap?" she managed. "Do you work for the dragon?"

The man kicked Ardua in the side, not hard enough to do any real damage but with sufficient force to be painful. "Wake up, sleepy-head," he said. Then: "Yes, it was my booby trap," he added.

1. "And yes, I work for the dragon."
2. "But I work only for myself." "So what do you want with us?" Astra asked.
3. "As for who I work for, you'll have to wait and see."

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