Page 196

--donation bonus (day #6, post 1/5)--
Mehlsanz nodded. ‘I wouldn’t normally agree to such a request, but after all Valencia had been through, I wanted to give her a chance at a quiet life. For a while, at least. I thought maybe she could find someone to fall in love with, and I’d let her grow old with that person, and then afterward, I’d release her and return to fighting Abolish with a new servant. And besides, I sort of wanted a break from the fighting, myself.’

“I’m guessing that didn’t go over so well with your bosses.”

‘They refused. If she wouldn’t fight, I had to release her, no exceptions. I protested, and then they imprisoned me and told me that if I didn’t release her, they’d have to kill me. So I released her. And at the first opportunity, I fled.’

‘And they didn’t come after you?’

‘I hid for a while, with decreasing levels of success. And now, Helen’s status is the only thing protecting me. The Vanguard won’t kill the ruler of a nation that’s not under Abolish’s control.’

“You’ve had it rough,” said Roman.

Helen frowned. “I am sorry for all you have had to endure, Mehlsanz, but I must do whatever I can to protect Atreya--even if it means aligning with people you do not approve of.”

‘I know.’

Voreese tilted her ghostly, feathered head. ‘The Vanguard didn’t used to be like that. They’ve always been self-righteous pricks, but I’ve never known them to go that far. What changed?’

‘I’m not sure, honestly. I first noticed their harsher rules a few years ago. I can’t recall a particular incident.’

“I’d always heard the leader of the Vanguard is a pretty decent guy,” said Roman. “Is that not the case anymore? Or maybe it never was?”

‘I wouldn’t know,’ said Mehlsanz. ‘I only met Sermung once, and that was fifty years ago.’