Hope had come back to me, and I sat among the mealie-stalks trying to plan the future.

If he made a bargain I believed he would keep it.

Once set free at the head of Machudi's, I should be within an hour or two of Arcoll's posts.

So far, I had done nothing for the cause.

My message had been made useless by Henriques' treachery, and I had stolen the Snake only to restore it.