In the mean time, a bit of WIP:
"I know more now than I would have had we fled a week ago." Mother Argai's voice was a growl. "That was part of what Mother Vajpai made as an excuse. For my own part, I agree with you." She spat into the darkness. "We have given up too much to gain too little. Including, likely, the lives of Mother Vajpai and Samma, thanks to your little raid just now."
The words, But I saved you, at least, died on my lips. I could imagine the political pressures back in Kalimpura that drove Mother Vajpai to join this expedition. And I could just as easily imagine the woman's political thinking that drove her to stay to her own torture and probable death, for the sake of what she saw as the best chance to get the information about Surali's true intentions back to Kalimpura.
"You are all fools," I said, growling myself. "This could have been handled better."
| Originally published at jlake.com. |