They'd had Richard for days. Nicci didn't even know if he was still alive. The silent walk to the prison stronghold was terror. She feared to find he had been put to death, or to see him, and know he would die a lingering, suffering agony from his questioning. Nicci knew very well how the Order questioned people.
At the side door, a half-dozen other women along with a few older men stood in the sweltering sun. All the women had sacks of food. None of the people spoke. They were all bent under the weight of the same dread.
Nicci stared at the door as the sun slowly sank. In the gathering dusk, Kamil hung his waterskin on Nicci's shoulder.
"Richard will probably want something to drink with his bread and chicken."
"Thank you," she whispered.
The ironbound door squeaked open. Everyone looked up at the guard standing in the door, signaling for everyone to approach. He glanced down at a piece of paper.1 commentTweetThe <a href="http://www.airmaxcommand.org/women-air-max-c-25.html">women air max</a>+ 2012 boasts a tremendous range of colorblocking possibilities thanks to its layered Hyperfuse construction, but even with all this modern technology at work, some of the best colorways all year have been the most basic.. As the first woman raced up the stairs, he stopped her and asked her name. When she told him, he checked it against his list, then let her pass. The second woman he turned away. She cried out, saying she had paid for the visit. He told her that her husband had confessed to crimes of treason and was allowed no visitors.
She wailed as she fell to the ground. Everyone else watched in horror, fearing the same fate. Another woman gave her name and was sent in. Another went in, then the next was told that her husband had died.
Nicci, in a daze, started up the stairs. Kamil grabbed her arm. He put a coin in her hand.
"Thank you, Karnil."
He nodded. "Tell Richard I said .?With a distinct gradient perforation that can't be compared to all that many designs in history, Hussein Chalayan's Puma Haast places its name alongside standouts like the Air Moire and its <a href="http://www.airmaxcommand.org/men-yellow-air-max-men-yellow-air-max-90-c-23_24.html">men yellow air max 90</a> 90 Current hybrid.. . . Just tell him to come home."
"Richard Cypher," she answered the guard, her heart hammering.
He looked at the paper briefly, then waved her in. "That man will take you to him.
Relief flooded through her. He was still alive.
Inside the dark hall, another soldier waited. He tilted his head in command. "Follow me." He moved into the darkness, a lamp swinging from each hand. She stayed close behind as he descended two long flights of narrow stairs into the damp dark underground.
In a small room with a hissing torch, People's Protector Muksin sat on a bench, sweating, as he talked to two men-minor officials, judging by their deferential treatment of the rotund Protector.
The Protector stood after briefly inspecting the paper the guard handed him.1 commentTweetThe upcoming VNTG and EM renditions of <a href="http://www.airmaxcommand.org/men-yellow-air-max-men-yellow-air-max-2011-c-23_77.html">men yellow air max 2011</a> classics act like opposites of one another, with one going the rewind route and adding some aged yellowing and the other upgrading the build with Engineered Mesh.czfnk10. "You have the fee?"
"Yes, Protector Muksin." Nicci handed over the coin.
He glanced at it before pocketing the silver. "Fines for civil violations are steep," he said cryptically as his dark eyes halted to measure her reaction.
Nicci licked her lips, her hopes suddenly buoyant. She had passed the first test by paying the fee. The greedy bastard was now demanding money for Richard's life.
Nicci spoke cautiously, fearing to make a mistake. "If I knew the fine, Protector, I believe I could raise the money."
The Protector peered at her with an intensity that made sweat break out across her brow. "A man needs to prove his repentance. A fine that cuts to the bone is a sure way to show remorse for a civil infraction. Less, and we will know the penance insincere. Day after tomorrow, at this time, those who have confessed to such infractions and have someone who can pay the price of the fine, are brought before me for disposition."