He stared at me for a few long seconds, then said, "If I tell you everything I know, you let me walk out of here alive, hide me, and tell the Ferans I am dead when they arrive."
The more I listened, the wider my smile grew.
"Interesting. Very interesting," I said, letting the words hang. Then I introduced myself. "My name is Billion Ironhart, and I am the guardian of Vaythos. We have already crushed the Ferans on Peanu and Vaythos, and we are about to do the same to whoever is behind this. We know your people are planning something."
I pushed the fourth map across his face where he could see the black mark.
"And we know that mark is connected. If you want a deal, you answer every question I ask."
He nodded, fear and relief flickering across his face.
