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gainst the unfortunate criminal. Shardin
was normally peaceable, affectionate, and harmless as a fly; but when
one of the crewmembers under his care was harmed, his rage knew no
bounds, and his vengeance could be terrible.
Shardin smiled a little sadly as he nodded at Sha'teem. He knew
what he needed to do to punish the kidnapper, but enough time had now
passed that the sense of outrage was no longer in his heart. Merina
was fine now, and even the welts on Keiko's backside had faded away to
nearly nothing. But the example still had to be set, and he set off
resolutely for the shuttle-bay.
As he rode the shuttle to the palace that housed the government
of Orionis, Shardin relived in his mind the images of Antony whipping
and then raping Merina, and remembered the images from Keiko's mind of the
handlers' treatment of her, and of the sale. He felt Keiko's fear and
humiliation in his mind as he remembered, and the outrage and anger
returned to his heart, as he had hoped it would. He needed those
feelings coursing strongly through his veins in order to do what he
had to do in his role of Imperial judge, jury, and executor-of-
justice.
* * * * *
"My lord, we are most honored to have you here," the prime-
minister of Orionis exclaimed,
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