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.A line of dried blood ran fromhis nose down to his neck.His eyes were closed. As you know, we have captured this visitor from the outside world.Throughrigorous interrogation, I have increased my knowledge of our situation.Mygoal is to find a way for all of us to leave this island together.Unfortunately, spies and traitors have sabotaged my plans.These two prisonersmade a secret alliance with the visitor.They betrayed you and tried to findtheir own private means of escape.Should we allow this? Should we let themrun away if we remain captive in this city? No! shouted the crowd.Page 199ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html As commissioner of patrols I have sentenced these traitors to  Death!The commissioner moved his fingers as if a fly had landed on his hand.One ofhis followers kicked out the stools, and the two prisoners were strangled todeath, jerking at the ends of the ropes while the others mocked them.When theprisoners finally stopped moving, the leader raised his palms and quieted thecrowd. Be alert, my wolves.Watch those around you.All the traitors have not yetbeen discovered and destroyed.Although the man in the blue suit was supposed to be in control of thewolves, he kept jerking his head around as if he expected to be attacked.Whenhe climbed off the car, he hurried back into the school with Gabriel and thebodyguards.Maya remained in her hiding place as the crowd dispersed in differentdirections.The patrols had been unified at the moment of execution, but noweveryone glanced at one another with a certain degree of wariness.The twoprisoners were left hanging from the ropes, and the last patrol in the areastayed around long enough to steal the dead men s shoes.When everyone was finally gone, Maya crossed the empty street to the buildingnext to the school.Some kind of bomb had exploded, and the staircase wasreduced to a metal frame with a few crossbeams.Climbing with her hands andfeet, Maya reached the top floor, and then jumped across a three-foot gap tothe roof of the school.When she entered the third-floor hallway, she found a skinny man with a beardchained to a radiator.He had a green silk tie around his neck, the knotpulled so tight that it looked like a noose.The man looked unconscious, but Maya crouched beside him and jabbed his chestwith the handle of her sword.He opened his eyes and smiled. Are you a woman?You appear to be a woman.I m Pickering, the ladies tailor. I m looking for the man in the wheelchair.Where did they  That s Gabriel.Everyone wants to talk to the visitor. So where can I find him? Downstairs in the old auditorium. How many guards? There are twelve or more in the building, but only a few in the auditorium.The commissioner of patrols doesn t trust his own wolves. Can you guide me?Pickering shook his head. I m sorry.The legs won t move.Maya nodded and began to walk away. Remember my name, the man said. I mMr.Pickering.Gabriel sfriend.Standing at the top of the stairs, she breathed evenly and prepared herselffor a long, continuous attack.Both her father and Mother Blessing had alwaysPage 200ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlmade the distinction between observing and perceiving an enemy.Most citizensspent their lives passively observing what went on about them.In combat, youhad to use all your senses and focus on your opponent, anticipating their nextmove.Maya took the first flight of stairs slowly, like a student who didn t wantto go back to class.Then she heard someone moving below her and she picked upspeed, taking the steps two at a time.One of the commissioner s bodyguardswas trudging upward and she caught him by surprise, driving the point of herblade through a gap in his ribs.A few seconds later, she reached theground-floor hallway and ran toward two more wolves.She slashed the firstguard in the neck, ducked a blow from a club, and stabbed the second wolf inthe belly.Clutching her sword, she ran into the auditorium.One of the wolves was nearthe front of the room.She stabbed him and leaped onto the stage.Thecommissioner of patrols was getting up from his desk and reaching for hisrevolver.Before he could aim, Maya swung the sword downward and chopped offhis hand.The commissioner screamed, but she brought the blade up hard andsilenced his voice forever.She turned.And there was Gabriel in the wheelchair.He opened his eyes whenshe cut the ropes off his arms. Are you all right? she asked [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]