daimya came, just after dark. wolf was startled. he had expected a child, from the way carroll spoke, and daimya was far from a child. she was a slim woman, in her early twenties, he estimated. her body was sleek and fit, and her long black hair was tied behind her head, where it flowed over her back like a waterfall carved from ebony. she had large eyes, slightly almond shaped, that regarded him solemnly as she gave the information she had gathered.

"he will come to inspect this village in two days," she said. "he will visit four farms, picked at random, and then there will be a procession down the main street."

"that would be our time," wolf mused. "crowds about."

"some will be killed," daimya objected. "his guards will not take this thing lightly."

"i am sorry," wolf said sincerely. "it is our best chance of success."

daimya shrugged. "you are the killer, not i," she said, with obvious distaste.

wolf felt an impulse to explain, to justify, to make this slight girl see that he hated this. angrily he fought it down.

it doesn't matter what she thinks, he told himself. it doesn't matter. what matters is to get the job done and get out. that's all.

"tell me," daimya said curiously, "how do you come to be mixed up in a thing like this? you don't act like a hired killer."

wolf laughed shortly. "no," he said. "i'm an amateur. i was a captain of the security patrol once. my whole family was in federation service, as a matter of fact. i was on colony patrol for three years. in that time i saw so much suffering, so much injustice, so much simple cruelty that—well, never mind. when i was contacted by a member of the revolution underground, i deserted. it almost killed my father. since i was familiar with the federation's higher echelons, i was assigned the pleasant job of assassin."

"how many men have you killed in that job?" daimya asked, almost casually.

wolf watched her for a long moment before answering. "you don't want to know that," he said slowly.

the girl dropped her eyes. "no. no, i guess you're right. i'm sorry."

she stood and went to the door. she stopped there and turned, looking at wolf. he met her eyes and held them with his own, frankly, without embarrassment.

"i'm sorry," she repeated. she closed the door softly behind her, and wolf bent to study the map of the village she had provided.