Coraline's ears twitched. The other passengers had arrived in the hallway.
"Maisie! Are you alright?!" Captain Nikandros voiced his concern. He was heaving, sweat pouring down his forehead from the short run. "By the gods, woman-- is that blood?"
"C-cap'n! M-mista Highblade, he-- Oh, it's terrible!" Maisie sobbed.
Coraline placed her oil lamp on a desk and knelt down to inspect Arod's body.
Two wounds.
There was a puncture wound on his lower back and the front of his throat had been slit, ensuring his death.
"Someone attacked Master Highblade from behind..." Coraline turned back towards the crowd in the doorway... "--with a bladed weapon."
"He-- he got done in by a sword!" Maisie shouted, her light voice crescendoing into a high-pitched screech, "An' the only one that coulda done it is the dragon BITCH!!"
"And I still *have* that sword, you stupid whore," Olesya growled back.
