114 "Please," the man begged, "Please!"
115 "Did she say please?" the old man asked, "Did she beg for mercy as
you beat her senseless? What did she do that so infuriated my master
that he caused her such pain? Was she not quick enough to get to his
bed? Or, did she not cry loud enough to please him?"
116 All the time the old man spoke, he kept circling The War Leader,
poking him with his blade. The man kept looking at it with horror.
117 "I would like," the old man continued, "to make this last for
hours, to make you crawl through the rocks like she crawled, but our
friend here, be- lieves in giving his enemies a quick and merciful
death. And as he is our guest, I would not want to bring him shame or
dishonor him before his people. So I suppose I must put an end to this.
118 I would like that you live long enough to see your son. He is a
fine boy and a brave warrior, and this night will avenge his mother on
many of your people. Our time of conversation has come to an end. It is
time for you to meet the One you worship."
119 The old man swung the blade with force far beyond his years, He did
not strike The War Leader in the throat, but between the legs. Sleepy
had never seen a man die like that, split wide open all the way up.
120 The old man was tossed a shirt, and he wiped off his blade, then
threw the shirt over The War Leader's face. "You think me cruel?" he
asked Sleepy Crow. "Do you think I should not have tormented him, but
merely chopped off his head?"
121 "It is not for me to judge," answered Sleepy Crow. "I have not been
their captive. When he died, he died quickly, probably as quick as if
you had taken his head. Most of his suffering was fear, and I do not
think it was fear of death. It was fear of what awaited him in the
place where he is going."