"You're mocking me! He dares mocking us, he isn't afraid of anything, he feels he's the master here!"

"Perhaps we give Nikto a chance to explain himself."

Everyone turned to this quiet voice. Vil, very tense, sat at the table and looked at them.

"Ooh, you have some more allies here!" Lis could barely control himself.

"You know, Lis, I would also like to listen what Nikto has to say," Enriki interfered.

"Come on, Nikto," Squint-Eye winked to him happily, "do Lis away!"

"Bert, stop with your foolish jokes," Enriki said quickly. "Don't add fuel to the fire."

"What do you want to hear?"

"Truth."

"If I say that I'm not in conspiracy with the Unclean or with anyone else… will you believe me?"

"We need a proof," Enriki said. "Can you prove it?"

"I didn't know Asa. I saw her for the first time when Tol brought her to Orel's castle, just like you did."

"Why is she attracted to Tol? Perhaps Borgan sent her to watch you?" Enriki suggested.

"If Borgan uses her as a spy in the castle, we should just get rid of her and that's all," Squint-Eye said.

Nikto kept silent.

"No," he said at last, "there is another thing between Asa and Tol. But I won't say anything, you will not believe me – as always – and it will only turn to the worse. Despise me, hate me," he stumbled for a moment, checking whether he'd used a correct word. "I know I didn't wish and don't wish evil to you, and I don't do evil."

"You don't have anything to say," Lis smirked.

"What do you mean 'turn to the worse'?" Enriki asked carefully.

"It's enough. I've said enough." Nikto put his elbows in the table and pressed his palm to his forehead.

"Nikto in not to blame," Asa said suddenly in Unclean, apparently having figured out something. She got up from the floor and now stood in front of them. "My master Borgan told me to be with Tol because Tol is Unclean."

"What? What did she say?" Enriki whispered.

"Quiet, quiet, calm down," Lis reached his hand as if pushing Enriki aside.

"Why should we believe you?" Lis's Unclean was very good. Asa shrugged.

"Because I tell the truth. Why should I lie? It doesn't make sense, since you can check Tol. I think there is someone among you who can do it and confirm my worlds. Nikto can hear the 'phone' and Squint-Eye can, too. Tol spent all his life among humans but you can still hear him. No matter how human-like he looks, he is not human, and one can hear it. Borgan heard him at once, I didn't, his 'phone' is very quiet. Nikto likely heard him too, that's why he took him along. Borgan was delighted with Tol, he at once did his best for Tol and for you. He gave Nikto and Tol his chosen warriors. I love Tol and he has to be with us. Not now, now it's too early, but sooner or later he'll come back to us. And… You won't tell him anything, will you? He is very attached to you and he needs you! You won't turn away from him, right? I gave him away only because I felt there was trouble. I don't know what exactly you talked about but I'm telling the truth!"

"We said that you and Nikto are together and work against us," Lis said. Asa shook her head.

"Nikto is always alone, he doesn't need me. I don't know anything about him, just like you. He saved my life, helped me to get out of coma, and I paid my debt to him," she glanced at Squint-Eye who stayed impassive. "Now he saved my life for the second time, and it means I will stand by him. But don't tie me to him, I'm with Tol, and… and…" she stumbled, "I was so afraid of that fucking Arel!"

"Are you afraid of Nikto?" Lis asked.

"It doesn't matter, I just know he would never tell about Tol himself."

"Why?"

"Because it is not his business. It is between Tol and me, if I want, I'll tell you, and Nikto has nothing to do with it. He really has nothing to do with it."

"How can it be that Tol is Unclean?"

"Borgan found out everything. He sent his servants to the place where Tol was born, to his estate. His parents are humans, they don't know anything, just like he doesn't and you didn't. Borgan's people talked to the Unclean slaves who lived there. One Unclean, when she heard someone was asking about Tol, was very happy because they didn't hear anything about him for a long time, since he left his parents and went away in search for adventures. She said that she was a maid in the main house about twenty years ago. She was Unclean but very beautiful and looked like a human. The mistress loved her in her own way. This Unclean replaced the mistress's child with the boy of her sister, he looked very much like human, that's why they decided to do it. It worked as she planned, their mistress gave birth to a child – I don't know if it was a boy or a girl – it was taken to the slaves' barrack and I don't know what they did to it."

"I can guess what," Lis said darkly. "What then?"

"Then they put the Unclean child in the baby's place. The master and the mistress didn't suspect anything, they were very happy that the baby was handsome and strong, they named him Ram and loved him very much. They didn't have any more children and doted on him. And the Unclean loved him, too, they dreamed that he would grow up and become a master, and then they'll tell him everything and he'll free them and the estate will belong to the Unclean. But Tol left them and isn't going to come back. He destroyed their hopes."

"What is she saying?" Tol couldn't stand it any longer. "What?"

"She explains that there is nothing between her and Nikto, and you know, Tol," Lis made a somewhat guilty expression that could deceive only Tol, "it seems she made me believe her. Forget everything I said before. I was wrong," he finished quite cheerfully.

Asa was listening worriedly.

"Relax," Squint-Eye said quietly. "Lis will not tell him anything." He smiled. "I suspected it from the beginning. I heard he was 'phoning' at once. But damn it…"

"You won't tell him, will you?" Asa interrupted him.

"No, you can be sure I won't."

"So, Lis, it was your fantasies, right?" Tol asked suspiciously.

"Yes," Lis said simply. "Just imagine, I was mistaken, my imagination got me carried away."

"Really?" Tol narrowed his eyes. "There is something wrong in it. You gave up too quickly."

Lis shrugged.

"What can I do, your Asa is very smart and made me change my mind. She really loves you, she loves you and does everything to secure your future."

"Yeah? Why did she call for him and not for me then?"

"Ooh, it's simple, Nikto has saved her life once, and she says she got friendly with him," Lis smiled at Tol nicely.

"Got friendly?"

"Yes," Lis looked at him innocently. "She got to respect him, stopped putting on airs, is it bad, huh, Tol? You wanted that, didn't you?"

"Yes," Tol said. He was tense, he started getting confused. "What else did she say?"

"Nothing special."

"But she said a lot."

"It just seemed so to you. You know, Tol, learn Unclean and ask her yourself. I don't mind your Asa any more. Is it enough for you?"

"Yes."

"Then keep enjoying your life. Besides, you started it, it was because of your shitty temper Orel got angry, nearly killed her, cut off Nikto's braid, made us think hell knows what about them. He paired Squint-Eye and me even though everyone knows what terms we are on. Squint-Eye wants to kill me!"