One thing Hakem Rafi the blackhearted never tired of was hearing the cries of his enemies as they suffered the tortures his ingenious mind devised for them. He would sometimes have as many as ten enemies suffering in rings around him at one time, and each one’s screams would set off the next, amplifying their terror. His enemies died slowly and painfully under the ministration of the torturers Aeshma provided—but eventually they did die. There was only so much abuse the human body could withstand, and even expert torturers could not keep people alive indefinitely when their spirit decided to depart. Though his list was a long one, counting every slight he’d received down through his childhood, Hakem Rafi at last ran out of enemies to torture. He tried a couple of times with strangers, but
