seymoure

Chapter 48

The Count and the Killers

Waking was a hard thing. The mind had so much mud to shove off the eyes, and the world was still out of focus.

Sandor was aware that he was standing, but his movement was severely limited.

He turned his head enough to see that his right hand was held in a wide leather restraint. He could feel that the strap around his left wrist was the same. He was glad he wouldn’t have to turn his head anymore than needed. His head felt like everything inside was loose and scrambled each time he moved.

A slight movement of his foot informed him that his legs were likewise restrained.

Then he realized that his breathing was affected by something. A glance down let him know that he was encumbered by another leather band that encircled his waist and the lower part of his torso.

The Count was not taking any chances with him. He was feeling slightly praised by the amount of respect he must have garnered from this crew for them to fear his wrath to this extent.

When he was able to see beyond his own body, he tried to take in the scene.

He was stood up before a camp fire, around which were staked out his two friends. They were not restrained to quite the extent he was, but they were secured enough to insure that they wouldn’t be going anywhere anytime soon.

Sandor was aware that his mouth was incredibly dry. He couldn’t get enough spit to make things right in his mouth. So he said, in the loudest voice he could muster, “Water! Somebody give me some water!”

“Hey,” Hawk said, “he’s awake. Somebody come over here and give him a drink!”

“They’ll be here right away, kid,” Slip said. “They want us to play on their team. They don’t want us unhappy.”

“I would be a lot happier if I weren’t trussed up like a cooking brisket,” the big man said.

Before anything else could be said, someone arrived and offered a ladle of water for Sandor to drink from. He couldn’t remember any time in his life when lukewarm water tasted so good.

“I will go get the Count,” the water bearer said. “He wanted to know the moment you were ready to hear his proposition.”

Sandor wondered what the proposition was, but whatever it was, he was going to have his own suggestions.