“Life as a prisoner is worth nothing,” replied Maxim. ”Death is preferable.”
“Well, of course,” said the boyar. “But I am telling you that you can be free.”
“By turning traitor against my people and leading the Mongols over the mountains. No, death is better than freedom won that way.”
“I am not talking about that now,” said the boyar, smiling. “I say that you can be free without turning traitor, as you call it, and tonight!”
“How?” asked Maxim.
“I thought you’d be interested,” smiled the boyar again. “Well, this is my scheme. Your Tukholians have surrounded us and obstructed the exit. Of course their resistance is laughable for they can’t really stop us. But we can’t afford to waste any more time. That’s the most important matter to us just now, time.”
Maxim’s eyes glowed at this news. “The Tukholians have surrounded you, you say?” he cried joyously. “And you can’t get out? Oh, thank God! You can expect you won’t get out either. The Tukholians are an ingenious people, whomever they once catch they aren’t likely to let out of their hands again.”
“Tut, tut, tut!” broke in the boyar. “Don’t rejoice too soon, my boy. Our numbers are not so small that a group of your Tukholians could so easily capture. I’ve been trying to tell you that it’s not so important whether we are detained here or not but it’s the time we have to consider. Every minute counts. We are in a hurry.”
“But what can I do?”
“Just this! I’m thinking of going tonight to your Tukholians for a parley. I want to promise to return you to them in exchange for our free passage through here. I expect you to . . . I hope you will . . . tell me the right words to use
155
