snarled. His fellows growled their agreement. So did their wives.
The elders stroked their beards. Calculating.
They tried a new approach.
"It is unseemly, to have a woman in command." The elder who uttered those words glared back at the peasant wives.
"The girls will start giving themselves airs," he predicted.
To prove his point, several of the wives made faces at him. To his greater chagrin, their husbands laughed.
"You see?" he complained. "Already they—"
The Empress began to cut him off, but her voice was overridden by another.
"Damn you for Satan's fools!"
The entire crowd was stunned into silence by that voice.
"He does that so well, don't you think?" murmured Cassian.
The
The elders stroked their beards. Calculating.
They tried a new approach.
"It is unseemly, to have a woman in command." The elder who uttered those words glared back at the peasant wives.
"The girls will start giving themselves airs," he predicted.
To prove his point, several of the wives made faces at him. To his greater chagrin, their husbands laughed.
"You see?" he complained. "Already they—"
The Empress began to cut him off, but her voice was overridden by another.
"Damn you for Satan's fools!"
The entire crowd was stunned into silence by that voice.
"He does that so well, don't you think?" murmured Cassian.
The