Vil raised his eyes to him.

"I, I was doing all that."

"So what are you fooling around here, disgracing yourself and Enriki who stood for you! He believed in you!" Orel raised Vil forcefully. "Stand up and do what you must!"

Vil obeyed. He got up and walked up to the girl on unbending legs. They stood face to face. She looked at him silently.

"Forgive me," Vil whispered. "Forgive me."

"No," she said. "I"ll never forgive you!" Her voice shook but then became firm again. "What they make you do is unforgivable. Don"t obey them! You"re not like them, you have a heart! Why are you letting them stomp on it?"

"But they are my friends," he could barely say it out.

She laughed, tossing her head back, and wiped away her tears proudly.

"Are they your friends? Can they have friends at all? They don"t care about you, Vil!"

"Don"t call me Vil!" he screamed in horror. "Don"t you dare!" He took out his knife, his lips trembled.

There was fear in her eyes but she controlled herself.

"Fine. Kill me!" She suddenly yanked her corselet baring her chest. Vil shrunk back. The girl started undressing slowly.

Orel looked at Lis in delight, he wanted to say something but Lis nodded to him and pressed his finger to his lips.

Now she stood absolutely naked before them.

"Go ahead," she said. "Kill me. I never had anything, no wealth, no power, no strength, no one who protected me. I had only my life. And you want to take it away. You can do it easily, here I am in front of you, defenseless. You ask me to forgive you but even if I do, can you forgive yourself? If yes, then don"t torment me any more, I"m tired." She knelt down and started praying quietly with her hands clasped in front of her chest.

Vil let the knife go and covered his face with his palms. He took a step back, turned to Orel – his face was full of resolution.

"I won"t do that, Arel. I"ll never obey your order."

"Coward," Enriki whispered.

"Call me whatever you want," Vil sat down. "You"re right, Orel, I"m not your man."

"So, you won"t kill her," Orel said.