Gorndaer had never imagined such excruciating pain could exist. Radon had broken a glass bottle against a wall and picked up a shard, a really big one. Radon had forced the shard of glass into Gorndaer’s mouth and then squeezed his lips and cheeks with his hand. The shard had ripped flesh inside his mouth. He had wept, but Radon had not relented.
”Spit it out!” Radon said.
Gorndaer did as he was told. Bloody foam spewed from his mouth.
”Now tell me about the man of Mordor!”
”His name is Demrîng. I used to know him. Ten years ago. I told him a little about Fangnir. He knew about Fangnir already.”
”There is no one by that name in Pelargir involved in this venture. I have never heard that name before.”
”He used to be a servant of Sauron, a spy. I knew him. Ten years ago. He said he was setting up a snare within a snare.” Blood streamed from his mouth as he spoke.
”He lied! He is doing someone else’s bidding now!”
”By the Valar!”
Radon pressed the blade of his sword against Gorndaer’s throat.
”You will die, Gorndaer. Painfully or quickly, your choice, but you will die. Now tell me about Demrîng!”
”He said he wanted to make a trade. To trade a Gondorian man called Delioron for a Harad boy named Si’nol. He said you would know both names.”
”Where is the Gondorian man?”
”He did not say.”
”Are you sure? Do you want to eat more glass?”
”Please don’t, please don’t! I want to tell you everything! He told me I should bring you to meet him tomorrow afternoon. In the fourth hour after noon. Down at the docks.”
”Where exactly?”
”He said we should just walk there. He would find us.”
”Where?”
”I have told you everything I know.”
”I believe you now, Gorndaer”, Radon said. ”You were just torturing yourself by not telling everything from the beginning.”
”Please let me live!”
”No. That would not be wise. You are of no use anymore.”
Gorndaer, tied to a straight-backed chair with a rope, head bursting with pain, opened his mouth to say something. Radon’s hand made a jerking motion. Blood splattered on the floor. Gorndaer never said anything again.
Radon turned around to look at the other man sitting by the window. Radon’s clothes were stained with blood. The other man had been sitting quietly on his chair throughout the interrogation with a pensive expression upon his handsome features. He had not said a word so far.
”Well, what do you think?” Radon said.
”We have to get that Demrîng alive”, Mudon replied. ”He knows how to find Delioron.”
