The fact was, Gault knew that he wouldn’t care at all about this slave girl if she wasn’t so beautiful—the same could be said for Spades. But wasn’t that the way of it? The Illuminations said, The weak-minded soldier will behave with spineless indignity around a fetching lass. If Ava Shay were fat and homely, Gault knew that he wouldn’t give two cartloads of donkey shit about her. And if Spades were ugly, he would’ve killed her years ago. The warrior must rid himself of what tenderness may creep in.
