He looked at the ceiling, then at the floor, then at the officials in a general sweep.
"Which room is he in," Jackal said.
One of the officials spoke without raising his head from the bowing position.
"The emperor is resting in his private chambers, lord. His injuries from the engagement require time to—"
"Which room," Jackal said again.
The official gave the location.
Jackal stood, adjusted his coat, and walked out of the throne room.
The officials remained kneeling until his footsteps had fully faded, and then stayed kneeling a while longer after that just to be certain.
The pig emperor's private chambers were large in the way that everything in the pig kingdom was large, the furniture scaled for a creature that stood a hundred feet in battle form even if the recovery form was considerably more compact, and the emperor himself was lying in the reduced form on an enormous bed surrounded by the medical attendants his injuries had made necessary.
