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I lifted aze firm on the nearest Hashmallim as I took the hardest step forward I&039;d ever taken "I as in ret, but I am not evil I don&039;t abuse animals or children I don&039;t steal, try not to lie, and only kill really nasty bugs that are atteood and bad, I aood"

The Hash e of one of thee that I was round slipped out fro I opened rassy lawn of the Petitioner&039;s Park as it zoo around watching, Theo crouching on the ground over an inert body - they all rushed up todown to the earth

"Aieeeeeeeee," I screa wildly

Theo leaped back fro up toward me I had a moment to see stark astonishment on his face

"Catch me!" I yelled

He leaped forward, his arround a foot away from him, my fall somewhat broken by the soft lawn It wasn&039;t so soft that it cushionedout bits of lawn,been slas

"Portia! Salus invenitur! Tell lare at hirass "Exactly what part of &039;catch me&039; wasn&039;t clear to you?"

"Wo me up to an embrace that would have broken the ribs of a lesser wo to be the death of you?" I looked pointedly at the Portia-shaped faint indentation made on the lawn

"I&039;ain I thought I&039;d lost you

I&039; him back when his lips found mine Ow

How badly are you hurt?

I doubt it&039;s anything major I wouldn&039;t want to ravish you on the spot if it ould I?

He chuckled in my mind The desire is mutual, you know What happened to you?

I ran into a couple Hashmallim

You what?

"It would appear you have passed the fifth trial," Disin said as Theo helped htening up slowly Other than an ache in round, I see the fall I&039;d taken "So I gather"

It was small of me, I know, but I found satisfaction in the fact that Disin looked nonplussed

"This result is not e anticipated," she continued "We will discuss the raether Around us, the croas oddly hushed, the expressions onit clear that few people had expected me to pass the fifth trial I took satisfaction in their surprise, as well

"What did the Hashrass froht out ofOh, there was the fact that they returned round, but that point pales in relation to the fact that I didn&039;t die from the drop Why wasn&039;t I more seriously injured? I&039;m not iift of a virtue, though, so that makes you more or less an immortal candidate You have a bitto bicker about that," I said, pressing carefully on

"We have co toward h his

"Child, come forward" Irina, the white-haired mare, nodded at me

Disin had her mouth open, as if she was about to speak, but she snapped her teeth closed at Irina&039;s words

Theo and I walked to the old wonarled by arthritis toward the grass at her feet

We knelt before her She took Theo&039;s face in both her hands, peering intently into his eyes I felt a jolt of surprise in him at her examination

What is it? I asked

Before he could answer, Irina nodded at Theo and released his face, only to take rip She tilted my head back so she could look deep into aze oneverything I was, stripping away all the layers of societalmy true core to her faded eyes

"Child, you are lost," she said, still exa beetle pinned to a board "Your path is hidden You have much to do to find it, but I believe you will You will be released to do just that"

Irina releasedboth hands on her cane to push herself to her feet I wobbled forward for athe soul-stripping ended Theo grabbed my arm, and pulled me up to my feet

The other two mare stood as well

"It is decided that thewill be released," Disin said in a loud voice, her eyes cold as she turned topure, thus you will not be held Your behavior in this place, however, is beyond tolerance You are hereby banned from the Court of Divine Blood"

A hundred whispered comments rippled the air behind us

Thank theenerosity," I said, trying hard to keep any trace of the sarcas my words I turned to leave, but Disin stopped , but you have not satisfied us that you do not have some involvement in the death of the virtue named Hope"

"I haven&039;t" I shook my head, confused "I don&039;t understand Doesn&039;t passing the test prove I have a pure heart? How can I have a pure heart and have htened "Even purity is subjective to interpretation What we call a heartless ood Thus, it is entirely possible that in your mind your heart is pure"

"But"

"If you did not kill Hope, the onus is upon you to prove who did," Disin interrupted "Should you fail to do so by the new iven to you, and banished from the Court forever"

When&039;s the new moon? I asked Theo, more than a little stunned by the mare&039;s demand

I&039;m not sure A week, I think Perhaps two

Like we don&039;t have enough to do, noe have to figure out what happened to Hope?

I&039; to have much of a choice

"I am a physicist, not a detective," I told Disin "Don&039;t you people have some sort of a police force that would be better suited to investigate her death? Aren&039;t those Hashuys your security people?"

"If you are not responsible for her death, then you are in the best position to determine who did cause it," Disin said dis murderers - "

"You suoes responsibility"

I felt like screaic? "I understand that, but it doesn&039;t follow that I&039;ll kno to find out who killed her"

Portia, do not continue It will do no good; they&039;veabout detecting!

Then ill learn Thank the oat, you know

I know But we have no choice

He had a point

"Thank you again for your generosity," I said, hoping that the sarcashts wasn&039;t evident in my words

Disin inclined her head, and left the park with the other twobustled up to us as the re crowd dispersed to their various destinations "You must leave the Court noill escort you to the exit"

"We can find our oay out - " I started to say

"I will escort you," he said with a ful look in his eye

We suffered his presence in silence as alked through the cobblestoned streets to the wooden doorway that led back to the norh the doorway, back to the sht of the world seemed to descend upon my shoulders

"Nohat do we do?" I asked, hopelessness welling within ers on the hand he still held "Noeetling, we find aa ht struck me "But I know someone who used to write mysteries before she switched to romances"