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"That&039;s it, number twelve Boy, that&039;s a mess, huh?"

"Very" I examined the outside of the sht-iron fence lurched drunkenly around a srass sheltering what appeared to be a rusted wheelbarrow Butterflies provided brilliant spots of color as they flitted about the yard "It&039;s not exactly what you&039;d expect from someone who used to live in the Court, is it?"

"I don&039;t know," Sarah answered thoughtfully as we got out of the car "I suppose once you&039;d lived in heaven, anything else would becrap"

The battered gate screeched painfully as I pushed it open, arden implements and boxes of unnaoing to knock, are you?" Sarah asked as I raised my hand to do just that

"Of course I a to do here?"

"Well, I don&039;t know" She clutched her hands together in an agitated ht maybe we&039;d stake out the house for a bit, and watch to see where Milo goes, and who he s like that That&039;s what I&039;d do, anyway"

"This isn&039;t one of your books, Sarah, it&039;s real life, and we don&039;t have the ti a deep breath to calm my suddenly twitchy nerves

"Yes? What is it?" The door opened, Milo&039;s wife visible as she frowned out froht I saw a flash of surprise in her eyes, and I was overcome with a sense of sioose bumps up my arms

"Hello You probably don&039;t re My friend Sarah and I were at the ghost-hunting event last night"

She didn&039;t so much as bat an eyelash "Yes?"

I trotted out my friendliest smile "I wondered if we could have a ith your husband?"

"Milo?" She frowned, giving us a look that expressed all sorts of suspicions "I suppose so"

"Thank you - " I started to walk to through the door, ju back when she closed it literally in my face "Well, damn!"

"She isn&039;t the friendliest person in the world," Sarah said behindour tiht she was just shy, and that she&039;d probably loosen up once she started roup"

"Shy isn&039;t quite the word I&039;d use to describe her," I said, rubbing my nose where it had bumped into the door I turned back to Sarah, puzzled by so she&039;d said "Once she started - "

"Hello, ladies! What a pleasure it is to see you both again, although a bit unexpected" Milo s our hands "To what do I owe this honor?"

"You&039;ll have to forgive us for stopping by without calling first, but to be honest, I wasn&039;t sure if you would see us, and I really would appreciate the chance to talk"

"Of course," he said, stepping back and gesturing toward the door "Please, come in and make yourself at home Would you like a coffee?"

"Coffee would be lovely, thank you"

He escorted us down a dimly lit hallway to a small room that was clean, but had an unused feel to it, as if it was the room saved solely for coot visitors," Milo said,a quick escape

"Quaint," Sarah pronounced after lish Do you think Milo knows that we knoho he is?"

"I&039;m not sure He&039;s a difficult old and scarlet chair, s I wished to ascertain

"Oh, I don&039;t know, he seelance "With the exception of the obvious, that is You know I don&039;t like to ments, but I&039;m not sure I like his wife What did you say her name was?"

"Carol Sarah, does she re to pinpoint what it was about her that see about someone back home, and then I&039;d have to say Janice Del Rio She used to come in and clean for ht her one day trying on my best dress"

"That&039;s not it I can&039;t quite put er on it, but she reminds me of someone I just can&039;t think of who"

"Whom" Sarah went to theto look out "Do you want me to ask him about Hope?"

"No I can ask my own questions"

"Portia, honey," Sarah turned, her hands spread wide "You know I love you like a sister, but if you have a failing, it&039;s that you&039;re invariably blunt when you want information"

I lifted my chin and looked down htforward The difference bethich you are clearly unable to appreciate"

"Call it what you will, it see Since I am the soul of tact and subtlety, why don&039;t you let me handle it?"

"I would be insulted except there&039;s not tiue with you Suffice it to say, I will be the personification of the word subtle All right?"

She sighed, and looked out theagain Silence filled the roo froanized and orderly, squirreled around, randoBut behind all that, there was a nagging sense of havingimportant that, if only I could concentrate, I could see It was at the tip of my awareness, just beyond my focus

"Here we are, then" The door opened for Milo, bearing a s, sugar bowl, and small yellol filled with the tea cookies so beloved by the English "Sorry for the wait How do you take yours?"

"Black is fine, thanks" I took a ize again for barging in like this, but I&039; you could helpSarah a cookie His eyes were the saht before, but I ise to his ways now "Anything I can do to help"

"We&039;re looking for a virtue named Hope, and I was told by someone in the Court of Divine Blood that you knew her"

"Oh yes, that&039;s subtle," Sarah nored her

"Hope?" Milo asked, his eyesthe surprise on his face "The Court?"

"Look, I know you used to be an archon there, and were later kicked out, only to have the charges against you dropped," I said, setting down h I appreciate the fact that you don&039;t like a couple of relative strangers poking around in your past, you don&039;t have to pretend you don&039;t knohat I&039; about I&039;ve seen the Akashic Record"

Milo slu over his face before he opened his eyes and gave me a short nod "It seems I don&039;t have a choice If you&039;ve seen the Record - but as it you wanted from me?"

"Let&039;s start with, why didn&039;t you tell ht, when you conducted the fourth trial?"

"It&039;s a bit complicated," he answered, his elbows on his knees as he leaned forward towardto tell you the truth because you&039;re a nice person, and I quite like you It&039;s true I concealed my position with the Court froh up in the Court that if I didn&039;t, I&039;d lose my job"

"So the fourth trial?" I frohen he nodded "That doesn&039;t make any sense All the other proctors have announced who they were, and that a trial was about to start Why wouldn&039;t so the fourth one?"

Milo stared down into his coffee, his thu "I wish I could tell you, Portia, I really wish I could But I have my wife to think of I&039;ve been banned froain All I can say is that someone doesn&039;t want you to succeed as a virtue"

"Who?" Sarah asked

"I can&039;t tell you that," he said, giving her an apologetic smile

"Well, can you narrow it down soive us some clue about who this secret enemy is? Surely Portia deserves that ratitude

"Of course she does," Milo answered, rubbing his chin as he continued to gaze into his coffee "I suppose it wouldn&039;t be breaking any confidences if I was to tell you the person ishes you ill is soland"

"Hmm Someone I&039;ve met Let&039;s see, the first person who has Court ties who look

"There was Mystic Bettina," Sarah said, her eyes narrowed in thought "And Milo and Carol, but obviously you&039;re excluded fro for a moment

"Tansy and Leticia," I continued the list

Milo&039;s expression didn&039;t change

"Who did your trial after that?" Sarah asked "I&039;ve got them in a muddle Was it the demon woman?"