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Augustus Kleinerhoff looked truly abashed He stood in the entry-hall of Chateau Ragoczy, his heavy cloak flung open, his thick boots shedding ice shards on the carpet, his face so hang-dog that his greeting was rant I see you well; the brewer&039;s son has a fever, and we fear it may be typhus: there was so o, we cannot but worry for him I am here to speak with the Comte," he said to Balduin

"Would you like him to treat the boy?" Balduin asked

"No At least not now Perhaps, if he does not improve-" He spoke a little louder "An escort fro istrate hi equal amounts of embarrassment and officiousness

Balduin considered his response, affecting a lack of apprehension "The Comte is busy at present If I may ask you to wait in the reception room, I will send a footent," Kleinerhoff insisted as he shed his cloak and handed it to Balduin "I have been sent ahead to infor advantage of the good weather to begin his inquiries into the robbers who have caused so in here, where it is believed the criminals have protection from-that is yet to be determined" He cleared his throat "There have been runore, for the events of the last year would seeion" He could not conceal his pride at this honor of announcing the arrival of the Magistrate even as he felt ashaoczy&039;s excellent reputation; this would be likely to coood opinion no ood weather should last another day or two," said Balduin, shutting out the brilliant January sunshine as he shut the door

"Yes This winter has been much kinder than the previous two, at least so far" This attempt at banter failed "The road is fairly passable just now"

"I see," said Balduin, indicating the way to the reception rooht to you, and a bite to eat, as well"

Kleinerhoff was more confused by this kind offer, but he strove to maintain a proper de around toward the corridor, nervousnesshied and steadied "Magistrate Lindenblatt will be here within the hour You must have preparations to make"

"Very good I will have the Co while Kleinerhoff let hi&039;s head-man was properly bestowed, he went off to the kitchen, where he found Rogier with Uchtred,the cloak on a drying rod near the open hearth, and said, "Kleinerhoff is here He needs to see the Count"

Uchtred paused in his cutting free the shanks "Does he intend to stay to eat?" then added to the youngup the fire beneath the spit, "Soak this in red wine"

"No, but he should be given hot wine and soe He has come frohtfully "The Magistrate fro within the hour If you could prepare a collation for hiuess there will be four or five of them in all I&039;ll build up the fire in the parlor Where are the footier set aside his knife and rinsed his hands, wiping theth of soft cotton "One isn&039;t needed: I&039;ll go tell the Co?"

"He&039;swith this household," said Balduin "According to Kleinerhoff"

Rogier took this in with no visible signs of dismay "Just so I&039;ll attend to the Coood," said Balduin "By the here are the others?"

Uchtred glanced about nervously "I sent the in a couple of rabbits froo outside; we&039;ve all been cooped up for well over a week, and this is the first decent day since the sky cleared Steffel is cleaning out the ashes in the bake-house oven Hochvall is supervising the farrier in the stable and organizing a roo harness and tack Fraulein Wendela and Frau Anezka are in the side-yard, airing the blankets Peder is repairing the leak in the stable&039;s cistern The weather won&039;t hold, and I thought-along with the rest of the staff-that we shouldthe annual household inventory, said, "It is wise to make the most of these opportunities-they are so few"

"No doubt," said Rogier as he took off the butcher&039;s apron he earing and reached for his coat "If you will take refreshments to Herr Kleinerhoff?"

"I will," said Balduin, and went to take down a silver tray, and a sistrate Lindenblatt I&039;ll set with porcelain and silver for hian to put the sectioned lae metal container "I will attend to this directly I have brandied fruit that I can serve with honey-rolls, along with monk&039;s-head cheese; I&039;ll serve that to the head-man as well, with pickled onions I&039;ll work out a center-dish for the Magistrate shortly" This last was ier went up the backstairs and hastened to Ragoczy&039;s laboratory He stopped outside the main door to the laboratory and waited to coier," said Ragoczy, pulling hilass and the notes he wasin the opened journal beside it

"Kleinerhoff has coistrate Lindenblatt"

"Magistrate Lindenblatt? Why should the Magistrate of Yvoire be cooczy held up his hand "I knohat itthe robber-bands in the ier asked

"At this time of year, what else could it be? There have been hints and speculation about the robbers&039; connection to me for months My taxes are current, my land is maintained, and my staff has been paid, so there can be no co an inquiry with a foreigner of position so that other landholders will assist him more readily"

"Kleinerhoff said it is an inquiry about the robbers, according to Balduin There are no particulars that I aion, and the disinclination of officials to ioczy shook his head "How petulant that sounds I apologize, old friend"

"You have good reason to be wary of officials, although Magistrate Lindenblatt isn&039;t Teleoczy "Nor is he Filipo Quandt"

"Who iss, like the Magistrate: ier paused

"We must hope that Lindenblatt is not of Quandt&039;s inclinations," said Ragoczy "It would be very useful to have Gutesohnes return before the next storm He will be needed shortly As capable as Rand es any distance, especially not in storms" The fifteen-year-old had been hired the previous Nove inns less than half a day&039;s ride froreed, then asked, "Speaking of those absent, Madaone to the horse-pasture to sketch She said she would be back by four"

"When the light fades," said Rogier "Is anyone with her?"

"Fraulein Serilde is with her They will not dawdle once the sun sinks below the peaks, and with the wind increasing" Ragoczy glanced toward the shining s "I should changeHe will expect suitable regard for his presence" He thought for several silent seconds, "And I should probably write a note to Kreuzbach; I may need an advocate before this is over"

"Will you want to dispatch a ier asked

"Not just yet, and not with the weather about to change" He indicated the shining sky outside his unshuttered s "You can see how it isthose thin ribbons of clouds"

"You&039;re certain of that?" Rogier asked, squinting at the s and the vista beyond "Thin clouds are co so ephemeral as weather The wind has shifted to the north-east and the ice on the pond is thicker This sunshine is just an interoczy reached over and closed his journal "I will change, see Kleinerhoff, and then go on to my study You will find a note to Kreuzbach in ier nodded "If you need his advice, I will find someone to carry it to Speicher, someone reputable"

"I need not have asked, old friend" He stopped at the door and rocked back on his heel "We would do well to go carefully Tell the staff to be helpful to the Magistrate, and to take care to answer any questions he ier

"It is what is needed," said Ragoczy as he opened the door "I heard wolves last night"

"As bad as last year?" Rogier asked

"No, nor as bad as the year before But they are proof that spring is still some weeks away All the livestock ht" He rubbed his chin "The shave is still good enough I have another four or five days left before the next one"

"That&039;s so," said Rogier

"I take it you have ordered refresh to their preparation"

"Thank you, old friend I will be in my study in twenty minutes or so" He went out the door and started down the hall toward the stairs, pausing only when he heard a door on the floor below being quietly closed; it sounded as if it ht be the library or the music rooht be on this floor? And ould anyone be doing in the library or thetoo ready to see enemies in the ork: this was not China or Peru or Delhi or Russia, and although he was a foreigner, he was not without position in the region He continued down to his private apartant ar with three co a reflection, he paid no attention to the fine pier lass that stood next to the closet; pulling off his coat, he left it over the largest chest and went to the armoire to select one of more formal cut: he settled on a new, double-breasted claw-tail coat of black Florentine wool, the revers finished in black-silk twill This he pulled on and began to check the folds of his silken cravat; nothing felt obviously awry, so he buttoned his coat, tugged at the heo down to discover what Herr Kleinerhoff had to tell hi the servants&039; stairs so that he could see what the state of preparation was in the kitchen before seeking out his visitor

Rogier was back in the kitchen when Ragoczy walked into it; he perused Ragoczy&039;s change of clothing and very nearly sh to re as he is willing to listen to oczy "Uchtred is-"

"In the creaetting creaoczy "And where is Herr Kleinerhoff?"

"In the reception roooczy, then added, "Perhaps itvisit? They istrate and his escort unprepared"

"I&039;ll attend to it," said Rogier, nodding to Uchtred as he cae wooden containers in his hands "He is going to istrate, and offer the brandied fruit with this &039;s bread Brandy and wine, of course"

Uchtred set down the creas in half an hour"

"That should suffice, but delay your oh the door," said Ragoczy, and continued on through the kitchen toward the front of the chateau He tapped once on the reception roo into a curl of ain, head-s"

"Coet hisBelatedly he shoved himself to his feet "IComte, Iyou must excuse-" Tall and bulky as he was, his size oczy

"Youthe tray atop the whatnot near the Dutch room-stove