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Mr Tall’s midriff erupted in a fountain of dark red blood and white chips of bone For ahad happened Then he collapsed, blood pu out of the hole, his stomach torn to shreds

RV and Darius stared nuan Jaed unit they fled, RV clutching Shancus, Ja wildly at us over his shoulder

Nobody followed Our eyes were all on Mr Tall He was blinking rapidly, hands exploring the hole in his middle, lips torn back over his small black teeth I don’t think anybody kne old Mr Tall was, or where he’d co of i to think that he could have been brought low in so simple and violent a manner

Debbie snapped to her senses first and rushed towards Mr Tall, dropping her pistol, o to his aid The rest of us took a step after her?

?and stopped instantly when somebody spoke from the shadows of a nearby van "Your concern is commendable, but utterly worthless Keep back, please"

A slibly He was dressed in a sharp yellow suit and green Wellington boots He had white hair, thick glasses, and a heart-shaped watch which he irling in his left handDeshter, the witch, Evanna - short, muscular, hairy, clad in ropes instead of clothes She had a small nose, pointed ears, a thin beard, and awped at the strange pair as they stopped beside the gasping Mr Tall and gazed down at him Evanna’s face was strained Mr Tiny looked only curious With his right foot, he nudged Mr Tall where he’d been shot Mr Tall hissed with pain

"Leave him alone!" Debbie shouted

"Shut up, please, or I’ll kill you," Mr Tiny replied Though he said it sweetly, I’ve no doubt he would have struck Debbie down dead if she’d said another word Fortunately, she realized that too, and she held her tongue, tre

"So, Hibernius," Mr Tiny said "Your time here comes to an end"

"You kneould," Mr Tall replied, and his voice was remarkably firuessed"

"You could have turned aside from it Your fate was never directly linked to thesebadly, a dark pool of blood spreading out around him Evanna took a step aside to avoid the blood, but Mr Tiny let it flow around his boots, staining the soles

"Tiny!" Vancha snapped "Can you save him?"

"No," Mr Tiny replied siers of his right hand He placed his er in the centre of Mr Tall’s forehead, the adjoining fingers over his eyes, and held the thuer out at the sides "Even in death,softness then relanced up at Evanna "Goodbye, Sister"

"I will remember you," the witch answered as the rest of us looked on, stunned by the revelation I’d known about Evanna’s twin brother, born, as she was, of a union between Mr Tiny and a wolf I’d just never guessed it was Mr Tall Evanna bent and kissed her brother’s forehead Mr Tall smiled, then his body shook, his eyes ide, his neck stiffened - and he died