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"But you didn’t tell the uessed

"After I assured His Honor that I had dispelled the spirit froed for the mayor’s opponent to withdraw from the election" He sat back on his heels and watched the flames catch "Directly after that, he and his aide left Rumsen"

He hadn’t killed them, as everyone had believed "You blackmailed him"

"I persuaded hiht enjoy more success in the political arena" He rose and brushed soat ic any more than I do" And now I had proof of it "You’re an investigator like me You only dress it up with spells and nonsense to hide your uise the blade you used on the snuffe outside court? Was it soh the floors at Morehaven?"

"Come here, Charmian" He removed a dust drape froestured for me to take a seat in it When I did, he said, "I will answer your questions, but youfor me"

My first, automatic response was to refuse, but Dredels, and had provided safe sanctuary for me I owed him some cooperation, and we both knew it "What do you want?"

"Take off your pendant and hand it to me"

The moment I did, I knew Harry would appear, but at least Dredmore wouldn’t be able to see him I reached up, unfastened the catch, and held out the chain to hirandfather’s ed at Dredmore, who quickly pocketed the pendant As soon as he did, Harry turned semitransparent

"Why on earth did you do that, you silly twit?" randfather shouted

"Because I asked her to" Dredmore looked directly at Harry "Hello, Ehrich"

"You know ain "Hang on You can see hih to cast a shadow on the faded but still colorful Turkish rug "He’s onlya pretense so he can use you You must leave here at once"

"You’d rather send her out to die in the snow than tell her the truth?" Dredry expression reflected in the oval mirror above the mantel "She’s your own flesh and blood, old man She deserves to knowher"

"He seerandfather The thought of how he had possessed Connell at Morehaven, and the prospect of hiesture at a cluster of brass-studded bronze leather armchairs "Why don’t we all sit down and talk about this?"

"Sit down and talk With hih "You don’t knohat spawned him, or what his sort can do" He looked at Dredmore for the first time, and there was pure hatred in his eyes "But I know, boy I know exactly what you are"

"Have you told her what you’ve done?" Dredmore asked this with exquisite courtesy "Why don’t you explain that, Ehrich? Or are you leaving that for others to do, just as you did in France?"

"I knoas Houdini," I told Dredmore, and watched the white puff of my breath float from " He eyed randfather "No more half-truths, Ehrich Tell her who you were before you took possession of that Crown spy Who you hen Harry White led his regiment into the Bréchéliant, and what you hen you ca, and the ticking of the great clock by the door seeh to torment, to use, to manipulate, but not worthy of the truth Fortunately for you, Char your pardon" I stared at him "Your what?"

"Your what?" Harry strode forithout looking, banged into an end table, and caught it before it toppled When he took his hand froers "Your fathertaken Like the others, Jack deserved it But his battle was never yours You can bloody well do as you like, but you won’t drag hter into it"

"She’s in it to her ears" Dredht by her, Ehrich More than a thousand of them, I should think But you sacrificed her, and her randmother on the altar of Queen and country and your own pathetic schemes"

"So now you’ll cut her throat?" Harry’s eyes took on a strange purple glow "I will end you first, boy"

The h time for me to intervene "Whatever quarrel you two have with each other, it’s nothing to do with me Lucien, I can look after myself, so stuff your protection Harry, I’ on whatever feud you have with Drede reaction to learning that Harry was randfather "Is there anyone who likes you?"