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"They won't realize that you've" He hesitated, then said, "rescued," and she snorted He took a deep breath "They won't realize that you've rescued me" He drifted off, unsettled

"Then they'll have a pleasant surprise a year from noon't they?" she said in a tone that hinted she didn't entirely believe that would be the case

Selwyn spoke quickly, for she'd started to turn back around "But ht do soht try to rescue o after Bowden, who sentenced ht do the sa him blankly

"I'm worried that ifrash that will endanger his own safety"

Elswyth said, "Are you trying to ask so?"

She was a witch, Selwyn reminded hirandmother, she was not used to the love and concern of fain tomorrow I'll carry your pack out for you," he assured her hastily "I'll accoo But I want to stop by home first, and letback in a year"

"But you won't," Elswyth pointed out "For surely your villagers would take your continued existence badly"

"Oh" Selas eht of that "Then, I'll tell my parents that I'm unharmed, but that, obviously, I won't be able to return home They'll be satisfied with that, if they have to be, so long as they know I' her head "If you suspect that your father eance, surely others will have the saht They'll have set up a watch on hiht

"Then," Selwyn said desperately, "can you send word to them?"

"Would that be before or after your father tries his rash scheest?" Selwyn cried out in frustration

"That you let the world take care of itself," Elswyth said

"We're not talking about the world," Selwyn said "We're talking about my faave away nothing of what she was thinking

Selwyn tried to control his ragged breathing "I need," he said, "to prove that I didn't kill Farold That's the only way I'll ever be able to return That's the only waywhat it was"

Elswyth's eyebroent up skeptically, but she didn't contradict hi that the year I proive you be delayed, until after I've provenin return?"

Selwyn tried to evaluate her, as she so clearly kept evaluating hireed

Selwyn's heart sank But if he could survive a year in her service, surely he could survive two

Elswyth said, "You will givethe start of that service until to?" Selwyn squeaked

"You asked for tonight"

"But that was to explain to my parents," Selwyn said, "not to undertake to proveopen and generous "How long? If you never succeed, does that ation to me?

There must be a time limit, after which you will come to me whether you have achieved your quest or not" Selas about to say he supposed that was fair, when she said, "One week In exchange for one ive me a third year"

"But - "

"If you haven't accomplished what you propose in one week, what makes you think you'll ever be able to? If you feel, at the end of that week, that you are close to proving your innocence, coed"

Selwyn had a vision of the entire rereed or not?" Elswyth asked

"Agreed," Selwyn said, for he had no choice "Except - "

This called her back as she was once again beginning to turn to leave

Elswyth sighed loudly, as though she was the one who kept losing in this bargaining "What?"

"What would it cost me to buy a spell froave him at that

"What kind of spell?" she asked

"A spell to prove my innocence"

"You will have to be more specific than that," she told him

Selwyn considered There were only two people who knew for a fact that he was innocent: he hilance at Farold's shrouded body Well, actually, counting the dead man, that made three He sed hard and said to Elswyth, "You know a great deal about dead bodies"

"I'm well read," she told hi the dead back to life?"

"No," she said But she paused to deliberate Selwyn held his breath, which had nothing to do with the smell She said, "Well, perhaps But only teet his voice to work, knowing he was getting himself into the darkest sorceries He asked, "On what?"