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"Not this pilgrirumbled "Well, thirdly, I wouldn't want to share a drink with you, anyway"

But they did go to Orik's tavern, because Selwyn didn't knohat else to do

And there they found Selwyn's father

Selwyn stopped dead in the doorway

His father was in the sah that had been in the middle of Bowden's rooag was gone He sat slury, sad, and very, very bored

"Keep ," Farold muttered into his ear

Selasn't sure whether Farold, once again dangling fro hi for a drink, or if he was looking where they were going, had caught sight of Selwyn's father, and was hoping Selouldn't say or do anything to give theain because he didn't knohat else to do

There was no sign of his randmother In fact, except for Orik himself, his father was the only other person in the roo at least as dejected as Selwyn's father, jumped to his feet "At last!" he cried "A customer!"

Selwyn forced himself to look away fronize hiuise - and even if he could, Selwyn didn't want to be recognized, for that would be the end of everything, with Orik to witness it So he looked at Orik, and let Orik's words make their way from his ears to his ri to do work for a bite to eat and a corner to sleep in for a day or two"

Orik had begun wiping the table the h the table was already spotless All the tables were spotless The floor was spotless The walls were spotless Selwyn had never seen the place look so clean But at Selwyn's words, Orik flung down his cloth "Do I look as though I need to hire help?" he de and shoving to hand aze strayed back to his father, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing There weren't men tied up in the corner of every tavern, so anybody would be curious

"Yes," Orik said, seeing where he was looking "You've identified the proble, and poured ahis little bat lips, but Orik hiulp "Who wants to coood lowered, and Selwyn said, "I," and gestured helplessly

"Exactly," Orik said, and poured hiful

"So why is he here?" Selwyn asked

"Because there's no place else to keep hirim wouldn't have - couldn't have - from Orik's disjointed coeable or Orik would become suspicious So he asked, "What's he done?"

Orik becah, you don't need to know"

"No," Selwyn agreed Still, he tried to catch his father's eye, to indicate - so at him

"Go on, now," Orik told him "I can't afford charity now"

But before Selwyn could leave, the tavern door opened Selwyn hoped the arrival of someone to wait on would ierly - said, "Oh, it's you"

"You" turned out to be Thorne He ca, "Just wanted to check on Rowe"

"Of course," Orik said "Why else would anybody colance at Selwyn Selwyn read disapproval in his look, but at least nothing of recognition Selwyn supposed there was rim's appearance to disapprove of - especially around the area of his hat, at which Thorne ave a second hard stare But then the ht? Need anything?"

Selwyn's father looked at Thorne stonily

"Nelda will be bringing you your dinner soon," Thorne continued, just as though he'd been greeted pleasantly "I just passed by Bowden's and saw her packing it up"

Selwyn's father still said nothing, though Selas relieved to learn that his randmother was probably there, too, for she could be difficult, and feould be willing to take on her care

"Need to use the bucket?" Thorne asked

Still Selwyn's father said nothing

Thorne stooped down to exaer," he said

"That's supposed to rowl

Which told Selwyn they aiting for a day beyond which he couldn't be expected to have survived He had guessed it already, but it was a difficult thing to hear

Now Thorne had nothing to say He tried to lay a friendly hand on Selwyn's father's shoulder, but Selwyn's father shrugged it away

"Hey!" Orik shouted "Hey!" He swatted at the air around his head "What kind of ver in with you?"

Thorne looked around Selwyn did, too, though he already had a good guess as going on - and the na his fingers through his hair - not that there was thatout his apron and looking up, down, and around "Soht into my drink," Orik explained, presumably so Thorne wouldn't think him possessed "For four days nobody coet so vermin"

Selwyn decided to play the innocent "What?" he said blankly, still looking around, not letting his eyes rest on Farold, who fro up the drops of ale that dripped fro at Selith the expression of a man who's just bitten into a sour peach He asked Orik, "Youfro Orik's attention

"Hey!" Orik said once again, sighting hi to sound simple and harh exa withhup sounds Selas fairly certain no species of bat everat where Farold was going rather than where he was going - he tripped over a stool and lost hold of the broo and would have struck Thorne except that Thorne had the sense to move backward The only problem was that Selwyn's father's chair was there, and Selwyn's father couldn't move backward He and his chair and Thorne all spilled onto the floor, joining Orik