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"Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch!" Selwyn ducked and covered his head

Elswyth abandoned hi for a woe She popped back up fro to stay there and let it beat you senseless?"

"Too late!" Farold called

Selwyn had hoped that if he didn't fight back, the broom would leave him alone, but apparently that was not to be He climbed back over the wall - difficult as that ith the broo him all the while But as soon as he dropped over onto the other side, the ill-tempered broom let hians!" she shouted again, and slammed the door shut

But still Selas not safe

Elswyth sain "Fool!" she said "What did you think you were doing?"

"I was looking for you," Selwyn said

"And I," Elswyth said, "was looking for one of the ingredients I need for one of ht from the she sheep of a witch, and you ruined that for ain later"

She sht coe?" she deht; he'd just meant to point out he hadn't ruined the spell perain "Why did you want to see me? Are you ready to start your seven years of service? Have you proven who murdered the bat?"

"Not exactly," Selwyn admitted

Farold snorted "He's narrowed down the list of suspects," he said "He nos it wasn't hiuessed that noas probably not the best ti for favors, but he couldn't wait He said, "People were suspicious of ri why I was asking so many questions"

Elswyth smiled

Selwyn kneas in trouble

Chapter Thirteen

"So," said Elswyth, "are you asking for a new disguise, or for a new plan entirely?"

"Soht be helpful," Selwyn said hopefully

He should have known better

She said, "Advice costs the sauise: one year's service But if I have to stand here and listen to your whole boring life story so that I can figure out your best course of action, that's six additionalhow patient she could be, Selwyn hurriedly said, "A new disguise, please"

"Rich ," Farold whispered in such a tiny voice he was probably trying to sound like the voice of Selwyn's ownhim, Selwyn explained to Elswyth, "The probleht I uised as someone they know Can you do that? Can you make me look exactly like a particular person?"

"If your description is good enough," Elswyth assured hiet a bucket of water so you can see your reflection and you and the bat can guide es Of course, that takes e you two years"

Why wasn't that a surprise?

"Well, that's brilliant," Farold said "Two years to disguise you as a particular person, and how many to make sure that you and that particular person don't both walk into the same particular roo," Selwyn explained, "it would have to be someone who doesn't live in Penryth anymore"

"Like you and hbor Thorne's eldest son, a few years older than Selwyn and Farold, and gone with the passing of last year, when he'd left to seek alife than that of a far a little bat hoot, "Alden Thorneson?" - even though there was only one Alden in the village "What makes you think anybody would talk to hiood-for-nothing bully that he is No body likes him Even more than nobody likes you Why, I could tell you stories - "

Elswyth groaned - loudly "I'e you six reat yawn, then s to Selwyn, she asked, "So, is this Alden Thorneson your choice, or just a passing thought?"

Selwyn hesitated as Farold shook his head frantically He probably shouldn't go around looking like sos "What kind of stories could you tell?" he asked Farold "Tell , the worst"

Farold concentrated for a ht He burned down Holt's s a storm," Selwyn said

Farold just looked at him

"Wasn't it?" Selwyn asked

Elswyth said, "Just because a fire starts during a storm doesn't mean the storm caused the fire"

"Exactly," Farold said "The old biddy rudging even this praise, and added, "Sometimes"

Elswyth bared her teeth at hi to believe that anybody could be that destructive Holt had lost everything in that fire "What ot along Alden liked to think up ways to torrease on the firewood Holt kept out back, so that when Holt went to use the wood, the fire smoked and stank, and it was near irease on the to cart the whole load away and chop new Holt was always co to Thorne about one bit of nuisance or another that Alden was causing, and the ued him"

Selas about to say that this was little otten hi Farold, when Farold continued, "But the night of the fire, I was co fro to keep at least a bit out of the rain I saw Alden coht on behind him to indicate it was late business he was up to It never occurred tohorseshoe nails, but he must have put a hot eht, till just about the ti started And then" Farold waved his wings, indicating the blacksht have beenhe was up to," Selwyn pointed out "And just coincidence about the ti"

"Except," Farold said, "then as it - when I confronted hi to pay ave a hoot of laughter "You black bat?"

"No," Farold said He readjusted his wings "I justaccepted money from himnot to tell anybody what I'd seen"