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So by snatched the cup out of Selwyn's hand and breezily said, "Thank you, dearie" There was nothere, and Selent to fetch more drinks to pass around

On the way back, Derian Miller, Farold's uncle, put his ar his head back toward Selwyn's father

"Yes," Selwyn said He moved to slip away, but he couldn't - stuck as he was in the space where the tavern counterobvious about it, which Kendra had never seemed to be, no matter how drunk or persistent Orik's customers became

"Sad for all of us," the miller said He was old and distracted and had - Selwyn reht to be sad as Selwyn's father More right, even, in people's view: For, though each had lost a boy he'd raised, everyone believed Selwyn's father had raised a murderer Derian's eyes et and his hand on Selwyn's shoulder shook

Selwyn flinched but ed to say calmly, "Still, it's cruel on Rowe" His father's nae in his mouth Nervously, he went to cross his arms over his chest but found his usual place between resting his arh he had a stoh up on top of his bosom, which just looked silly He let his arood heart, to worry about such things," Derian was telling him "But he isn't left tied up like that all day Thorne or Bowden or one of the others releases him several tiht he sleeps at Holt's, tied to the anvil It's just nobody dares leave him un-watched He's always been a hasty s"

Selas relieved to hear that all was not as bad as it could have been He asked, "What about" - he rerand to speak directly into his ear, and he moved in even closer

Selwyn repeated, "What about the ave his shoulder another squeeze "What a kind girl you are, Kendra! Watched, though not as closely It's been explained to each of them: Try to rescue Selwyn, and the other two members of the family will pay But Rowe - he's not the kind of- it's all over They'll probably release hihed "At least they still have each other - Rowe and Nelda I'm left with no one" Derian shook his head "No one"

The oldHis hand slipped down a bit froiven Derian's age and frailty and the circumstances - but Selas uncomfortable and felt close to panic What was he to do?

Selwyn said the first thing that came into his head "But it must have been hard for them - Selwyn and his parents - to be abandoned by their friends"

"Hard for Selwyn's parents' friends?" Derian repeated, leaning in closer yet and still"Well" - he wiped at his face - "I did my best to help, you know, that day they determined Selas the one killed my boy"

"Did you?" asked Selho had not noticed any help from Derian, and very little froht The next day at Bowden's house, before they even brought Selwyn and Rowe in, yourpast the tavern So I thought to o, and the knife - the boy is as good as convicted There's no call forabout hi his eyes out'"

"Weeping his eyes out" was an exaggeration But Selwyn had sat dohen it was apparent he couldn't get Anora's attention without risk of waking the rest of her household And he had, he grudgingly adht have looked like crying, though surely there had not been more than a tear or two Theto do with the matter at hand - with those crowded into Bowden's room; so obviously Derian had seen hi this up to impress Kendra that he, too, had a kind heart

Selas rescued fro by Holt the blacksenially on the back, saying, "Tiave Selwyn the rooave a rueful s his sorrows to a sy at his eye

"Sorry to interrupt," Holt said, "for so so trivial as a request for a drink"

"Don't let Orik hear you call a drink trivial," Selwyn said, glad for the excuse to duck beneath the counter to fetch one At the same time he mentally reminded himself, FATHER, you idiot Orik is supposed to be your father

If either Holt or Derian noticed the lapse, they didn't co h Holt was a good dozen years older than Kendra - and he moved ahile Holt leaned his elbows on the counter

Holt frowned "Is there soht back with you fro - where he'd set Farold's cage on one of the upturned barrels behind the counter Farold was hanging upside down fro

Selwyn stifled a sigh for the nocturnal habits of bats "Silly thing," he said "Sometimes it likes to pretend it's dead"

"Ah," Holt said, as though thatcup of ale in front of hi drink, then said, "It would be easier to sympathize with thewith other people across the room - "if his nephew hadn't been such a"

Selwyn raised his eyebrows, but Holt - perhaps because he thought he was talking to a lady - didn't finish

"You didn't like Farold?" Selwyn asked He fought an inclination to glance back at the cage, to shake Farold awake to make sure he heard

"Well, Farold was Farold" Holt motioned for his cup to be refilled "What else can anyone say?"

He seeh, don't you think, that Selould kill hi to say," Holt told him, "but it worked out well for irl's voice

Holt nodded "Farold loaned ain after that fire last year It's been a good year for " - Holt shook his head - "a lot of interest"

Selwynat Farold's cage Farold still hung fro, upside-down, perfectly innocent goldfinch with nothing bothering its conscience

"I still could have e with Anora was settled All of a sudden he had to have the ht away to set up a proper household for her" He finished his second drink "Nothing but the best would do Of course,to wait the original agreed-on two years"

Selwyn couldn't decide what Kendra would say He couldn't decide what he would say Could Holt have killed Farold to avoid having to pay back the money he owed? He remembered how Holt had been one of the few to speak up for hiuilty conscience? Had it been because - of theardless of the evidence?