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"Oh," Farold said

"'Oh,'" Selwyn repeated And, when Farold didn't continue, "That's a fine defense you offer, Farold"

"I don't need to offer a defense," Farold said "I'm the deadabout whoa nasty, worthless creature"

"You know, I can leave whenever I want," Farold warned him "People don't shout at you in the afterlife"

It was a worriso all sorry for you and concerned about your bruised feelings, then I learn that you're so thoughtless, you would demand Holt pay you back when you knew that would have ruined him"

"It wouldn't necessarily have ruined hiht have hurt a bit But I needed the money I couldn't very well marry Anora and ask her to move into my little room under the stairs And we couldn't all move into Uncle Derian's room or ask him to trade rooms with us: 'Excuseroom at the front of the house and up off the street, to the cubbyhole right next to the machinery?' The only as to build on a new room, and it had to be furnished With Uncle Derian neverat the mill sincein froht "Didn't you? Or has theof it?" Maybe, he thought, DERIAN had killed Farold Derian, living at the mill, certainly had a better opportunity for it than Merton or Orik or Thorne or Holt, or even Linton, who had been Selwyn's first suspect If Farold'sthe mill to lose moneyand maybe he had refused to turn it back over to Derian

But Farold was shaking his head "No," Farold said, obviously offended "The mill made more money this year under me than any year previously"

"Well, if you had so much money, why did you need what you'd loaned Holt?"

"Because Derian is still the owner The ht how his father had been willing to help clear the new field when there had been the possibility that Selwyn ht marry Anora But fa to advance the money to Farold, Selwyn supposed he could see how Farold would panic and turn to Holt Though Anora, he was sure, would have understood and wouldn't have demanded luxurious accommodations She was too sweet and kindhearted to allow harht," Selwyn said, "so not Derian That leaves Orik, who thinks you're the father of his unin counting

"And Wilona, for the same reason," Farold pointed out

Selwyn's iht about it The ht, apparently counting on his being asleep, on his not putting up a fight A wo as a man, may well have chosen this kind of a sneak attack "Maybe," he acknowledged, and counted off his forefinger Then he went on, "Or Holt, so he wouldn't have to pay you back the money he owed you Or Thorne, to make sure you didn't tell people what you knew about his son Or Alden, for black him - "

"Alden?" Farold hooted "Alden is a wonderful suspect if you don't mind that he doesn't live here anymore Come back from God-knohere to kill me nine ht without a trace?"

"Maybe," Selwyn insisted, but he put down the finger that represented Alden Then he put it back up as he resu "Linton, so the mill would pass down to hinored hi with six "And Merton"

"Why would Merton want me dead?"

"I have no idea," Selwyn said "But he's the one person besides you who knew about the knife"

Farold didn't argue

"There wasn't anybody else who knew about the knife, was there?"

"No," Farold said

"So ould Merton want you dead?" Selwyn asked

"I already told you: I don't know"

"I thought youyou failed to tell me before Like with Alden and Thorne and Holt and, to a certain extent, Kendra Is there?"

"No," Farold said gru more and more possibilities, but nobody for who any closer to proving anything"

"I know," Selwyn grumbled "Tomorroe'll have to find some excuse to take a look at your roo there"

"We can try," Farold said "But I doubt, after alht he was probably right, but he only said, "In the e" He unfastened the twine that held the door, which was really an enchanted bit of vine tied on pieces of sticks "Try flying around the houses of the suspects Maybe you'll see or overhear so"

Farold fluttered around the rooe "Oh, that's very likely," he said with exaggerated enthusias, and what I'll overhear is Snoring"

"I'll leave the cage door open so you can get in and out," Selwyn said, ignoring his sarcas tomorrow Try to stay out of people's way If anybody asks, I'll have to say you escaped But Kendra is so well liked that everyone will try to recapture you for her Still, ularly so that we can tell each other e've learned"