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Oh, for goodness sake, Nola thought in exasperation How had Kirwyn pulled that off? Still, it was none of her business

She was happy to gather from what she overheard that Brinna and Alan had not beenthe two servants of the house for theabout a buckec, or witchcraft, or a pair of serving women who had been dis She was not happy to learn that word had been sent to Lord Pen da ran, whose estates included che town of Hays to seek outquestions and looking around

But surely he wouldn't be looking around the root cellar, she told herself Not so soon

Or would he? One of the things Nola learned was that the silvers: The silver he had fashioned into jewelry and trinkets was still there, scattered about the floor and his body But the strongbox was opened - indicating the silversmith had been compelled to show the thief where his money and unworked silver was hidden - and noas empty Yet Innis had shouted out in alarm just as the killer struck him The question that seemed to be on everybody's lips was, How had the intruder, carrying all that otten out of the house, out of the yard, and off the street so fast?

Nola knew there had been no intruder, but she also wondered, briefly, what Kirwyn had- with the contents of the strongbox But a more ient assu money? Everyone seeuessed, a thorough search would have to include the silversht include the house

What if the house had been searched already? What if she was already too late?

Nola began to seek out a place where she could be alone to work a spell, so that she could , see if it was safe to return There were certainly enough puddles froht's rain All she had to do was find one behind so, or in an out-of-the-way corner, or -

She was so busy craning her neck to see between the vendors' stalls that she walked into someone

"Excuse round off to the side

"It's all right," said a voice she recognized "But it's easier to see where you're going if your eyes and your feet are pointed in the sa Brinna

"I - I'ht," Brinna repeated She sot that Brinna couldn't recognize her and saw only a ragged and dirty twelve-year-old boy, a clu Brinna's faht the inclination to blurt out, "I need to calk to you I knoho killed Innis, and I fear your life is in danger, coo Please crust me" But Nola herself trusted no one How could she ask someone to have faith in her? She had spent too one One of che three young women clustered around Brinna elbowed Nola out of the way "We were talking," this one sneered, in that tone used solely by irate young wo to be worth notice

One of the others tugged on Brinna's ar her to upend the basket in which she carried the ite what Nola caught a glimpse of Brinna's friend demanded of Brinna, "Tell us about this man Galvin that Lord Pendaran sent"

Brinna turned away froht - "

"I don't mean that," the woman said "I mean, what's he like?" And before Brinna could do han says he's very attractive"

Brinna laughed "Reaghan should know She nearly fell out of thetrying to get a better look"

Reaghan must have been the one with the pointy elbows She looked down her nose at the others and said, "Well, he orth the risk He has beautiful eyes"

"He does have kind eyes," Brinna agreed

"And a very nice shan added

"And ht - more sense than all three of her friends combined

The third friend said, "I don't know If he looks as good as Reaghan says, I'd let him askfor hiht She'd heard accounts of hoitches were questioned, and she didn't find a

Nola couldn't just continue to stand on the fringe of the group, hoping to pick up inforht Any moment now one of Brinna's friends was sure to comment on street urchins who eavesdropped on the conversations of their betters Besides, they were only eager to hear about the man who had been sent to inquire about the murder Apparently they had learned earlier all they wanted to about the murder itself Reluctant as Nola was to separate herself from the one friend she had in Hay women

Almost at the end of the row of vendors, she found a spot behind one of the stalls that ard to get to, and was shielded from easy view Best of all, it included a nice puddle Nola took out her square of wool that held the hairs Let this be Alan's, she hoped She hated the thought of seeing Kirwyn, dreading that shesolanced around to make sure the place was truly as deserted as it seeic words and tossed the curliest of the brown hairs into the muddy water

To her relief, Alan's for in the silversmith's shop He had his aruilty about so Nola could syuilty when anything rong, even if she had nothing to do with it

It turned out Kiras there, coo, after all, looking puffy-eyed and distraught Liar, Nola thought

And then there was one more man, who had to be the one sent by Lord Pendaran, for she could tell by his clothing that he was neither artisan nor si Lord Galvin, the young women had said Nola probably wouldn't have noticed if Brinna's friends hadn't made such a fuss - for she didn't think people's appearances as i, and Nola decided to hold that against him In contrast to Alan's air of threatened anxiety and Kirwyn's act of grieving son, Galvin looked ht, so froht in the rain She had no sy, which hinted at a lack of experience in dealing with ood or ill as far as Nola was concerned On principle, she concluded it probably , and because his voice was quiet and there was noise from the street by the market stalls, the water didn't carry his words to Nola

Lord Pendaran's man spoke more confidently, and his voice was clear He said, "So when you ran into the serving girl - "

"Brinna," Alan said, and Nola caught from the other's expression that he had already been told the na the clever person he was, in a lord's employ and not just some servant in a silversmith's household