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"Mother!" Nola cried "What are you doing up there?"

Still laughing, her ood idea at the ti is stuck"

How the old otten up a tree, Nola didn't even ask Nor did he volunteer the inforh he did tell about the ti's arot him down The two playmates who had previously abandoned theestions, as did several other of the townschildren Modig, it turned out, had become very popular with the children, with all the stories he had to offer of tied Nola to a cane-dueling contest, and Nola, as frantic to talk to her mother alone, was relieved when her mother told him, "Women's talk," and took Nola's arht?" Nola demanded as they walked toward the tavern

"With h the question was an odd one "Fine How about you?"

Nola ignored the ed to empty the bucket before anyone saw the spell," she said

"Yes," her mother said

"And the authorities knoas Kirho killed his father"

"Yes," her mother said

"The sad part is that I never realized Brinna was involved, that she'd helped Kirwyn She took some of Innis's money away to make everyone think an intruder had killed lnnis for his wealth, when it was really Kirwyn, to keep hi" Nola took a deep breath "And then Kirwyn killed Brinna"

Herpat "Yes," she said

Peeved that her mother didn't seem more surprised - or interested - Nola asked, "Is there anything you'd like co know about where I've been or what I've been doing?" She chuh as soon as she did, she re had a tendency to do But she wanted co h she couldn't see how herhad wanted a cane duel

Her mother didn't ask about Nola's ankle She asked, "So why did you let that good-looking youngthat her h she eant Halig wouldn't have been bad, either - not in a pinch - but Galvin was obviously s herbreath "How do you know about this?"

The question obviously a you"

"What?"

"Shhh" Herpeople's attention She tugged on her arain "You have co beme?" Nola demanded

"Well, what do you think?" her mother countered "You left your hairbrush"

Nola yanked her arrip and clapped her hands over her hair "You've been spying onh, her h Nola was dull-witted "Well, you should have guessed"

Nola supposed she should have, given that her ht her to bespell water "Don't ever do that again," Nola said

"All right" Her reed so amiably that Nola knew she would always do exactly what she felt like doing

But there was no , for they had reached the tavern, the Witch's Stew, and Nola knew they couldn't have this conversation in public She still didn't knohat herbladders fro passersby - but, all in all, it would undoubtedly be best to leave Saint Eris," Nola told her, walking around the barrel-filled wagon that was parked out front "We're leaving"

"But I like this place," her mother protested as Nola opened the door

"Mother," Nola said But then she stopped, for sitting at one of the tables were Galvin and Halig

Still, for the moment they hadn't seen her Better yet, they hadn't seen her nized

Edris the tavern keeper was just co up from the cellar, where the barrels of beer and ere stored, and this would have been fine but for one thing: Acco her were the blackberry farmer and his wife, fro her ave a little yelp of surprise "Galvin and Halig!" She turned to Nola as the two men looked up "So you did tell the to Nola she could do worse than either one of you"

The ed a startled look And - oh, yes - Nola could tell they definitely recognized herher, was just s, "Welcome back, Nol - "

But by then the blackberry far "You!" she said Then she saw Nola's mother "And you!"

Her mother threw her hands up co cover her face "Surely you have usto back up "Come, Nola"

But by then it was too late The far "It's them! The ones you were sent to arrest"

Chapter Seventeen

AFTER ALL SHE'D been through? She and herthat wasn't their fault?

Halig spoke "We were sent to question," he corrected the woe Galvin's expression, which seehing the likelihood of running into the same madwoman in two subsequent and supposedly unrelated ht He looked, she was relieved to see, as though he had taken no lasting hurt fronize her without Brinna's form He could hardly stand to look at her in her true face His gaze slid right off her and back to the co to Edris, "We hired those tomen to pick berries" Her husband for soot louder "But they broke a fine jug of ours and walked off with a bushel basket of berries"

A basket of berries?

"It is them," the wonize them" She pointed at Nola and her mother "Thieves," she said "I remember you because you waited in the yard while I prepared a fine lunch for your midday h you looked dishonest But you hardly worked at all, so that halfway through thewhen my husband went to check if all ith you, you'd broken the water jug he left you and stolen off with the lunch anda whole basketful of blackberries"

The false accusations stung "That's not true," Nola said