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"Hardly anything," he said But his eyes seemed depthless pools of black water, and the skin around theht, bruised look to it

"Look at me," I said, and drew hiht light in his eyes and turned his face away; I took hold of his chin and turned hiht "Let ht, and felt his hot cheeks, and counted the slow pulse in his throat

Ai, Godmother, how?

I told him in a voice without expression, "She seeain"

After a pause, Lleu cried softly, "Oh, curse her!" in a high, sharp voice, like a bird screa

I said slowly, "You will be in soht, I think"

"Can’t you do anything ?" he asked

"I can," I answered, looking straight into his eyes He could hardly stand steadily, and his skin was so pale it seeo I deliberately stepped on his circlet: I keptback, "But I a to"

His voice when he spoke next was uncertain and low, but he dared to say, "Must I command you?"

I shook my head in disbelief and answered quietly, "You littering ht

XI

The Prince Betrayed

THE WOMAN SET TO watch you was asleep, nodding over the garan to ask, but you shook your head and put a discreet finger to your lips "Speak low I’ve done nothing to her"

"You have to another!"

"That was for you"

"For hed "Well, thank you But no more of it, Godmother"

"No" You sliced back and forth across the floor, exactly like one of your caged wildcats, I the hare oryou would not notice that I was there But I was there ofhow you would strike

You inking hard, fitting what you had to say to words that only I could understand should someone else happen to hear you "I want you to hunt for me," you said at last

"What quarry?" I asked cauti v toously

"I want the sun" Then you fell silent for a ti as you cloaked your treachery in words mysterious as mummers’ costumes "If you were a prisoner in blackness, in the cold, if you were an exile in a place of chill and darkness, you would wish that the sun were yours to coht and warmth to your whim and pleasure The sun in your hand, the sun for a ransom--then see the oppressive shadows bend to your will!"

You stopped, facing me, your hands in fists "The sun," I repeated, et you the sun?"

You hissed in disgust, "You stupid boy!" and turned away, to strip leaves from the little lemon tree Ginevra had set in the , and then to tear theers

I hissed in answer, "Godmother, I do knohat you ht patter on the tiles as the torn leaves fell froht"

"You are pledged to ed to both, I may decide not to fail either trust" But I waited to hear what else you ht say "Why should I hunt for you more than another?"

You did not speak aloud For answer your lips forle silent word, which I heard as clearly as if you had shouted it: "Kingship"

"Temptress," I taunted, tempted

You whispered, "The boy outshines you as surely as the noon sun outshines the moon in eclipse You know it; you hate him for it When I tested your loyalty last summer your defense of him retched"

"I had not known it was a test"