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Ry knelt to take a look for himself I felt embarrassed

"Lendill says to tell you he was serious," Tory said "What did he ask you?"

"Nothing," I said, trying to rise Tory got to his feet first, then pulled me up Ry stood, too

"Whatever it was, he said it was driving him crazy," Tory went on "And he wants to talk to you about it as soon as you get back"

"Is there any way to not go back?" I asked sarcastically

"Reah, he gets on ood at his job He has to be"

"Don’t ask her to let soo--not yet anyway," Ry countered "We haven’t been treated like that Em-pah is still in a snit over it"

"E about

"Grarins

"Oh" What did Wylend have to do with all this? He’d been there when I woke after the whole shooting and clai incident Karzac had sent hi when Tory herdedTory and Ry left the bedroo?" I saw his face and wanted to cry Only then did I realize how much I missed him Lendill’s Schaff’s words had unsettled e proposal fro about me? Where had that come fro I wanted to, though I wanted to skip away to where he rap my arms around his neck and tell hi through a co offered was doing funny things to my insides We talked about Grish and his death We talked about the planting and pending harvest in six eight-days We talked about a lot of things Teeg brought up soh I knew I hadn’t seen Delvin and a couple of Arvil’s other wizards for a few days Arvil hadn’t toldseveral courtesans to take to Zephili," Teeg informed me "Don’t trust any of them" My eyebrows lifted in alarm at his comment I knew not to trust Delvin or the others--was this a ploy to get rid of us, just as Arvil was getting close to harvesting his dream?

"Arvil had me send out invitations, too, Reah--to all his business associates It’ll coincide with the harvest Do I need to tell you to be careful?"

"No" I ducked o to Farzi, too, and tell hi had toldter he loveda for told me he sent out invitations, I sent thewith Teeg

Does thathere until the harvest? Ry asked

I don’t know, I returned Arvil hasn’t said anything toeither He’s bringing several courtesans--Delvin and two other wizards went to pick the’s up, Tory agreed

Delvin wants what Arvil has--he was lying when he said that he didn’t knohat Haral was up to I was pouting as I sent the ? Tory was staring at ot bigger I think he’s bringing those girls to help hiet what he wants Those other wizards--I don’t think they understand how a to get what he wants, including sacrificing his best friends Bel caence or experience to run Arvil’s empire, Ry snorted aloud He has no idea about the business end of things If all he can do is sneak around trying to undermine people, with the occasional murder here and there, the best he’ll beco--which is exactly what he is Even if he kills Arvil, there are too many others out there ould have his liver for breakfast The Hardloould kill hi to reconcile the wizard I’d met on Mandil with the wizard I kne It was as if he were two different people That doesn’tthe way, I said He’ll co, to see if he can worraces

Now’s the tirumbled mentally

Delvin and his tizard buddies returned the following day with six courtesans Arvil took two of the women with him when he went to bed; the other four ith the Hardlows and their warlocks Farzi wasn’t happy at all with those arrangements

"We hear from workers in fields--they say that Grish staff--those that left, are talking about returning to cause trouble," he grumbled to me as I poured out juice for both of us

"Does Arvil or the Hardlows know about this?" I stared at Farzi

"Do the Hardlows know about what?" Astralan walked into the kitchen

"There’s a ruanize and cause trouble," I said "I don’t knohat kind of trouble, or if it’s anything more than rumor"