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"I as said stiffly "Even if our interests te the," Jason said bitterly "I’lass and slaet for taking a foolish chance for no good reason Do you think your face isn’t known? D’Orsay’s no fool Do you think I advise a nondescript appearance because I’m a bloody conservative?You’re overconfident, Jason, and you’re flaet you killed I don’t want to be responsible for thefroes of anyone Jason had ever known Whose daring escapades were legendary
Jason leaned across the table "Listen to " He touched his earlobe "I’ll lose the pluh his bleached hair "I’ll wear a bloody tweed and ascot if that’s what you want Just let hed "Don’t think this " He rested his hand on the backpack "This is a tremendous find Sometimes I’m not very…liberal with compliments"
"I don’t want co"
"And I want sos back to Trinity before D’Orsay ?" Hastings sat back, extending his long legs "It’s not enough to do so"
"I know it is," Jason said, trying not to sound sullen "But nothing’s going to happen in Trinity"
"Don’t be too sure I have a feeling that the pieces you found are important The battle may well turn on them"
"Then why take theer"
"That is exactly why no one must discover where they are And, bear inwith’ everything else"
Jason stood and began pacing, pivoting at each end of the room "Can’t you at least try to understand?"
"I understand you better than you realize"
"Why? The Roses killed your father and sister a hundred years ago so you understand how I feel about Leicester and D’Orsaymy father?"
"Because I knohat it’s like to want to prove yourself so badly it destroys everything else thatinto the fire "So with your own des was a psychiatrist, in addition to being a wizard and warrior master Jason bit back a hot reply "Look I’m an orphan Like you were No one cares what happens to me It’s my choice Mine"
"I assuht you to Britain"
Jason noticed that Hastings didn’t claim to care about hiing "Jack and Ellen are out drilling their warriors That’s what they’re good at Seph isthe barrier I can’t do any of that I want to be where I’ you can do for et the sword and the rest back to Trinity," Hastings said, without looking up "Have Nick take a look at the blade Itto Ellen She deserves a weapon worthy of her skills She and Jack may play a critical role if it comes to a war"
Nick Ellen Seph Jack All important to the Cause Everyone was except hius was actually participating He slumped back into his chair "When will you coed "Soon, I hope I’ on at Raven’s Ghyll Whether it’s been noticed that things have gone , and whether they may be on your trail Maybe I can muddy the water a bit Draw them off"
And that, as they say, was that Jason’s brief career as operative for the Dragon House was over
Jason fell asleep on the tube on the way back to his apart off at Cah the city streets to clear his head On his way, he stopped in at an Internet cafe and booked a flight fro
So the ton Crescent with a photograph of Jason Haley didn’t spot hiirl who lived in the building next door to his own They ordered pizza and he stayed late By then, it was sleeting The buildings were set atop a coh the laundries into his own building without going outside
So the wo in the entryway of Jason’s apartround
Back in his roos He’d planned to take the train froone and made him jumpy In the end, he called a car service and booked a car to pick hiave his name as Bob Roberts and didn’t na his backpack as a carry-on, and convince the airline to let hi with the sword in it Golfers were funny about letting go of their clubs, weren’t they?
He’d only been in the UK for a few
Chapter Four The Art of the Deal
Leesha Middleton shook the snow from her curls and extended her frozen hands toward the fire Why couldn’t Claude D’Orsay den up in Belize for the winter, like any sane person?
She glanced around the parlor with an educated eye Everything had a stuffy, old-randparents’ estates They sars and leather and old er under her high-necked sweater and touched the gold collar--the tore--that circled her neck Touching it was beco a habit
"Who are you?"
Leesha jumped and turned round