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"Ah, yes Didn’t I hear you’d fallen in with soine Jessamine approved"

Leesha exa you hear"

"But you’re working with someone"

"Uh-huh"

"Who?"

"My partner wants to remain anonymous until we’re sure we can do business"

D’Orsay sat back in his chair and smiled like a cat with a bird between his paws "We can be very persuasive"

Leesha’s heart flopped wildly but she ed to keep her voice steady "My partner wouldn’t like it if anything bad happened tothe document with you?"

"Do I look stupid or what?"

D’Orsay shrugged "One can never tell by appearances Where is it now?"

"You should be thinking about what kind of deal you’re willing to make"

"I could offer to trade you for the Covenant"

Leesha sighed She groped in her bag for her co to keep her hand fro for time "I’m just the hired help, you know? I can be replaced But h to decide to sell the piece to someone else"

"No one else would want it"

"Please I’m a trader I knoants what The Roses want to destroy it because it takes power out of their hands and puts it in yours The underguilds want to destroy it because it keeps them subservient to wizards You want to consecrate it and enforce it I bet we could get a three-way auction going"

D’Orsay raised his hand "I hardly think that’s necessary" He s defeat The , for so on the fire, and returned to his seat, taking his tiotiate the sale?"

"He has"

"Then I assu to accept?"

"He has"

"And…?"

"He wants to be written in"

D’Orsay shoved back his sleeves "Excuse uilds including the Wizard Houses will be ruled by you and Gregory Leicester and your heirs Leicester is dead, and he has no blood heirs My partner wishes to be nauilds"

"Your partner is out of his mind," D’Orsay said pleasantly

Leesha took a deep breath, cursing the day she’d becoled in this "That’s his price Take it or leave it"

"Who does he think he is? Does he really think I would bring him in as a full partner? Leicester and I worked on this project for years"

"Look at it this way What can you offer that the Roses can’t? I’m sure they can come up with more money than you, if everyone puts in Plus, if they destroy the Covenant, thenunder your rule, which, having read the document, seems risky The only way to ease his mind is to allow hiertips together "If I kneho I was dealing with, if I kneould be compatible …"

If you knew if he’d be easy to kill, Leesha thought No doubt both partners would be hiring assassins before the ink on the agreement was dry With any luck, they’d kill each other

"This isforward "Let’s take her to the cellar We can make her tell us whatever ant"

Getawayfroht, perspiration trickling between her shoulder blades Sheat her watch

"Let ed his forehead, as if it hurt, then turned back to Leesha "Perhaps we could negotiate a private sale, you and I"

Leesha considered this In fact, she’d considered this long before she ever entered the Ghyll "I don’t actually hold the original"