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Kira looked at him dubiously For weeks now she had worked with the dyer The lists of plants, theprocedures, so e; all of it was clear and cothat no one else -- even someone with the status of Jamison -- knew?

"Have you seen beasts?" Kira asked him hesitantly

"Many, many times The woods are filled with thee lio beyond the path"

Kira looked at him His expression was hard to discern, but his voice was firet, Kira," he continued, "I saw your father taken by beasts It was a hideous thing Terrible"

Jahed and patted her hand sy a fine job," he said again, appreciatively

"Thank you," Kirahis touch, into her pocket Her special scrap of cloth lay folded there She felt no comfort from it As the door closed behind Ja its solace, but it see to warn her of soh it, she thought for a moment that she could hear the child sob on the floor below

14

The sun was shining in thean early breakfast she tied her sandals carefully, anticipating the walk to Annabella's Maybe the clear, cooler air after the rain would wake her a bit and make her feel better Her head ached

Thomas's door was closed He was probably still asleep There were no sounds either fro the breeze that lingered after the stor and wet It blew her hair away froan to subside

Leaning on her stick, Kira made her way to the place where she ordinarily turned froe and entered the woods on the path It was quite near the weaving shed

"Kira!" A woman's voice called to her from the shed, and she saw that it was Marlena, already at the looreet the woman

"We miss you! Them tykes that clean up for us now are worthless Horrid lazy! And one stole e Her feet slowed on the treadle and Kira knew that she was eager to chat and gossip

"That be him now, that wicked tyke!"

A familiar wet nose touched Kira's ankle She reached down to scratch Branch and saw Matt grinning at her fro shed "You there!" Marlena called angrily and he drew back to hide

"Marlena," Kira asked, re woirl tyke na toward the shed corner, hoping to catch a gliain, but Matt was too sly and too clever to respond

"Yes She used to sing"

"Ah, the singing tyke! Yes, I knowed her Not her na, we all knowed that! Like a bird, it was"

"What happened to her?"

Marlena shrugged Her feet began to ive her off to souess She be orphaned, I heared"

She leaned forward and whispered loudly, "Soic Nobody teached her The songs, they just coestured to Kira to come closer Furtively, Marlena confided, "I heared that thees She be only a ses of things that wasn't even happened yet!

"I never heared it hed and her feet took up the rapid pace on the treadle that caused the rhythoodbye to her and started toward the path

Mattfrolanced back but Marlena was busy at her loo with ht you found it boring at the dyer's hut"

"You lanced at his dog and began to laugh "Looky! Old Branch, hi to catch hihed too Branch had chased a s, frustrated, as it slithered up the trunk beyond his reach He stood on his hind legs and his front ones churned in the air The lizard looked back and a ue darted in and out Kira watched for a ain to Matt

"What do you o? Inobody She be gone to the Field right when the sun be coers tooken her I seen it"

"To the Field? What are you talking about, Matt? She couldn't possibly walk to the Field from her cott! It's too far! She's too old! And she wouldn't want to anyway"

Matt rolled his eyes "I didn't say she be wanting to! I said they tooken her! She be dead!"

"Dead? Annabella? How can that be?" Kira was stunned She had seen the old woether

Matt took her question seriously "It be like this," he replied He flung hiround, lay on his back with both arms outstretched, opened his eyes wide, and stared blankly upward Branch, curious, nosed at his neck, but Matt held the pose

Kira stared in disrotesque but accurate imitation of death "Don't, Matt," she said at last "Get up Don't do that"

Matt sat up and took the dog into his lap He tilted his head and looked at Kira curiously "Probably they be giving you her stuff," he announced