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Another chorus of begrudging coughs brought a grin out on his face

‘Hoiftly the tide turns, eh? Was it the ested, then?’

‘I’et off this island, given our circumstances,’ Denaos interjected The sullenness froorated with snidery ‘Did we or did we not miss our trip back to Port Destiny?’

‘We haven’t round ‘Sebast ht still show up’

‘If he doesn’t arrive soon, I still have a plan,’ Lenk replied

‘Does it include a way to leave the Owauku,’ Asper began sharply, ‘who, I feel the need to point out, saved our lives and who, I feel again the need to point out, we are about to abandon as they are caught in the cross between the netherlings and the dehed discreetly ‘In a way’

‘In ay?’

‘If we tell theured we’d … I don’t know, leave a note or so ‘Maybe they can use it to stanch the blood when their intestines get spilled out on the ground’

‘They took our stuff,’ Lenk replied with a shrug ‘Seehtly sunburnt and unco the drafaces kill their prey quickly’

‘Oh, so now you’re for this?’ She whirled, snarling at the rogue ‘What was that o?’

‘Indigestion, probably,’ he replied ‘Upon further consideration--’

‘You ?’

‘Further consideration,’ he replied forcefully, ‘it’s rather clear we aren’t going to er by staying here Prudence dictates we leave, h the innards until we find sooh left’

‘What?’

‘Nothing’

‘Well, it’s all moot, isn’t it?’ Dreadaeleon suddenly chimed in ‘I mean, we can’t just leave yet’

‘At least someone has a sense of decency,’ Asper muttered

‘Not a person in this circle is in a position to lecture anyone on decency, young lady,’ Denaos replied ‘He probably just wants to stay as long as he can to catch a glimpse of all the flesh on display’

‘Clearly,’ Dreadaeleon said, sneering ‘But I wasto the fact that we’re, as yet, inco and half-curious as he swept it about the circle ‘I mean, what about Gariath? If the rest of us are alive, he probably is, too’

‘He seemed fairly determined not to be e last saw him,’ Asper said

‘He’s alive,’ Kataria said softly

‘How do you know?’

The shict felt a sudden unease as the hu her slowly She felt the urge to flee, to escape both their stares and the ood enough job over the past days, she thought, trying to trick herself into thinking that the dragonman was dead and her secret was safe

In her heart, though, she kneas alive There was no way she could be so lucky for anything else to be true

‘She knows because she’s not an idiot,’ Lenk replied before she could ‘He’s stronger than all of us He would survive And I suppose we can delay our plans until we find hiht occurs,’ Denaos interjected A thoughtful look crossed his face and he inhaled sharply, as though about to deliver a stirring conclusion ‘Why?’

‘What do you roup, isn’t he?’

‘Well, we’re not really a "group", are we? And he’s really er-on that chose to insinuate himself into our loose coalition … a parasite, if you will’

‘Parasites don’t so abruptly try to kill us,’ Katariait for the past year,’ Dreadaeleon retorted ‘I thought ere past holding that against him’

‘Yes, but he came awfully close this time,’ Asper said ‘It’s probably wiser to abandon hihteenth try?’

Denaos chuckled ‘Stick up for the lizardes? Is that sort of behaviour condoned in the Talanite faith?’

‘I sleep easy,’ she replied ‘Do you?’

‘I’m sure there’s some lovely backstory that I don’t care about between you two,’ Lenk interjected, ‘but I’ll have to interrupt to put this to a vote’ He swept a careful stare around the circle ‘Acknowledging full hat it means to say so … how many of you want to leave Gariath behind?’

Denaos’ hand shot up with swiftness, Asper’s folloith only enough hesitation to display a lanced at thehtly beyond disapproval It wasn’t until Lenk looked to his side and saw the pale, slender arm in the air that he quirked a brow

‘Really?’ he asked Kataria ‘I would have thought you to be his only supporter’

‘Wouldn’t be the first tirowled at hih, he rubbed his eyes ‘Well, that’s that, then, isn’t it? If he is alive and we go through with this, I suppose we’ve got onethat can and will kill us’

‘All the reed

‘Which you still haven’t explained how you intend to do,’ Denaos pointed out