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’I will, daet anywhere,’ Harllo threw in, somewhat unwisely, ’even if you do bat your eyes and pout those rosy lips of yours-’

’Those are the last things you’ll see when I push h that tin tuber in your chest Oh, and I’ll blow a kiss, too’

Harllo’s bushy brows rose ’Tin tuber! Stonny, ht?’

’Shut up, I’m not in the mood’

’You’re never in the mood, Stonny!’

She answered him with a conte it, dear,’ Gruntle sighed

The shack leaned drunkenly against the city of Pale’s inner wall, a confused collection of wooden planks, stretched hides and wicker, its yard a threshold of white dust, gourd husks, bits of broken crockery and wood shavings Frag fro in the hulanced up and down the littered alleyway, then stepped into the yard A cackle sounded fro under his breath, reached for the leather loop nailed to the door

’Don’t push!’ a voice shrieked behind it ’Pull, you snake of the desert!’

Shrugging, Quick Ben tugged the door towards him

’Only fools push!’ hissed the old woed perch on a reed ue me when fools come to visit Ah, I sniffed Raraku, didn’t I?’

The wizard peered into the shack’s interior ’Hood’s breath, there’s only rooue objects cluttered the walls, dangled fro Shadoed every corner, and the air still held the chill of the night just past

’Just me!’ the woman cackled Her face was little more than skin over bones, her pate hairless and blotched with moles ’Shohat you have, ift!’ She withdrew from the tattered folds of her robes a wooden card, held it up in tre hands ’Send your words into my warren and their shape shall be carved hereupon, burned true-’

’No curses, wo down until his eyes were level with hers ’Only questions’

The card slipped beneath her robes Scowling, the witch said, ’Answers cost plenty Answers are worthof curses Answers are not easily found-’

’All right all right, how much?’

’Colour the coin of your questions, twelve-souls’

’Gold’

’Then gold councils, one for each-’

’Provided you give worthy answer’

’Agreed’