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She has no reason to see me, to visit, to take my hand and offer me comfort My purpose is done, over And here I lie, a discarded thing Forgotten A ently on her shoulder

Murillio spoke ’I think she sleeps once more’

’For the best,’ Coll murmured

’I remember my own youth,’ the Daru went on in a quiet, introspective tone

’I remember your own youth, too, Murillio’

’Wild and wasteful-’

’A differentevery night, as I recall’

’I was a lodestone indeed, and, you know, it was all so effortless-’

’We’d noticed’

The ed, paid the price for hts, you mean’

’Whatever New rivals have arrived Young bloods Marak of Paxto, tall and lithe and turning heads wherever he saunters The s bastard Then there’s Perryl of M’necrae-’

’Oh, really, Murillio, spare me all this’

’The point is, it was all a stretch of years Full years Pleasurable ones And, for all that I’m on the wane, at least I can look back and recall lory But here, with this poor woman…’

’Aye, I hear you Ever notice those copper orna -- there, you can see the pair on her wrist Kruppe’s gifts, from Darujhistan’

’What about the Ever noticed thehter, shinier, when she’s sleeping’

’Do they?’

’I’d swear it on a stack of Kruppe’s handkerchiefs’

’How odd’

’They’re kind of dull right now, though…’