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’He says he fought for you, lass’

’I was his excuse, you ue there was a difference’

’But there is, Corporal’

’If you say so Anyway, the truth’s right there in front of you In this da Hood take us, it’s there in Gruntle’s followers -- he ain’t the only one all dappled, is he? The man stood between the Pannions and you, and that was a solid enough thing to pull in all the others Did Treach shape all this? I guess uess I played a part in that, too, withup with those torcs onand that suitsto think on it noher head ’I won’t kneel to Trake By the Abyss, I’ve gone and found od -- I’ve already made my choice, and Trake isn’t it’

’Huh Maybe, then, your god found the whole thing with Gruntle and all that somehow useful Huht? We ain’t the only ones who soether to achieve so to the rest of us I ain’t envying you, Stonny Menackis It’s deadly attention, when it’s a god’s But it happens …’ Picker fell silent

Walk in step Her eyes narrowed And keeping the rest of us in the dark

She swung about, searched the group around the tents until she spied Paran The corporal raised her voice, ’Hey, Captain!’

He looked up

And how about you, Captain? Keeping secrets, maybe? Here’s a hunch for you ’Any word froeburners nearby all fixed their attention on the noble-born officer

Paran recoiled as if he had been struck One hand went to his stoed to lift his head and rated

Thought so You’d been too easy with this by far, Captain Meaning, you have been keeping things froeburners was kept in the dark, that dark sed damn near every one of us ’How close? How far away, Captain?’

She could see the effect of her words, yet a part of her was angry, enough to harden herself Officers always held out It was the one thing the Bridgeburners had learned to despise the norance was fatal

Paran slowly forced hiht He drew a deep breath, then another as he visibly cla the Pannions into their laps, Corporal Dujek and Brood are , Antsy asked, ’And do they knohat’s coeant’