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Ss and bowed heads as Bugg entered, his eyes settling on theon a bloody blanket in the rooht out the gaze of the eldest of the children, a girl of about ten or eleven years of age – though possibly older and stunted by ed by the sae, hard eyes met his

‘Where did you find her?’

‘She irl replied, her tone wooden

Bugg looked down at the dead grandmother once more ‘From how far away?’

‘Buried Round, she said’

‘She spoke, then, before life left her’ Bugg’s jaw muscles bunched Buried Round o, three hundred paces distant An extraordinary will, in the old woman, to have walked all that distance with two reat need, I think’

‘To tell us who killed her, yes’

And not to si the spectre of abandonment – a scar these children could do without

‘Who, then?’

‘She was crossing the Round, and found herself in the path of an entourage Seven , soed for coin The uards to kill her And so they did’

‘And is the identity of this master known?’

‘You will find his face on newlyknelt beside the old woht the remnants of her life ‘Urusan of the Clan known as the Owl Her strength was born of love For her grandchildren She is gone, but she has not gone far’ He raised his head andof vast stones, the grinding surrender of a long closed portal There is cold clay, but it did not embrace her’ He drew a deep breath ‘I will prepare this flesh for Nerek interirl said