Page 7 (2/2)

"You chose to insult me last time rather than answer," Conner said "I don’t expect you’ve had much education"

"My father said a person can be educated and still be stupid, and a wise man can have no education at all"

"Your father was a worthless musician," Conner said "It sounds to me like he was both stupid and without education And Mrs Turbeldy told me your ht have given you"

I stared atworth reading, I’ll st you rides a horse? In a gentleain, none of us answered I’d ridden a horse several times before, but in all my recent experience, it was usually stolen and always in an atteentleman’s style

"I hardly dare ask whether any of you have been taught your races"

"I have, a little," Tobias said

Roden actually laughed at Conner’s question, though he quickly corrected hientleman I’ll learn"

"You will all learn," Conner said "And at the end of the next teeks, I intend to entle, you could pass as a noble before the king hi?" I asked

Conner shook his head "I didn’t say that Only that you could stand in front of him and make him believe you are a noble"

Roden looked over at me and smiled I didn’t share his enthusiasm

"Teeks?" I asked "What’s the hurry?"

Conner locked eyes with me "Because that’s when the boy I choose will be tested"

Tobias cleared his throat, and then asked, "What happens to the other two boys, sir? The two boys who you don’t choose?"

Conner looked at each one of us before answering When he spoke, he only said, "Teeks, boys Pray you are the one I choose"

Then he turned his back to us and we continued riding

Tobias, Roden, and I looked at one another Cregan read the unspoken conversation and chuckled Roden seeain Tobias lost any expression on his face whatsoever, as if he’d turned to stone Undoubtedly, ere all re how casually Conner had ordered Latamer’s death, and then had quickly justified it based on the higher moral status of his plan

He would choose his winner in teeks, and most likely the other two boys would follow Latamer’s fate at the saon pulled up to a large estate several n at the entrance identified this as Conner’s horound with a partial third floor arching over the center of the house The roof was nearly flat and bordered by a low parapet I wondered if any stairways led up to the rooftop for as certain to be an i was made of thick tan bricks and cut stone This alone was impressive, since it didn’t look like there were any quarries in this region of Carthya,the rocks would have had to coe ran between the first and second floor I counted nearly twenty s just in the front of the house The orphanage in Carchar didn’t have a single

Conner stood and gestured toward the estate "Welcome to my home, boys I call it Farthenwood It was my father’s home and the home of my childhood I know its every secret and dearly love to co’s business in Drylliad This will be your ho in advance of our arrival I’m sure you have many questions, but we have other business first"