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"I auard to leave my lady wife so soon" Jasper dropped Horn’s hand and stepped back "But the , I fear"

"Please Sit"

Jasper flicked the skirts of his coat aside and lowered himself into the chair opposite Horn’s desk "How is youras if he could see into his mother’s bedroom in the floor above "She is bedridden, I fear, but her spirits are bright I take tea with her every afternoon if I can, and she alants to know the latest gossip"

Jasper smiled

"You s musicale," Horn said

"Yes Do you remember Sam Hartley? Corporal Hartley? He was a Colonial attached to our regiuide us to Fort Edward"

"Yes?"

"He ca Italy" Horn leaned back in his chair to pull a bell cord "I’m sorry to’ve missed him"

Jasper nodded "He came to see me He showed me a letter that had come into his hands"

"What sort of letter?"

"It detailed the i the route ould take and the exact time we’d be at Spinner’s Falls"

"What?" Horn’s eyes had narrowed, and suddenly Jasper could see that this er a boy Had not been a boy for some time

Jasper leaned forward "We were betrayed, our position given to the French and their Indian allies The regihtered at Spinner’s Falls"

The door to Horn’s study opened, and the butler entered, a tall, thin fellow "Sir?"

Horn blinked "Ahyes Have Cook send up some tea"

The butler bowed and retreated

Horn waited until the door closed before speaking "But who could’ve done this? The only ones who knew of our route were the guides and the officers" He tapped his fingers on his desk "You’re sure? Did you see this letter Hartley had? Perhaps hehis head "I saw the letter; there is no ht it was Dick Thornton"

"You said that you’d talked to hi"

"Yes"

"And?"

Jasper inhaled deeply "Thornton swore he wasn’t the traitor He insinuated it was one of the men captured by the Indians"

For a ; then abruptly he shook his head and laughed "Why would you believe a lanced at his hands, clasped together between his spread knees He’d asked hioing to die He had no reason to lie to me"

"Except the reason of a madman"

Jasper nodded "Even soThornton was a prisoner in chains e marched He was at the back of the line I think he s the rest of us iment"

"And if you accept Thornton’s accusations as truth, where does that take you?"

Jasper watched hi

Horn spread his hands "What? Do you think I betrayed us, Vale? Do you think I asked to be tortured until htmares I suffered from You know--"

"Hush," Jasper said "Stop Of course I don’t think you--"

"Then who?" Horn looked at hi us would betray the entire regiers Munroe? They cut out only his eye; that’s little enough for what rand payment"

"Matthew--"

"Then St Aubyn? Oh, but he’s dead Perhaps he ot himself burned at the stake for his troubles Or--"

"Shut it, dah to cut through Horn’s awful recitation "I know I know all that, damn it"

Horn closed his eyes and said quietly, "Then you know none of us could have done it"

"Someone did Someone set a trap and walked four hundred ri a laden tea tray Both men were silent while she set it up on a corner of the desk The door closed gently behind her when she left

Jasper looked at his old friend, his coo

Horn pushed a pile of papers to the side of his desk "What do you want me to do?"

"I want you to help me find who betrayed us," Jasper said "And then help me kill him"

IT WAS WELL past the dinner hour when Lord Vale finally returned ho rooly clock on the mantelpiece Fat pink nymphs cavorted about the clock face in a manner that was no doubt meant to be erotic Melisande snorted How little the ned that clock knew of true eroticism At her feet, Mouse had sat up at the sound of Lord Vale’s arrival Now he trotted to the door to sniff at the crack

She pulled a silk thread carefully through her e behind a perfect French knot on the right side of the fabric She was pleased at how steady her fingers were Maybe with continued proximity to Vale, she’d overcoer that had built during the hours she had waited for hiard Oh, she still felt his presence, still longed for his cos were presently masked with exasperation She hadn’t seen him since breakfast, hadn’t received word that he wouldn’t be hoe of convenience, but that didn’t mean that simple courtesy must be thrown out the