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"Ian," said Ja this instant and tell ht what ye’ve done wi’ the lad Ye’ve not shot him by mistake, I hope?"

Ian looked offended at this slur upon his hed politely, forestalling further recrih to tell me the whereabouts of my son at this moment?"

Ian took a deep breath and visibly commended his soul to God

"He’s in the bottoot a bit o’ rope, Uncle Jamie?"

With an admirable economy of both words and motion, Jamie reached the door in two strides and disappeared, closely followed by Lord John

"Is he in there with the snake?" I asked, hastily scrabbling through the washbasket for so to use as a tourniquet, just in case

"Oh, no, Auntie," Ian assured me "Ye dinna think I’d have left hio help," he added, and disappeared as well

I hurried after hi shoulder to shoulder in the doorway of the privy, conversing with the depths Standing on tiptoe to peer over Lord John’s shoulder, I saw the torn butt end of a long, slender hickory branch protruding a few inches above the edge of the oblong hole I held les had stirred up the contents of the privy, and the reek was enough to sear the cilia off my nasal me away fro a coil of rope froh?" I peeked nervously into the outhouse, but couldn’t see anything beyond the silvery cedar boards and the dark recesses of the pit

"It went that way," Ian said, gesturing vaguely down the path by which I had coave the thing a wee snoove wi’ the stick, and daht up the branch! It scairt o, and I bumped the lad, and--well, that’s how it happened," he ended la to avoid Ja over, yelled aardly, "Hey! I’ave him a look that said rather plainly that if necks were to be broken…but forbore further re William promptly from his oubliette This procedure was carried out without further incident, and the would-beto the rope like a caterpillar on a string

There had luckily been enough sewage in the bottom of the pit to break his fall From appearances, the ninth Earl of Ellesmere had landed facedown Lord John stood for ahis hands on his breeches and surveying the encrusted object before hi either to hide a smile or to stifle his sense of smell

Then his shoulders started to shake

"What news from the Underworld, Persephone?" he said, unable to keep the quaver of laughter out of his voice

A pair of slanted eyes looked bluehis Lordship’s features It was a thoroughly Fraser expression, and I felt a qualave a sudden start He glanced quickly froht my eye and his own face went perfectly and unnaturally blank

Ja in Greek, to which Lord John replied in the sa to ignore Ian, I bent an eye in Ja with suppressed hten me

"Epicharmus," he explained "At the Oracle of Delphi, seekers after enlightenment would thron a dead python into the pit, and then hang about, breathing in the furandly " ‘The spirit toward the heavens, the body to the earth’ "

Williah his nose, precisely as Ja Ian twitched beside ht, freshly unnerved Does the boy have nothing frohts as a result of your recenta poor attempt at self-control He and Jaht due as much to the release of nervous tension as to brandy or hilarity

His Lordship, glowering, pulled off his neckcloth and flung it on the path with a soggy splat Now Ian was giggling nervously, too, unable to help hi under the strain, but I could see that the patches of exposed flesh above William’s collar were the color of the ripe to all too hat usually happened to a Fraser who reached that particular level of incandescence, I thought the time had co entlemen? Unlearned as I aram I know by heart"

I handed Williaht in lieu of a tourniquet

"Pindar," I said " ‘Water is best’ "

A sh the muck His Lordship bowed to ave Ian a fishy stare, and sto He seeer," Ian said, shaking his head ets the stink off"

"No doubt" Lord John’s lips were still twitching, but the urge to declaim Greek poetry seemed to have left him, replaced by less elevated concerns "Do you knohat has beco before his unfortunate accident?"

"Oh" Ian looked uncomfortable He lifted his chin in the direction of the privy "I…ah…well, I’m verra much afraid--"

"I see" Lord John rubbed his own i stare

"Ah…" said Ian, backing up a pace or two

"Get it," said Jamie, in a tone that brooked no contradiction