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Grey narrowed his eyes at Ja the board with pursed lips

"Yes, I do," he answered firrin, reached out and tipped over his king in resignation

Grey laughed, and reached for the brandy bottle

"Dahed, and rising, went to the cupboard

"Try a bit of this," he said, and I heard theof liquid into a cup

Grey lifted the cup to his nose, inhaled and sneezed explosively, scattering droplets over the table

"It’s not wine, John," Jamie observed mildly "Ye’re meant to drink it, aye? not savor the bouquet"

"So I noticed Christ, what is it?" Grey sniffed again, more cautiously, and essayed a trial sip He choked, but sed gahed, cleared his throat, and set the cup gingerly on the table, eyeing it as though it uess It’s ht be," Ja a small cupful for himself He took a s his head "At the moment, it’s alcohol, and that’s as reed, taking another very set it?"

"I made it," said Jamie, with the modest pride of a master brewer "I’ve twelve barrels of the stuff"

Grey’s fair brows shot up at that

"Assu that you don’t mean to clean your boots with it,with twelve barrels of this?"

Jahed

"Trade it," he said "Sell it, when I can Custo one of the petty political concerns hich I a to our rerunted, tried another sip, and set the cup down

"Well, you ent is in Cross Creek But I cannot say I think it a safe practice on that account To who this rees, I trust?"

Jaed

"Only verra sift or in trade Never more than would make one man drunk"

"Very wise You’ll have heard the stories, I expect I spoke with onethe ith the French That was caused--in part, at least--by a great quantity of drink falling into the hands of a large gathering of Indians at the fort"

"I’ve heard about it, too," Jaood terms wi’ the Indians nearby, and there are none so many of them as all that And I’ri one of theed the subject

"I have heard talk in Wilulators, who terrorize the backcountry and cause disruption byof such nature here?"

Jamie snorted briefly

"Terrorize what? Squirrels? There is the backcountry, John, and then there is the wilderness Surely ye will have remarked the lack of human habitation on your journey here"

"I did notice soreed "And yet I had heard certain ru your presence here--that it was in part rowth of lawlessness"

Jahed

"I think it will be some tih I did go so far as to knock down an old Gerrain iven hiht--which she had not--and I couldna convince hi public order"

Grey laughed, and picked up the fallen king

"I am relieved to hear it Will you redeeame? I cannot expect the same trick to work twice, after all"

I rolled ontothe wall, and stared sleeplessly at the ti-shaped ular as sand ripples on a beach

I tried to ignore the conversation going on behindbark and squaring logs, of sleeping in his ar the house rise up aroundme in warmth and safety, the permanent embodiment of his embrace I always felt safe and soothed by this vision, even when I was alone on theI was protected by the house he had built for