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"Ye dinna ken Mr Lillywhite, do you, Sassenach?"

"Only by sight What do you want me to do?"

He smiled at me, a hint of mischief in his eyes, despite his worry for Father Kenneth

"Ga that I bat Mr Lillywhite over the head and liberate Father Kenneth by force, I suppose so That sort of thing is hed at that, and gave the tent what appeared to be a wistful look

"I should like nothing better," he said, confir this impression "It wouldna be difficult in the least," he went on, eyeing the tan canvas sides of the tent appraisingly as they flexed in the wind "Look at the size of it; there canna be more than two or three men in there, besides the priest I could wait until the full dark, and then take a lad or two and--"

"Yes, but what do you wantI had best put a stop to what sounded a distinctly criht

"Ah" He abandoned hismy appearance I had taken off the bloodstained canvas apron I wore for surgery, had put up my hair neatly with pins, and was reasonably respectable in appearance, if a trifle led round the hems

"Ye dinna have any of your physician’s kit about ye?" he asked, frowning dubiously "A bottle of swill, a bittie knife?"

"Bottle of swill, indeed No, I--oh, wait aabout in the pocket tied at my waist, I had coold-tipped acupuncture needles

Evidently satisfied, Jamie nodded, and pulled out the silver whisky flask fro h, for looks Go up to the tent, Sassenach, and tell whoever’s guarding the priest that he’s ailing"

"The guard?"

"The priest," he said, giving me a look of mild exasperation "I daresay everyone will ken ye as a healer by now, and know ye on sight Say that Father Kenneth has an illness that you’ve been treating, and he must have a dose of his medicine at once, lest he sicken and die on them I dinna suppose they want that--and they’ll not be afraid of you"

"I shouldn’t ireed, a trifle caustically "You don’t h the heart with ht, but shook his head

"Nay, I only want ye to learn why they’ve taken the priest and what they o and de that he had not completely abandoned the notion of a later cohold, should the answers prove unsatisfactory I glanced at the tent and took a deep breath, settling ht," I said "And what are you intending to do while I’o and fetch the bairns," he said, and with a quick squeeze of my hand for luck, he was off down the trail

I WAS STILL WONDERING exactly what he meant by that cryptic stateht of the open tent flap, but all speculation was driven froentleman therein who met Marsali’s description of "a nasty, fat man" so exactly that I had no doubt of his identity He was short and toadlike, with a receding hairline, a belly that strained the buttons of a food-stained linen vest, and s my immediate prospects as a food item

"Good day to you, ma’a me less than toothsome, but inclined his head with for him a brief curtsy Never hurt to be polite--at least not to start with "You’ll be the sheriff, won’t you? I’m afraid I haven’t had the pleasure of a formal introduction I’e"

"David Anstruther, Sheriff of Orange County--your servant, h with no real evidence of delight He didn’t show any surprise at hearing Jamie’s name, either Either he simply wasn’t fa such an a round the bush

"I understand that you’re entertaining Father Donahue," I said pleasantly "I’ve come to see hi, it wasn’t that; his jaw dropped slightly, exposing a severe case ofbicuspid Before he could close it, a tall gentlereen coat stepped out of the tent behind him

"Mrs Fraser?" he said, one eyebrow raised He bowed punctiliously "You say you wish to speak with the clerical gentlereat surprise at that "A priest? Why, whatever can he have done?"

The Sheriff and the hed

"Perhaps you are unaware, y of the established Church--the Church of England, that is--to undertake his office within the colony of North Carolina?"