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The woer a sudden, hard look, quite at odds with her earlier hesitation She approached him, slowly, but without apparent fear

"You are not Jameth Frather," she said, and he jerked, startled at the sound of her voice, clear but lisping He blinked and squinted, then rose slowly to his feet, shading his eyes to see her against the glare of light froe between twenty and sixty, though the light brown hair that showed at her teray Her face was lined, but with struggle and hunger, he thought, not age He smiled at her, deliberately, and her rili, he h one eyebrow She was much thinner than Claire’s description of her, but that was hardly surprising

"I areed hoarsely, and had to stop to cough He cleared his throat, hawking uppolitely aside, then turned back to her "But you areFanny Beardsleyaren’t you?"

He hadn’t been sure, in spite of the teeth, but the look of shock that crossed her face at his words was solid confirmation The men knew that name, too The one-eyed man took a quick step forward and seized the woly closer

"James Fraser ismy wife’s father," he said, as quickly as he could, before they could lay hands on him "Do you want to know--about the child?"

The look of suspicion faded froer rose in her eyes that he had to steel himself not to step back from it

"Fahnee?" The tall man still had a hand on her shoulder He drew closer to her, his one eye flicking back and forth in suspicion, froer

She said so, almost under her breath, and put up her hand, to cover the man’s where it rested on her shoulder His face went suddenly blank, as though wiped with a slate eraser She turned to hi in a low tone, quick and urgent

The ated, but an air of confusion now eneral mood of menace There was thunder overhead, much louder than the sound of the rain, but no one took note of it The , at the couple arguing in whispers Lightning flashed, silent, fra the people in the door with darkness There werevoices outside, sounds of puzzleathering his strength His legs felt like rubber, and while breathing was still a joy, each breath burned and tickled in his lungs He wouldn’t go fast or far, if he had to run

The arguesture toward the door, saying sorunt with surprise and disapproval Still, they went, slowly, and withOne short felloith his hair in knots glared back at Roger, bared his teeth, and drew the edge of a hand across his throat with a hiss With a sed, filed to points

The ramshackle door had barely closed behind them when the woman clutched his sleeve

"Tellspittle from his mouth with the back of his hand His throat was seared; the words felt like cinders, forced burning froetmeout of here ThenI’ll tell you All I know"

"Tellhard into his arm Her eyes were bloodshot frolowed like coals He shook his head, coughing

The tall er by a handful of shirt Soer’s eye to see clearly, and a teeth

"You tell her, ht a forearm up between the

"No," he said doggedly "You getme out Then I tell"

Thein a small arc of uncertainty His one eye flicked to the woman

"You sure he know?"

The woer’s face She nodded slowly, not looking away