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To hed

"I shouldna think so, Sassenach It’s a Freelanced at Ja a hand through his hair Jamie never spoke of his own association with the Free went, in Ardsmuir, and beyond any secrecy imposed bythat had happened between those dank stone walls

"Rawlings must have been one as well," he said, clearly reluctant to talk about Freeical connections "Else he’d not have kent what that is" One long finger tapped the sign of the compass

I didn’t know quite what to say next, but was saved fros, and sprang up onto the desk in search of rab for the inkith one hand, and seized his new quill protectively in the other Deprived of prey, Adso strolled to the edge of the desk and sat on the stack of Jaently as he pretended to admire the view

Jamie’s eyes narrowed at this insolence

"Take your furry wee arse off ofat Adso with the sharp end of his quill Adso’s big green eyes widened as they fixed on the tip of thefeather, and his shoulder blades tensed in anticipation Jaly, and Adso made an abortive swipe at it with one paw

I seized the cat hastily beforehinant mirp! of protest

"No, that’s his toy," I said to the cat, and gave Ja now; there are cockroaches to attend to"

I reached for the casebook with my free hand, but to er, Sassenach," he said "There’s so verra odd about the notion of a French Freeht I should like to see what else Dr Rawlings ht" I hoisted Adso, who had begun to purr loudly in anticipation of cockroaches, to lanced out theThe sun had set to a burning glow beyond the chestnut trees, and I could hear the noise of wo to lay the supper, helped by Brianna and Marsali

"Dinner soon," I said, and bent to kiss the top of Jaht touched his croith fire He sers to his lips and then to one back to a perusal of the close-written pages by the tile sheet with its three black words lay at the edge of the desk, forgotten--for the moment

97

CONDITIONS OF THE BLOOD

I CAUGHT A FLASH OF BROWN outside the door, and Adso shot off the counter as though so, evidently; it was Lizzie, on her way back from the dairy shed, a bowl of clotted crea of milk pressed to her bosom, precariously held in place by her crossed wrists Adso ining round her ankles like a furry rope, in obvious hopes of tripping her up and ain, cat," I told hi

"Oh, thank ye, h "It’s only as I didna want to betwo trips" She sniffed and tried to wipe her nose with a forear the butter

I snatched a handkerchief fro the maternal impulse to say, "Now, blow"

"Thank ye,

"Are you quite well, Lizzie?" Without waiting for an answer, I took her by the arave h,the creah for protection

She was pale--but Lizzie was always pale, looking as though she had not a corpuscle to spare There was an odd pallid look to her skin, though, that gaveIt had been nearly a year since her last attack of enerally well, but

"Coh stools "Have a seat, just for ato protest, she sat down, balancing the dishes on her knees I took thely predatory green gaze--put the

Pulse normal--normal for Lizzie, that is; she tended always to be a trifle fast and shallow Breathingall right, no catch or wheezing The lylands under the jaere palpable, but that was not unusual; the ed, like the curve of a quail’s egg under the tender skin Those in the neck were enlarged now, too, though--and those I generally could not feel

I thuray orb that looked anxiously back Superficially fine, though slightly bloodshot Again, though--there was soh I couldn’t put ht be Could there possibly be a tinge of yellow to the white? I frowned, turning her head to the side with a hand under her unresisting chin