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Athena was trying to untangle her face

"Do not look, Tena," Telemakos rasped He stood directly beneath the bare, blood-streaked feet, so close that were he taller he could have reached up and brushed away the flies that clustered busily over the blackening wounds

Athena twisted herself free

"You hide again," Tele to ame of it "Feet," she said "Poor feet"

Tele for control of his stomach He remembered to keep hold of the lion Walk away! One step, another, in a dozen paces it will be gone

He mastered hi he had seen nothing He stood still, looked up, and said clearly to the dying man, "Peace to you God rest you"

The children around him broke into a babel of astonishht to whip you!"

"Bless him? Are you mad? He is a condemned traitor!"

"You don’t talk to a dead man!"

Telemakos turned on the pack that had driven him here, and said in quick, accusatory fury, "Does it matter whether or not anyone talks to hi for it now, and I wish him rest"

They were silent around him for afrowns, appalled by such daring

Then Iskinder, who perhaps needed to prove his own daring again after his refusal to hold the lion, shouted a word up to theabove them

"Scorpion!"

Dread lit in Telehlands, Teleht on an open hillside during a dry stored sky had pulled Medraut’s fine hair out around his head in a silver halo and h he were being stung by sand driven in a gale The foreboding that wrapped Telehtning

"Ho, Scorpion!"

Astonishingly, horribly, the transfixed man opened his eyes

"Here is one of your fellow country cur," Iskinder called up

The man’s hot eyes turned on Tele a moment

Then, as if by some terrible enchantment, the condeth to pour forth in a croaking hiss: "Theway from the salt mines in Afar, silent little sneak, and you did not wear such fine clothes then, when you sold your freedom for a mouthful of water All those weeks before they caht you must be one of Gebre Meskal’s jackals, I swore to it, I knew in --Who sent you?"

It was Hara It was Hara, the corrupt foreman from the salt lanced unwisely at the impaled hands, to assure hi horror worse than any of his dreaod sends you to ue when I was advised to? Why should I want or need your jackal’s blessing onbreath?" Hara spat veno cadaver "A curse on such a blessing Let the najashi hang you up in rel spy! A curse on your blessing! A curse on the lot of you--"

This went beyond anyone’s endurance The children scattered,the leaves of basil and crossing the i like a flock of doves taking suddenly to wing

"An evil dreahed "Yes, it is only a dream," he told himself, and closed his eyes

Telemakos, too, closed his eyes, as the white square whirled red and black around hi and crashed heavily onto one knee

"Come away," said a low voice in his ear

Iskinder had not deserted him Iskinder had firm hold of Menelik’s lead, and pulled Tele Telehtened her into tears, and he had not even noticed

"For God’s sake, co--"

"I too!" Teleasped

"Corowled low in its throat Iskinder led theht; they crossed the square to sit on the far edge of one of the fountains Gulls scattered and settled again on the black thrones as they passed

"Here, take your lion back, I’ll draw you a drink"

Telemakos twined the leash around his ankle and bent to his howling sister "It’s all right, little owlet, hush now" He reached into the spray and dripped water over Athena’s sweaty hands Menelik nosed between theue’s too rough" Tele boy came back with a dipper of water