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While Karigan pondered that, Chelsa produced another folded piece of paper and silently offered it to her It quavered in Karigan’s hand Her name ritten on it just like the other, in the captain’s style This one was sealed with green wax iht an onrush of e to break So ho back tears, and broke the seal

The captain had written:

Dear Karigan,

The scything otten days Seek it in the den of the three-faced reptile, for you are the blade of the shadow cast Beware! The longer you linger, the faster we spin apart

L Mapstone, Capt, HMMS

Usually the captain was concise and to the point But thisthis was downright obscure Even an had hoped for some clear instruction to help her find her way hoan?" Chelsa said tentatively "Is everything well? You’ve gone pale"

Karigan wordlessly handed the e to Chelsa

"Oh, my," Chelsa murmured as she read it "I take it this is not what you were expecting"

Karigan gave a hu explicit directions about how to get ho is ever that easy"

Chelsa returned the e "I am under the impression, from what I’ve read of her, your Captain Mapstone was never this cryptic"

"No," Karigan agreed "This is not" She struggled to find the right words "This is not her voice"

"But it is her handwriting, yes?"

Karigan nodded

"In his log books, Age the documents fro unhappy about it all as she instructed him to keep them secret until he was ready to pass his responsibilities on to his successor"

The captain, Karigan thought, could have been unhappy about any nu about why the captain had written such a riddle

"She obviouslyin her words," Chelsa said "Soht it remarkable that she knew you’d sonition is one of the skills Riders are endoith?"