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The boy sprang into action, lifting the wooden arch bridge and securely setting it frohter Another boatenerally for the use of ladies and the elderly, but Silk felt no shaentleman, and an important one He did not have to prove his manliness

He accepted a lantern as he stepped up onto the bridge It ide enough tocoht for the circus trailer and slid open a viewing panel on the near end He focused the light of the lantern so it shone into the depths of the wagon

The Eletian sat cross-legged on straw in the , his stillness uncanny Silk did not know if it was simply a trancelike state the creature went into, or more like a torpor He had shed most of his armor, which Silk had carefully packed away for later study The underlayer of black cloth was stiff with the driedbetween the armor and the Eletian’s flesh The cloth itself was tattered, lookedday by day, his aura diht still radiating from him Perhaps it was dimmer, less vibrant, but it was still ethereal, the eic

"Eletian," Silk said The creature did not stir

"Eletian!" Still nothing

"Allow ive it a try, sir," said one of the boatth of the wagon and battered its wooden side with a club The drubbing echoed up and down the canal It was enough to rouse the dead

"Stop," Silk ordered He’d punish the boatman for his insubordination, but the tactic appeared to work The Eletian’s eyes focused His aura becamemore contained

"Eletian," Silk said, "look at this picture Do you know the person in it?" He held the portrait up for the Eletian to see

The Eletian gave no hint he understood, but his gaze shifted subtly, narrowing in on the picture Outwardly he showed no sign of recognition, but in Silk’s vision, his aura pulsed, alently

"You do know her," Silk ht had to be extraordinarily sharp to see the ie from that distance "Who is she?"

The Eletian, of course, did not answer

"You ht" Whether or not it was true, it had been worth saying for the effect on the Eletian was startling His gaze dropped and his aura either faded out or turned to some dark shade that Silk could not discern Otherwise, there was once again no real outward sign the creature had heard a word Silk said

Silk nodded to hiive the Eletian sorave Could it be that she, like the Eletian, was out of step with ti special, different about her fros about her When they found her, and he still felt strongly she had not perished in the fire, he would have many questions for her Many, indeed No wonder the professor had laid claile" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>