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For thather to seek it in the den of the three-faced reptile Well, she was in Aet the reference to three--

"Miss G’ladheon?" Dr Silk glanced back at her in annoyance A guard shoved her forward, and they were off once again

"Rider G’ladheon," Karigan e to the left of the fountain, as she had hoped, but they took the one right after it Close, but not close enough Souard unlocked a stout door and opened it for them She followed Dr Silk into a chamber quietly lit At first all she made out were stacks of wooden crates, then tables and cabinets draped in sheets Dusty, odd-shaped glassware and copper tubes glinted on shelves In the very back of the chamber was a darkened cell

"This is the emperor’s old laboratory where he once studied Eletians," Dr Silk explained "As you can see, it has not been used in some time since there have been no specimens to study until now"

Lhean

"At my dinner party, you saw the one I captured You knew hih time He was on the Blackveil expedition It is the only explanation"

Karigan had been peering into the distant darkness of the cell, but now she turned to Dr Silk "He didn’t tell you?"

"He won’t speak ibberish I’d ask my father to pry information from him, but I want him to be pristine when I officially present hian shuddered at the word "pristine"

"So, was the Eletian you saw at my party one of your companions?"

"Yes"

He looked jubilant "Then let us reunite you Perhaps he will deign to speak if he sees you"

He led the way between crates and tables to the back of the roo fixture threw cold light into the cell There, behind steel bars, on a scattering of straw strewn on the floor, sat Lhean, legs crossed, hands on his knees, eyes closed as though he slept in the aard position Nothing of his ar to his skin, stiff-looking with dried ichor His face was thin and pale, the radiance she associated with Eletians faded or absent altogether He appeared not to sense their arrival

"He has spentwith us," Dr Silk said

More like he’s trying to preserve hiht He appeared barely to breathe

"Make hireement is off, and I’ll find ways to make you reveal your ability"

"I told you--"