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‘Congratulations,’ Irene said, and jerked her head in the direction of the alligators ‘You found them Were they supposed to meet you here, or was it just a happy coincidence?’

‘You’re very insolent tonight,’ Bradaerously

‘Oh, don’t you think that I have reason?’ Irene had enough control to keep her voice down, but not enough to keep back her words ‘If you have anything, anything to do with this piece of bloody lunacy--’

‘I’d have thought that Alberich was more important than collateral civilian casualties,’ Bradati to do with this?’ Irene repeated

‘No,’ Bradalanced at the dying alligators again She didn’t trust Bradamant, but she couldn’t refuse to warn her ‘Yesterday I was told to beware of Alberich, a direct co Kai and I went to talk with Dominic Aubrey, at our Library entrance point We didn’t find hiar, and a chaos trap on the door to the Library itself’

Bradamant blinked slowly ‘Dominic Aubrey is dead? Actually dead?’

‘Yes,’ Irene said ‘Well, probably Given the alternatives When did you get here? Did you see hih? If we can pin dohen Alberich killed him and trapped the door--’

‘Irene!’ Kai and Vale had converged on theantly unruffled He offered his hands to Irene ‘If you’d like a hand down – and Bradamant, of course’

‘Of course,’ Bradamant said in suddenly sweetened tones She stepped past Irene, hips swinging, and placed her hands in Kai’s, letting hilance over Bradamant’s shoulder at Irene It said, more clearly than words, I couldn’t possibly leave her to fall into the rehed She set her chin, sat down on the edge of the table and swung off it to stand on the floor Her goas already ruined, anyhow ‘I’entlemen are safe and well,’ she said flatly She could feel Vale’s nore it There was no reason whatever for her to have any feelings on the subject at all

The doors slauely h, rifles shouldered They were led by a dark-skinned man with turban and reen sash They pointed their guns at the alligators, and began to riddle the the fact that the poor reptiles were now barely

‘Ah,’ Silver said froh is as vigorous as ever’ He took Irene’s hand between his ‘My dearest girl, you are wounded’

Irene was conscious of both Kai and Vale staring at Silver in a distinctly freezing way She wished that she could just have had even five et some answers out of them and Bradamant before Silver had turned up ‘A scratch,’ she said quickly, gingerly trying to slide her hand out of his grasp ‘Sir, no doubt Inspector Singh ant to speak to you’