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"They always do," Leesha said "As if being seedless somehow makes them less a man"

"Doesn’t it?" Rojer asked

"Don’t be absurd," Leesha said, but even the Painted Man looked at her doubtfully

"Regardless," Leesha said, "fertility was one of Bruna’s specialties, and she taughthim"

"Favor?" Rojer asked "He’d et the child on you"

"It doesn’t matter," the Painted Man said "Even if your herbs can awaken his seed, it could be months before there was any proof of it We’ll need e than an army of desert warriors on his doorstep?" Rojer asked

"Rhinebeck will need to mobilize well before it co Jardir," the Painted Man said, "and dukes are not "

"You’ll have Rhinebeck’s brothers to contend with, as well," Rojer said "Prince Mickael will take the throne if Rhinebeck dies without an heir, and Prince Pether is Shepherd of the Tenders of the Creator Thauards, the Wooden Soldiers"

"Are any of them likely to see reason?" Leesha asked

"Not likely," Rojer said "The one to convince is Lord Janson, the first minister None of the princes could find their boots without Janson Not a thing goes on in Angiers that Janson doesn’t track in his neat ledgers, and the royal fa to him"

"So if Janson doesn’t support us, it’s unlikely the duke will, either," the Painted Man said

Rojer nodded "Janson is a coward," he warned "Getting hied "It won’t be easy You may have to resort to other methods" The Painted Man and Leesha looked at hi Painted Man," Rojer said "Half the people south of Miln think you’re the Deliverer already A few leurs’ Guildhouse, and the other half will believe it, too"

"No," the Painted Man said "I won’t pretend to be so I’m not, even for this"

"Who is to say you’re not?" Leesha asked

The Painted Man turned to her in surprise "Not you, too It’s bad enough froer for tales and the Tender blind with faith, but you’re an Herb Gatherer Knowledge cures your patients, not prayer"

"I’m also a itch," Leesha said, "and you made me so It’s honest word I put more store in books of science than the Tenders’ Canon, but science falls short of explaining why a few squiggles in the dirt can bar a coreling or do it harm There’s more to the universe than science Perhaps there’s room for a Deliverer, too"

"I’s I’ve done…no Heaven would have me"

"Many believe the Deliverers of old were just men, like you," Leesha said "Generals who arose when the tiht and the people needed them Will you turn your back on humanity over semantics?"

"It ent se to me to solve all their problems, they’ll never learn to solve their own"

He turned to Rojer "Everything set?"