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Ilain sighed deeply "Then you mop the blood and build a pyre, and for all anyone ever need know, he slipped off the hay ladder and broke his neck"

"We can’t just lie," Jeph said "If she killed sorily on hi all these years?" she snapped Jeph put up his hands to placate her, but she pressed on

"Have I been a good wife?" Ilain demanded "Kept your house? Given you sons? Do you love me?"

"Course I do," Jeph said

"Then you’ll do this for me, Jeph Bales," she said "You’ll do it for all of us, an’ for Beni an’ her boys, too There ent no need for anything what’s ever happened on that farh, and to spare"

Jeph was quiet for a long time as they ht I’ll leave after breakfast"

Jeph was up with the dawn, hurrying through hischores despite the tired ache in his bones They had tried all night to get a response out of Renna, but she si After breakfast, he saddled their best mare

"Reckon I’ll avoid the road h the fields southeast" Ilain nodded, throwing her arhtly He returned the eht find Finally, he let go "Best to get going while there’s still tih for a return trip"

He had just mounted his horse when the sound of hoofbeats reached his ears He looked up to see a cart approaching, carrying the Herb Gatherer, Coline Trigg, wringing her hands orry, and the Town Speaker, Selia the Barren, looking gri seventy now, tall and thin, but still tough as boiled leather and sharp as a Cutter’s axe

Beside the cart on one side rode Rusco Hog, and on the other Garric Fisher and Raddock Lawry, Garric’s great-uncle and the Speaker for Fishing Hole On foot behind them were Tender Harral and what looked like half thespears

Garric kicked his horse ahead when the farht up to the porch where Ilain stood and pulling up so short the beast reared before settling

"Where is she?" Garric delare

"Don’t play games with me, woman!" Garric snarled "I’ve come for your whorin’, witchin’, ot off his horse and strode up to her, shaking his fist

"You stop right there, Garric Fisher," said Norine Cutter, co Jeph’s axe She had lived on Jeph’s farm since before his wife died, and was as much a part of the family as any "This ent your property You keep back an’ state your business, ’less you’re looking to take a coreling by the horns"

"My business is that Renna Tanner murdered her own da and my son, and I’ll see her cored for it!" Garric shouted "Ent no point in hiding her!"