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"You wish ht me the razor"

"And because he loves you"

I blink dumbly "I’m not sure that’s the word"

"He had four sons Three died in front of him And then the last in an accident, as you know I believe you reh you’re in fact e But as much as he loves you, Lorn hates e"

"Still It won’t be easy to convince hiive him a choice"

27

Jelly Beans

The Tele that cracksdazed between the two of them It is the first time I’ve spoken to either without violence afoot Truth be told, I’ve avoided them for shame of what I let happen to Pax

"My boy only ever lost to you," Kavax says "Little Pax If he was to fall to a knee, it is no shame to have fallen in friendship I only wish he could have taken Olyht"

"I would have liked to have seen hirins "I was Jupiter House myself Primus till I lost to Karnus au Bellona"

"Then I believe we have alittle bastard that killed my baby brother?" Daxo asks softly "We have many shared enemies, Andromedus"

Kavax scoops up his fox It licks his neck and peers fiercely at me before it nuzzles into his thick red beard It has a white chest, black legs, and dark russet fur covering the rest of its body Thicker and hardier than a norrams, it really is more wolflike in size

"Foxes are beautiful creatures," Kavax says, stroking the beast

Daxo nods "Mischievous Oarounds even in the territory of wolves" He looks up at me darkly "But because of a daainst jackals We asked Augustus to banish Adrius For a time, he was, yet now he returns to the fleet"

"A crime," I say

They nod

Daxo sets a hand on irls--my sisters and mother, I mean--wanted you to know that we do not hold you accountable for Pax’s death We loved that little boy, and we know you only ever mean him honors We know you naet it Once friends, always friends That is our fa son says He tosses his fox a handful of jelly beans

"So if you need us," Daxo suggests, nodding to the warroom, "you need merely ask, and the House Telemanus will lend itself to your cause"

"You mean that?" I ask