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Draping my cloak over a stool, I helped s and pulled up a stool besidepork

"What’s the occasion?" I asked Pork roast was a rarean entire day to cook and served only at special ti to visit this week All my special dishes have been requested I’ve also been ordered to prepare a feast for next week A feast! We haven’t had one of those since…" He shook his head, pursing his lips "Actually, we’ve never had one with the Cohed "I won’t have any time to experi a handful of the mystery beans out offor the perfect opportunity to show theht maybe they were your coffee beans"

He immediately ducked his head and took a deep sniff of the beans "No, unfortunately not I don’t knohat these are Coffee beans are smooth and have a rounder shape These are oval See? And bumpy" Rand spread the, he cringed at the bitter taste "I’ve never seen or tasted anything like this Where did you find them?"

"Soht, it had been worth a try My disappointment pressed on my shoulders I had hoped to solve this puzzle for Coh I had hit another dead end

Rand must have sensed my frustration "Important?" he inquired

I nodded

"Tell you what," he said "Leave these here and after the feast I’ll work on the and boiling the beans Ingredients can change their flavor and texture when you add heat, and these ht?"

"I don’t want to inconvenience you"

"Nonsense I like a challenge Besides, after the feast, it’ll be back to ive me a project to look forward to" He funneled the beans into a jar, and placed it high on a shelf full of other strange edibles silass jars

We discussed s again A quarter turn every hour, he said, re A sood-night

I stopped by the baths, intending to retrieve Nix’s knife, but there were toounarmed would be for the best, I told myself as I tried to calm the butterflies in my stomach Maybe they would search g wore her usual expression of distaste when I ate of the castle co and continued the walk into Castletown in silence I hoped Valek was close behind, but I knew better than to glance over ht sky, and the full face of the rooved with ruts froe of ht air and felt a sense of renewal as the heavy scent of earth and dried leaves cleansed s

At the outskirts of town, I saw neat rows of four-story wooden buildings I was struck by their syrown so accustomed to the wild, asyeometric shape, that the ordinary plainness of the town see the residences had been planned in a logical manner

The fenspeople that I spotted on the street walked with a purpose Nobody hung about, or talked, or looked as if they were out for a casual stroll Nobody, except the town’s guards

Soldiers who had once played a ned as police curfew and the dress code, they dealt justice in accordance with the Code of Behavior by checking papers, arranging transfers andarrests Every visitor to each toas required to report to thelodging

Our ive us time to return to the castle before our presence on the street would be vieith suspicion The pairs of soldiers stationed on the streets followed us with their gazes I felt my skin prickle under their scrutiny, and I had myself half convinced that they would swoop down on us at anycahbors She knocked twice on the door After a pause, the door swung inward and a tall, red-haired wo at Margg, she nodded in recognition She had a sharp, sloping nose, which guided the movements of her head as she pointed her face at me Her dark eyes rested upon et A bead of sweat trickled down my spine Finally, she pulled her nose away to look down the street Sniffing for a trap, I guessed Apparently satisfied, she opened the door wider and let us in Still no one spoke as we proceeded up three flights of steps

The top floor of the house was ablaze with light, and I squinted in the harsh brightness A profusion of candles ringed the roo the air with the slanced at theWith the aht in the room, I was sure it would spill out into the street, but black curtains covered the glass and pooled on the floor