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"His aunt!" exclai his face "How can you be--I ize, ma’am"

"And I’mI’oing to ask"

She was a little eh she couldn’t think why She still didn’t kno to talk about herabout her now that she knew about her father and how she had coht, she would find out exactly what had happened to Arielle, and why she had chosen to go away

"Wouldn’t dream of it," replied Nick "You know, this sounds stupid, but I feel ht a swamp could be a tonic I haven’t even fainted today"

"You did once," said Lirael "When we first took you fro I seee is there to catch me"

"Can you tell when you’re about to faint?" asked Lirael She hadn’t forgotten the Dog’s warning about how long the fragment would be subdued, and she was fairly certain she could not quell it again by herself

"Usually," said Nick "I get nauseous first andhappens to , like an electricBut I do feel much better now Perhaps the fever’s broken"

"It isn’t a fever," Lirael said wearily "Though I hope it is better, for both our sakes Sit still now--I’ to paddle us out a bit farther We’ll stay in the reeds, but I want to see what’s happening on the lake And please keep quiet"

"Sure," said Nick "I don’t really have a choice, do I?"

Lirael alized, but she held it back She did feel sorry for Nick It wasn’t his fault he had been chosen by an ancient spirit of evil to be its avatar She even felt sort of maternal to him He needed to be tucked in bed and fed -bark tea That thought led to the idle speculation of what he ht look like if he ell He could be quite handsoht, and then instantly banished the notion Heeneht, but even so it was hard work paddling with just her hands Particularly since she also had to keep an eye on Nicholas in case of trouble But he seeh prow of the reed boat Lirael did catch hi at her surreptitiously, but he didn’t try to escape or call out

After about twenty an to thin out, the red water paled into pink, and Lirael could see the muddy lake botto the boat to the very fringe of the reed marsh so she could look out on the lake but keep hidden

They were still covered overhead because of the way the reeds leaned into one another Even so, Lirael was relieved to discover that she couldn’t sense any Gore Crows about Probably because there was a strong current beyond the reedy shores, coh there were no Gore Crows in sight, there was so out on the surface of the lake For a second Lirael’s heart lifted as she thought it ht be Sam, or a force of Guards Then she realized what it was, just as Nick spoke

"Look--e ot the other one--and loaded already!"

"Quiet!" hissed Lirael, reaching out to drag him down

He offered no resistance but suddenly frowned and clutched his chest "I thinkI think I was counting ently "Nick--you have to fight it!"

"I’ll try--" Nick began, but he didn’t finish his sentence, his head falling back with a dull, reedy thud His eyes shohite, and Lirael saw a thin tendril of sin to trickle from his nose and ht it! You’re Nicholas Sayre! Tell h smoke still trickled from his nose

"I’mI’m Nicholas John Andrew Sayre," he whispered "I’ed Lirael She put her sword down by her side and took his hands, shuddering as she felt the Free Magic coursing in the blood under his cold skin "Tell me more about yourself, Nicholas John Andrew Sayre! Where were you born?"

"I was born at Aer and the smoke receded "In the billiard room No, that’s a joke Mother would kill me for that I was born all proper for a Sayre, doctor and midwives in attendance Two midwives, no less, and the society doctor"

Nick closed his eyes, and Lirael gripped his hands tighter

"Tell ravity of orbilite suspended in quicksilver isI don’t knohat it isThe snow in Korrovia is confined to the southern Alps, and the major passes are Kriskadt, Jorstschi, and KorbukThe average blue-tailed plover lays twenty-six eggs in the course of its fifty-four-year lifespanMore than a hundred thousand Southerlings landed illegally in the last yearThe chocolate tree is an invention of--"

He stopped suddenly, took a deep breath, and opened his eyes Lirael kept holding his hands for a eness in his gaze, she dropped the the blade across her thighs

"I’m in trouble, aren’t I?" said Nick His voice was unsteady He looked down at the botto very controlled breaths

"Yes," said Lirael "But Sameth and I, and theour friendswill do the best we can to save you"

"But you don’t think you can," said Nicholas softly "Thisthinginside me What is it?"

"I don’t know," replied Lirael "But it is part of so it to be free To wreak destruction"