Page 31 (1/1)

Azaze snapped bony fingers under et my attention I think she did it several tiently

"I could have kicked her ive you slate and chalk, can you draw e, and the lake, and theon one of her fingers "It will be easier for the council to follohat you’re saying if you have even a crude map" She pointed to the table behind us

I hadn’t seen the big slate and the tray of colored chalks that lay on it So I took so while I chewed DrawingI had studied at Winding Circle I sketched a view of the mountain and the lake fro so hard I didn’t hear Oswin go out and return I did notice when he plopped his saddlebag on the table next to me "Here Maybe this will help" He undid the straps and took out a leather tube He pulled a roll of papers fro to hiret Island, no, Lore Island, Karl Island, Sustree, Sotat--ah!"

He selected a paper and spread it next to ood map of all Starns I whistled s, like roads, towns, and rivers, but it also showed the old lines of power that Jayat and Tahar once used There was even a trick of coloring that showed ridges and gorges

"Will that help?" Oseighted the corners with plates and cups

"A lot, thanks!" I said "Where did you get this?"

"Oh, I did it It’s useful" Oswin told me

I smiled at him as he put Luvo on the table next to s?"

"And I guide people over the island for coin If they pay et them lost"

"Did you draw all those maps?" I asked him

"No, only the ones for this island and a handful of our neighbors The others I bought I wish I were traveled enough to have done the othersI’d touched a sore spot I looked at Luvo "How far under the ure three and a half miles, but you’d know better than ht down, Evumeimei"

"But you weren’t there, Master Luvo," commented Oswin "You said you weren’t"

"But I a learned this measurement of yards, miles, and feet, I am better able to tell than she how far she has traveled under the earth She is better at it than she was, but it is harder for meat creatures"

"Meat creatures?" Oswin asked

"Heto think, you two" I worked carefully to finish the half-view of the chaested as I picked up another slate

I nodded "The one with the cracks in the earth I don’t know if Flare and Carnelian can split one wide enough for many of the spirits to escape Even one could do a lot of dae" I felt a draft onthe Council

Jayat came in with the oldest woman I had ever seen Maybe she was as old as Luvo Her skin could have been sht Her eyes were like black jet beads She wore a se cloth It didn’t even match her pink and yellow plaid dress That was tied at the waist with a brown sash, and she wore a ratty green shawl over the whole mess She went barefoot, her toes more like roots than hu to Jayat with one and clutched a cane with the other She looked right at hten street dogs Her voice crackled like grease in the pan "If you do, every louse and flea I have taken off others will becolared at Azaze "You sus of a disobedient child? You sent Jayat to drag me out of my nice warm bed?"

"And over to the nice warm seat by the fire, Master" Jayat handled her as if she were s Gently he helped the old crosspatch to a padded seat the kitchen girls had brought out It was set beside the hearth He didn’t seehtened, she didn’t look it "Dedicate Initiate Rosethorn of Winding Circle, Dedicate Initiate Myrrhtide, this is our e, Tahar Catwalker Tahar, sit down before you fall down The tea is irl whose tale has alarreen and purple crystal one--is Master Luvo He is the heart of a e Tahar snorted "Our et up to such mischief" She squinted up at Rosethorn and Myrrhtide, ere bowing to her "Stop that Both of you have more power in your thumbs than I have in my whole body We all know it I can’t saya child, if Jayat speaks true Stealing horses, running all over without leave--"

"Oh, she’s done worse" Rosethorn’s face was straight when she said it "Spying, fighting, stealing, insulting people of great rank…But how can you e Tahar, Evvy has done us a favor Without her warning, we die We ht yet if this council does not act quickly"