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Orholam’s beard, this? They were this far back? What a waste of--

"Kip, are asting your ti you?"

Trap, Kip Don’t do it, Kip

"No,ahaze"

Her eyebrows shot up

"I have this condition," Kip said Stop it, Kip Stop "See, I’et fixated on one thing, I’o on to the next subject until all h for this class Maybe I should be oing to let hio to another class He didn’t even know if there was another class "Well, Master Guile, this is a novice class, and we pride ourselves on not leaving behind even the slowest cattle in the herd, and obviously, you really want to say soister" He hated her He barely knew her, and he wanted to beat her ugly face in

She smiled It was a deeply unpleasant smile Small woman, so pleased to be the mistress of her domain, so proud to bully a class full of children "Then I’ll make you a deal, Kip: you say whatever you want, but if I find it iain You see, class, this will be a nice object lesson An analogue for drafting--there’s always a price, and you have to decide if you are willing to pay it So, Kip?"

"You calledyou a decent hu his throat "My mother sold her soul to haze She lied and cheated and stole, I think she even whored herself a few ti to slander my s you can say But that is not one of theled at Kip He didn’t know if he’d just defanged a hundred rumors, or spawned them Maybe both, but he’d kept a level tone, and he hadn’t called his ister a liar or worse It was sort of a victory Sort of

"Are you quite finished?" the ister asked

And now the price of the victory "Yes," Kip said

He put his hand on the desk for her to ses

Stupid, Kip You’re just daring her Asking for it

Crack! Kip jumped as the switch slammed into the table so hard it made the surface jump--just two thu as with life, you don’t have to pay the price for ister Kadah said "Especially if you’re a Guile Kip, I don’t like your attitude," she said "Go wait in the hall"

Kip stood and walked out into the hall, followed by twenty pairs of eyes His fellow students were froirls with hair free, the boys wearing ghotras; olive-skinned Atashians with sapphire-bright eyes; and lots of Ruthgari, shter-skinned, one even a blonde Kip was the only Tyrean, though he looked : hair kinky like a Parian, but without the lean, fluid build; eyes blue like an Atashian, but skin darker than their olive complexions, nose not proh his skin like he was part Blood Forester