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Grimly, he drafted pontoons onto his ski doard into the water

He ski over the swi torn muted by the waters and his speed Each death was announced by littleoff a particularly large cobblestone, so to the water’s surface, always by a blossohter, too, is the necessary work of war He was a tireless worker, circling, circling, like a buzzard He circled until there was no , until there was no er sluiced from the pure yellow decks of his skiates

Chapter 56

Aglaia Crassos found the visitor waiting in her parlor He was fair, freckled, and bore a fringe of orangey-red hair coentleman’s petasos in his hand, and wore a fitted coat in the new Ruthgari fashion He looked like a solicitor or a banker, but broad across the shoulders But then, who knew about these monkeys frolaia said "My man said you had some sort of proposal for me?"

"Indeed" He helped his

"I wouldn’t usually do business with a total stranger, but your references were sterling"

"Mreat deal of effort to extract those references"

What an odd man "Well then…" she said

"Well then," he said He stared at her with unsettling eyes She hadn’t noticed until now, but he had amber eyes Not eyes dyed froly rare true amber "What is the worst deal you have ever accepted?" he asked He was playing with a strand of pearls he wore under his shirt Pearls, on a man? Was this a new fashion she hadn’t seen, or a quirk?

"Pardon me?" she asked

"Worst deal"

"How rude"

"You have so Lord Andross Guile deirl, Teia"

"Who? What? I have no such--"

"Did you think you could keep your ownership secret? My dear, you are so far out of your depth, the shore isn’t in sight You’re going to sign over her title, and the more quickly you do it, the less bad it will be for you"

"You need to leave Ilaia said She wanted to spit in thisface Andross Guile? She’d die first

"The Red did tell ive you to reconsider?"