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Marcus nodded "They're talking to us, eh?"

The old Cursor's ht us They didn't seeer to do that if they could avoid it" He, too, stared to the south, though Marcus knew his watery eyes were nearsighted "Octavian wishes to speak with you"

Marcus nodded Then he squinted at the otherwith you? I steal your favorite boots or soed his shoulders "Between the tiions and the time you came back to service with the First Aleran, no one recalls where you were"

The First Spear felt his stoh his throat He covered it with a rough snort "And that's got your knickers in a twist? One old soldier goes back to life on a steadholt It ain't surprising that he don't stand out, Magnus"

"It's perfectly reasonable," Magnus acknowledged "But not many old soldiers are named to the House of the Valiant There are - were, e left - five such men in the entire Realm Each of them is currently a Citizen Three Steadholders and a Count None of them went back to life as a freeman"

"I did," the First Spear said easily "Wasn't hard"

"There were many veterans who helped found the First Aleran," the Cursor continued in a calions Every one of them recalls you, at least by reputation None of the about what happened to you after you retired" He shrugged "It's unusual"

Marcus barked out a laugh "You been sucking down too row h without you looking for more where there ain't none"

The old Cursor regarded Marcus with mild, watery eyes "Yes," he said politely "Where there ain't none"

Marcus felt his throat constrict He knew Knew soht he did

Marcus doubted that the old Cursor had worked out that he was, in fact, Fidelias ex Cursori, accomplice to Attis and Invidia Aquitaine, traitor to the Crown Certainly, he wasn't aware that Marcus had, at the end, turned on High Lady Aquitaine, assassinating her with a poisoned balest bolt - or co da how much more the naion, had come to mean to a weary, jaded old killer naht not have all of his facts lined up - yet - but it was plain in his h