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"I know In one sense you're Silk-but ulti to whoiven"

"What's that yer said, bucky?"

"I said that I had no wish to disturb your privacy, that I was extre me to spend even a few minutes in this room, and that I will return to Hound now and leave you to your thoughts"

"Never had none, bucky" Pig chuckled again "Gae wi' yer, h'if yer dinna h'object ter hted to have it, and perhaps we can find soasped

"What yer catch yer breath like that fer, bucky?"

"This room has several s No doubt you discovered them for yourself"

"Did he? He did Seadh"

"Well, the clouds parted just then-just as I finished speakingand I saw a flash of skylight It ain When we leave, it will be by daylight I-I realize it , but it will make an enormous difference to Hound and ine"

"Huh! Want h'it terter helpinYou have my solemn promise"

The dooras h both would have liked to As it was he hung back, letting Pig kneel to crawl through before him For an instant then it al walls had been swept aside and he saw again the luxury and splendor that had been: the rich, figured carpet, the pictured woe bed of scented ith its black and cri lights clearer than the one he held swarence held in check by the discretion of the h the doorway, leaving behind the, he too went out, pursued by the hter

Chapter 9 BEFORE MY TRIAL

It would be i that has occurred since I last wrote When I was back on the Whorl, and Silk spoke to er to hear all that had befallen hih I was perlis that would be so long in the telling that the Whorl un This is like that, but I will do what I can

Before I start, I should say that we are very coe Haiven to me by the town Before we leave I hope to sell it; Nettle and I will needwant to build a house as well as a boat, and it is likely Hoof willI have noticed that when one twin does so, I should say that beforeobserved at the hearing that she was possessed I supposed-hoped, I should say-that Jahlee was her possessor In that I was disappointed

"Who are you? I know you're not really Vadsig If you want to make us think you are, you lance I had seen earlier when she had described her quarrel with "Cook" "We came to help You should thank us"

"I certainly need help Thank you very much"

"That's better" She smiled

"You speak of yourselves as we How led "What does it one I want Vadsig back"

"She's still here" Her voice changed tone "We'll have to go soon Onorifica will come in and wake me up" A return to the previous tone (I will not continue to ood thing about this I can eat"

To entertain theht be; but Mucor would be alone, I believe"

Vadsig giggled again

Hide said, "We don't think it's funny, do we Father? Who's Onorifica? Was that the girl who thought you could

"She was a servant at General Inclito's," I told Hide, "so Vadsig's possessors are Inclito's daughter Mora-you remember her, I'm sure-and her friend Fava"

"You said Fava was dead You said we sat on her grave that one ti interrupted "Well, I like that!"

I told her, "I hope you'll reone unburied, and would, I believe, have been devoured by wild aniround in the bitter cold Would you have done aswas silent

Hide said, "I still don't understand about Fava Isn't she really dead?"

"Death isn't a hard and fast line like the edge of a table It is a process, and it can be a long tione-indeed, it may not end in total dissolution at all Fava and Mora were close, so it's not surprising that Fava figures in Mora's dreaawked, and I laid a hand upon his shoulder "The three whorls are stranger places than you can iine, my son As you eness if you stay close to hood much, and busy yourself with prosaic affairs Then you can scoff at such things"

Vadsig said, "Cruel to hi him pain Only children believe that there is no difference between cruelty and education"

Hide asked, "Are they gone now?" and she giggled

"No,loves you so much that when she sensed that what I'd said had left you confused and unhappy she broke through to protest Suppose you were on a ht be able to get her back under control, but you'd have to do it For a moment you would have lost control, as Mora and Fava did then"

"I want theone, Father!" Hide's fists clenched

I said, "I would ask who it is you think that you're about to strike, but it would be useless, I'm sure You may strike me, if you like, but I'll restrain you-if I can-should you atte It will not drive out her possessors, and she's done nothing to deserve it"

"I won't hit you"

"Thank you As for ht be able to if we tried, but there's little point in trying They'll go when Onorifica wakes Mora for breakfast, as Mora told us Meanwhile weas well

"Will you please let Vadsig speak? It is late already, we have a lot to talk over, and if Fava wants to eat and Vadsig allows it, I'll have to arrange for food-"

"Fish heads?"

I looked up in surprise, and found Oreb in his accusto said, "Speaking to you I a you are?"

"First, your consent to the possession, Vadsig Is it all right for Mora and Fava to remain with you till sunrise? It will help you and Hide in the long run, I'm sure"