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"Until next evening," he said, giving Janet and me a small, formal bow

"We should call him Nickie-Bertie," Janet coht pair of devils"

I smiled

"Are you free tomorrow for lunch?" Janet Gowdie asked as alked out of thecha lass

"Me?" Even after all that had happened tonight, I was surprised she would be seen with a de Cleration’s tiny boxes, Diana," Janet said, her slass and Fernando aiting for lass frowned to see ht, Auntie?" he asked, uneasy "We should go It’s getting late"

"I just want to have a quick ith Janet before we leave" I searched Janet’s face, looking for a sign that sheto win my friendship for some nefarious purpose, but all I saas concern "Why are you helping me?" I asked bluntly

"I pro bag at her feet and drew up the sleeve of her shirt "You are not the only one whose skin tells a tale, Diana Bishop"

Tattooed on her arasped "Were you at Auschith Philippe?" My heart was in my mouth

"No I was at Ravensbr&uu in France for the SOE--the Special Operations Executive--when I was captured Philippe was trying to liberate the caht him

"Do you knohere Philippe was held after Auschwitz?" I asked, h we did look for him Was it Nickie-Ben who had him?" Janet’s eyes were dark with sympathy

"Yes," I replied "We think he was so for hi within fiftyWe couldn’t find our way through it, no matter hoe tried" Janet’s eyes filled "I am sorry we failed Philippe We will do better this time ’Tis a matter of Bishop-Clairmont family honor And I am Matthew de Clermont’s kin, after all"

"Tatiana will be the easiest to sway," I said

"Not Tatiana," Janet said with a shake of her head "She is infatuated with Doure It also hides Domenico’s bites We must persuade Satu instead"

"Satu J&au of the tiether at La Pierre

"Oh, I think she will," Janet said "Once we explain that we’ll offer her up to Benjae for Matthew if she doesn’t Satu is a weaver like you, after all Perhaps Finnish weavers areat a small establishment on a quiet campo on the opposite side of the Grand Canal from Ca’ Chiaromonte It looked perfectly ordinary frohtly painted flower boxes and stickers on the s indicating its rating relative to other area establishments (four stars) and the credit cards it accepted (all of them)

Inside, however, the veneer of normalcy proved thin

The proprietress, Laura Malipiero, sat behind a desk in the front lobby swathed in purple and black velvet, shuffling a tarot deck Her hair ild and curly, with streaks of white through the black A garland of black paper bats was draped over the on’s-blood incense hung in the air

"We’re full," she said, not looking up froarette was clasped in the corner of her mouth It was purple and black, just like her outfit At first I didn’t think it was lit Signorina Malipiero was sitting under a sign that read VIETATO FUMARE, after all But then the witch took a deep drag on it

There was indeed no slowed

"They say she’s the richest witch in Venice She arettes"

Janet eyed her with disapproval She had donned her disguising spell again and to the casual observer looked to be a frail nonagenarian rather than a slender thirty-soata delle Befane is this week, and there isn’t a roonorina Malipiero’s attention remained on her cards

I’d seen notices all over town announcing the annual Epiphany gondola race to see who could get frorave; to the Rialto the fastest There were two races, of course: the official regatta in the ht that involved not just brute strength but norina Malapiero I’m Janet Gowdie, and this is Diana Bishop

We’re here to see Satu J&au for the gondola race, that is"

The Venetian witch looked up in shock, her dark eyes huge and her cigarette dangling

"Room 17, is it? No need to trouble yourself We can show ourselves up" Janet beamed at the stunned witch and bundled me off in the direction of the stairs

"You, Janet Gowdie, are a bulldozer," I said breathlessly as she hustled me down the corridor "Not to ical talent

"What a lovely thing to say, Diana" Janet knocked on the door "Cameriera!"

There was no answer And after yesterday’s

I wrappedspell The door swung open Satu J&au for us inside, both hands up, ready to work ic

I snared the threads that surrounded her and pulled theasped

"What do you know about being a weaver?" I demanded

"Not as much as you do," Satu replied

"Is this why you treated me so badly at La Pierre?" I asked

Satu’s expression was steely Her actions had been taken in the interest of self-preservation She felt no remorse "I won’t let you expose me They’ll kill us all if they find out eavers can do," Satu said

"They’ll killMatthew What do I have to lose?"

"Your children," Satu spit

That, it turned out, was going too far

"I bind thee, Satu J&auoddess without power or craft, for you have proved yourself unfit to possess theer of my left hand, I pulled the threads one er flared darkly purple in the color of justice