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"Alicia Hello"

She startled It was his voice An audible, distinctly hu voice

"I’m over here"

The sound cauiding Soldier beside her Ahead she saw a structure It looked like a se, four-faced clock As she approached, the clock was the first thing to capture the glow of her torch, not soits faces to shine with an orange luster

"Up here, Lish"

A broad flight of stairs ascended to a balcony She released the rope and placed her hand against Soldier’s neck His coat was da gesture: Wait here

"Don’t worry, your friend will be safe He’s a ined Every inch a soldier, like you Likeno effort to conceal herself--there was no point What forer in a way, but the body surely wouldn’t be He would be a giant, a antuan dimensions, a titan of his race

She reached the top To her right was a bar with stools, straight ahead an area of tables, some overturned, others still set with china and silverware

Sitting at one of the tables was ato herat ease, his hands folded on his lap, wearing a dark suit, a white shirt, collar undone at his throat Sandy hair, al around the jowls; eyes with a certain indefinable intensity Suddenly nothing around her seeantic joke He was like any ure in a crowd, no one a person would notice

"Does my appearance surprise you?" he asked "Perhaps I should have warned you"

His voice aroused her to action She dropped the torch and the sword ca it away froe ht it around, halting its flight just inches from his neck

"What the hell are you?"

Not a muscle had flinched Even his face was relaxed "What do I look like?"