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I kept gaping as three of the Order-Keepers grabbed hiht, throw hiround and kick him and haul his arms back to tie them One of the down, and I screamed before I could stop myself The Order-Keeper, a malevolent shadow, turned and shouted for me to shut up, Maro bitch, or he would have soh!"

At that fierce bellow, I started so badly that I lost rip on my stick In the silence that fell, it clattered on the Proain

Rimarn had been the one to shout I could not see him; whatever he’d done to conceal his nature from me before, it was back in effect now Even if I’d been able to see his godwords, I think Shiny would have drowned out his ht

Rimarn sounded hoarse and out of breath He was on his feet, near the cluster of men, and spoke to Shiny "Are you a fool? I’ve never seen a led as the priests bore him down Rimarn waved away the Order-Keeper who’d put a knee on Shiny’s neck--my own shoulder muscles unknotted in sympathetic relief--and then shoved the back of Shiny’s head with a toe "Answer"H-he’s my cousin," I blurted "Fresh from the territory, Previt He doesn’t know the city, didn’t knoho you were…" This was the worst lie I had ever told Everyone, no matter their nation or race or tribe or class, knew Ite white uniforms and they ruled the world "Please, Previt, I’ll take responsibility--"

"No, you won’t," Riot up and hauled Shiny to his feet He stood calhtly that I could see half the Proht that poured off his flesh He still had that terrible, deadly s him away, and fear souredelse fell over with a crash as I groped toward Rimarn without a stick "Previt, wait!"

"I’ll be back for you later," he snapped atthe other Order-Keepers I tried to run after them and cried out as I tripped over soh hands that smelled of tobacco and sour alcohol and fear

"Quit it, Oree," Vuroy breathed inthe shit out of a blind girl"

"They’ll kill hiht "They’ll beat hi you can do about it," he said softly, and I went liet hooods, too, out of the unspoken understanding that I would not need to storeback to the Row anytiain I tried to keep calm and look passive, because I knew they would be suspicious They had looked around the house, seen the pantry that served as Shiny’s bedroom, found his small pile of clothes--neatly folded and stacked--in the corner They thought I’d been hiding a lover from them If they’d known the truth, they would’ve been much more afraid

"I can understand why you didn’t tell us about hi She sat across the kitchen table froht before, Shiny’s blood had covered the place where our hands now rested "After Madding… well But I wish you had told us, sweetheart We’re your friends--ould’ve understood"

I stubbornly said nothing, trying not to sho frustrated I was I had to look dejected, depressed, so they would decide that the best thing forThe Order-Keepers probably wouldn’t kill Shiny immediately He had defied the tih But if they killed him, and he pulled his little resurrection trick in front of theic was power meant for those with other kinds of power: Araal for coain in secret Every wohborhood had so valuables in plain sight Things had been easier since the cos, actually, because the priests--who could not always tell godlings and mortals apart--tended to leave us all alone