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I could see his blood sigil, too, a strangerI’d seen yet: a half- chevrons

We waited, silent, while he finished whatever he was doing When the lord set his pen down, Hado abruptly dropped to one knee, his head bowed low Quickly I followed suit

After a moment, Lord T’vril said, "You’ll both be pleased to know, I think, that the House of the Risen Sun is no more Its threat has been removed"

I blinked in surprise The Lord Arah the words he spoke were anything but I wanted very much to ask what removedto do

"What of Seryht here Her husband has not yet been captured, but the scriveners tellhim, after all"

I wondered at first, then realized--of course he would have infors I clearedthis most powerful of men

"Youthis had been another clue I’dMaroneh honorifics It was the sort of thing one did in dealing with folk of foreign lands, to be diplomatic An Aras being held captive by the New Lights, ah, Lord Arameri? Have they been rescued?"

"Several bodies have been found, both in the city where the Lights du with the reape-mouthed shock More than the four I knew of? Dateh had been busy "Which ones?" In my mind, I heard the answer to this question, too: Paitya Kitr Duiven nah I’ve been infor them I believe he was important to you; I’m very sorry" He sounded sincere, if distant

I lowered

T’vril Arauessed from his movements "But this leaves me with a dilemma, Eru Shoth: what to do with you On the one hand, you’ve done a great service to the world by helping to expose the New Lights’ activities On the other, you are a weapon--and it is foolish in the extre about where anyone can pick it up and use it"

I loweredlower than I had before, untilfloor I had heard this was the way to show penitence before nobles, and penitent was exactly how I felt Bodies How s had been poisoned by ain," said the Lord Araerous weapons"

Against the floor, ods kno that dehyou’ll be able to hide"

"And ill give them a demon," said the Lord Ara their kin That should satisfy the you, Eru Shoth, for us"

I pushed"I… don’t understand" But I did, gods help ainst the pale glow of the room As he walked down the steps of the dais, I saw that he was a slender , heavy mantle Both it and his loose-curled hair, the latter tied at the tip, trailed along the steps behind hiht us, it is that we mortals exist at the bottom of a short and pitiless hierarchy," he said, still in that wars, and above those, the gods--and they do not like us, Eru Shoth"

"With reason," drawled Hado

The Lord Aralanced at him, and to my surprise seemed to take no offense from this "With reason Nevertheless, ould be fools not to seek soestured away, I think toward the s and the blackened sun beyond "The art of scrivening was born froh it has proven too liods You, however, have been far more effective"