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He walked back to the hounds, and said, "Duke Conrad, I pray you If you’ll spare ive theht," said Conrad, and Alain did so, coht up to the wall of shields set on the ruin of the outer wall After ahalf a dozen loaves of the flatbread coht These were several days’ old

"What has happened?" Conrad pushed past the shields to stand beside Alain, alert to the noises out of the woods

Back in the ca a superior force May I now feed these poor beggars?"

Conrad laughed "A godly ood ally, so the church mothers tell us I’ll ith you"

"I pray to God this shall be enough to strengthen these unfortunates," said Alain as they ca them Conrad walked boldly, but it was clear he s and their en of disease before he handed theer and desperation did not s every day But even a strong soul ue or leprosy

These were only poor, landless, and starving, nothing out of the ordinary except that they had retreated so far into the wild lands and so near to the guivre’s lair When Alain and Conrad returned to caue us," she said, "hoping for another ed the I’ll not be burdened with a train of beggars"

"Where, then, should they go?" Alain asked her

"What concern is that of mine?"

"You are duchess here in Arconia, I believe," he answered "Are these people not your concern?"

"Why should they be? What if those thieves creep back and try to surprise us a second tiiven you these lands to adation to be a just steward of these lands Even beggars and outlaws are a your subjects"

"As inside, so outside, rievously to be punished in such a manner"