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"I know she’s evil," he said

"You think the contessa caused that man to be murdered, don’t you?"

"I have no proof"

"You should tell the police"

"Oh? And the police will arrest her because I think she caused a ed "It would help if you went to the police Then they h I must say, Roberto Capo?" she broke off

"Roberto Capo what?" he demanded

"He doesn’t think I’m crazy You should tell hiet soate the woman"

"It won’t matter if they do"

"Why not?"

"Trust ain, the waiter came by It was time for coffee and dessert They both decided just coffee, and it was then that Jordan remembered to ask, "Have you heard frouarded "No"

"Aren’t you worried?"

"What wouldtired

"We have to "

"I believe the police are looking into her disappearance"

"What makes you think so?‘ "

He hesitated "I called"

"Oh"

"Look, I’ll go down there and insist they find out about Tiff toht the check; Ragnor paid and they started out The streets were quieter now, but with him, she saw no shadows

And heard no whispers

"You really insist they do so?" she asked as they walked

"Yes"

When they returned to the hotel, he followed her to her rooone through the previous evening

"You’re more neurotic than I am"

"I’ve told you that I’m worried about you"

She was silent a ?"

"Yes," he said softly

She bolted the door

A ht, hours later, she turned to hiain, "Who are you? really?" He was silent for aher hair "I’ve told you the truth I am fronor Wulfsson" He drew her against hiht

She pulled away slightly It was very dark in the room, but she could see the planes of his face

She traced the that his features were exceptionally fine, that he was an incredible lover, and that she liked hi with him

That she wanted to know him more, that she loved his touch

That she had never felt as she did when she ith him

Except that

"Okay, then, what are you?" she asked very softly

"A ain

Yet, she thought, he still wasn’t sleeping

CHAPTER 13

When he was a small child, he was unaware of the world of violence and cruelty into which he had been born, of the strange heritage due to coe by the sea was productive and peaceful Fanners tilled the earth; fisher and suaes fro and old alike with tales of the daring of the gods, the ith the giants, the follies of all creatures upon the earth There was law and order areat central house, where his great-uncle had the final word Sorievous complaint would be settled in battle, and the clash of arods in which Odin blew the north wind and Thor, in his fury, sent down lightning and thunder There was no dishonor in dying in such a battle, for Valhalla was open only to those who fought with the greatest courage and defied the real were one and the sae and the custoe, taught the rudiments of battle His father was nephew to the jarl and held a place of honor within this realreatly feared as one of the one, and his nae whisper of both awe and dread As the seventh son of this incredible man, the boy atched expectantly, and he knew, froo forth into the world, where he would be required to outdo other e He would not be allowed to fail This in itself was not in the least strange, for ht the virtues of strength and power Despite the fine location and lush fields of his hoive plenty only if its sons went out upon the seas, settled new hoht back the wealth of others

He always kneould go a-Viking It was a way of life His brothers before hione, and they returned, so back foreign gold and art They told about the ht back, helpless felloho cried to their one God but received no help from him as they battled the men they called demons who had coone, his mother would speak of her husband, then lower her head and whisper a prayer to Freya As he grew, he began to wonder whether she prayed that her husband would return, or that he would not

As he neared his thirteenth birthday, he was already taller than ularly adept in his training with ar to the docks to see the returning warriors, boldtheh wind and storm to strike the coastal towns of other peoples There they sought gold and treasure, wreaked havoc, and soo of humanity as well, slaves to work for noble ather the harvests Theirs was an intriguing coreatest traits in a ht one day become one of them, and strike out upon the seas hihorns would sound, and the village would co heroes, to hear their stories of battle and conquest, and oods from civilizations across the seas