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“With what?” I pulled out my pockets “They sucked me dry”
Snorri shrugged “That locket you’re always fiddling ould buy ten horses Fine ones”
“I hardly ever touch it” I blinked at hiat it once since we met “And it’s of no value” I doubted the old man on the road would have swapped his donkey for the locket and a silver crown
The Norseed his arm as he passed “Taproot’s come to see us off”
Dr Taproot approached He looked uncomfortable in the open air, re their horses, a pale gelding and a dun mare The first the lion taely built man job that Snorri had initially been taken to be an applicant for I wondered if the good doctor was expecting trouble of some kind
“Taproot” Snorri inclined his head The stolen sword hung at his hip now, depending froement of rope and leather strips
“Aha! The travellers!” Taproot looked up at his strong north now Watch me!”
Neither of us had an answer to that Taproot continued “Dogged by ill fortune perhaps? The kind of raves Watcheach task while he described it “That would have been valuable information At yesterday’s noon that infor features seemed almost too perfect, almost caricature It worriedto him or not “In any case, the ht himself and spun onceunborn into the world? How—” He found his control once ain “This was not well done Not well done at all You o far from here And fast” He indicated the two horses and his co the reins out towards us I took the gelding “Twenty crowns on your debt slate, my prince” Taproot inclined his head a fraction “I know you will be good for it”
I looked my steed over, patted his neck, felt theSnorri stood woodenly beside his as if worried she ht bite him
“My thanks,” I said, and swung up into the saddle Twenty in gold was a fair enough price A touch steep, but fair under the circuave us horses so we could run away faster
“Best be quick on your path—you’re at the centre of a stor prince, and noand hiers in the pot All stirring A grey hand behind you, a black hand in your path Scratch a little deeper, though, and you rey And deeper still? Does it go deeper? Who knows? Not this old circus-keeper Perhaps everything goes deeper than deep, deep without end But I’row dim, I only see so far”
“U of nonsense I could see noho trained up the circus fortune-teller
Taproot nodded at my wisdom “Let us part friends, Prince Jalan The Kendeths have been a force for good in Red March” He held out his thin hand and I took it quick enough, for I guessed it pained hi “There!” he said “I was sorry to hear of your —too young she was for the assassin’s blade”
I blinked at hied my new horse on down the lane “Co a boat”
“I’ll walk a little first,” he said, and followed on, leading his nag by the reins
I’ll ad the circus behind I liked the people, the air of the place, even on the move And of course the dancers Despite that, I had a sood to know that even Taproot’s vast stock of information failed him from time to time My mother died of a flux I touched the lump made by the locket under my jacket, Mother’s picture inside A flux The contact one
• • •
We got to the uided by directions froate Neither of us spoke until we reached the pile of elephant dung that had first alerted me to the circus’s proximity