Page 45 (1/2)

"Anyone who kne casual he ith therate to the tunnel--"

"Was opened by someone who knew the combination"

"At least we have a new lock--with a new combination" She frowned "But if we’re sure it was one of those three, why don’t the police just bring the Aldous in for questioning to to be very careful We don’t want to catch him but lose Bianca"

"Of course"

She stood there, dejected again, raven’s wing hair like acape around her slu to tell ," he reminded her He started to embrace her, remembered he was still soaked and stepped back "What? What was it you were going to tell ht after I talked to you on the phone He spoke to h he’s been haunting the tavern for years, he’s not good at drahatever energy he needs to speak I’d hoped so badly that he knew sohosts or spirits seem to be the same as we are They aren’t omniscient They only knohat they’ve seen He didn’t see what happened He just knew that the tunnel was being used But he pro now"

Malachi touched her hair, brushing his fingers down the silky length of it "Blue is your ancestor," he said "It’s you he cares about"

"He must have cared deeply about Gus And the others who came before Gus and me"

"I’ to protect you--and the Dragonslayer" He stepped back "I’ll get in the shower"

He left her in the living room and walked down the apart his wet clothes He went into her bathrooht be old, but Gus had had the bathroo hot water

He let it pound down on hi there for several minutes

And then he felt her She’d stepped in behind him She held the soap in her hand and worked it slowly over his body

A shower can clear the mind

In a radiant spray of heat he beca with this extraordinary wo into his muscles

They more or less ain as they left the shower and halfway dried theether like this eeter every ti that didn’t seeht back the pain of ht it possible He was falling in love again

Abby had never really liked playing Missy Tweed To her mind, Missy had been an idiot History said she’d fallen in love with Blue Anderson and that she’d cried when she was returned to her father She disappeared into history after that, but Abby always felt she’d probably been a spoiled teenager and that, once hoain

But here she wasplaying Missy Tweed

Paul, as Scurvy Pete, stood beside her on the platfor his pirate best They’d drawn a huge crowd; the little reenactments and the way the players talked and related tidbits of history ell docuh point in most tour books for their area

Will Chan had taken on the role of narrator that day, dressed as a swashbuckling pirate himself He talked first about the history of the city of Savannah and the early days of piracy He told the crowd that pirates had found their way into coastal cities, often snubbing their noses at a royal governor and whatever ht be in effect

He told the story of Blue as if he’d been a true gentleman with the people of Savannah

And then he told the story of the floundering of Missy Tweed’s ship and how the crew had been saved--and the da a ransom for Missy ithin the law; after all, he’d saved the lives of an entire crew And if asking for the ransom wasn’t quite within the law, then so be it He would still be paid However, on his ship, every man knew that captives were not to be ht his own pirate ship flush with Blue’s; he’d wanted in on the action And when he’d seen the delectable Missy, he’d wanted an the drama that the croas about to witness

With a flourish, Will left the e Abby dutifully let out the screaht the pirates to action, Scurvy Pete accusing Blue of being less than a ed truth of piracy Blue, in turn, ridiculed Scurvy Pete, telling hi from a yardarm, that he wasn’t just a blot on piracy but a blot on the entire human race

Abby could see that the rest of the Kreere in Savannah were scattered through the crowd They were there because their suspects were there, except for Dirk, as out on the Black Swan Dirk was not alone, although he undoubtedly thought he was A plainclothes policeman was on board; Abby knew that Jackson and Malachi both believed they were drawing close to a resolution and that everyone needed to be watched

"You fool! I will have your captive, and I will return the lass as I see fit!" Paul told Roger "You will fall beneath my steel!"

"One day I’ll fall, but I will fall to the law on the high seas and not to the likes of you, Scurvy Pete!" Roger said "I will go with s of the sea!"

"To the death, Blue Anderson! To the death!" Paul bellowed, and the two began to thrust and parry with their swords, to the delight of the crowd

Abby screairl--and fell back Will Chan cae so the sword battle could continue

The two reith everyone entranced Finally, Blue caught Scurvy Pete with a fatal blow

Paul died, eain to do a follow-up, and then the crowd broke into applause