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But it was no er who ca behind hi around his neck like a noblewoman’s jewelry He seemed not to notice it—and he carried a second one, alike in weight and color, in his veined hand

“There are three girls in this house, yes?” he said i down his aquiline nose at rief

“My daughters all perished in the first snows A chill took this house; I was lucky to keep my child, so many died—”

“Oh, stop it” He interrupted, his voice cutting across hers like a ship slicing through a foamy wave “I don’t have time for this There are three children in this house, and if you do not produce the at that great closet like hungry little ry ive you a nice cheese”

The ar if not curious, curious and stupid Hesitantly, the golden-curled girls stepped out of their hiding place and clung to each other, staring shyly at the floor

Iolanthe’s face showed nothing She bent even lower, nearly bowing to the tall man “I enuine tears splashed onto the flagstones “What I told you was true—the frost took hter, as dearly beloved in this house I could not bear to have either offor your honors—I could not lose them, too!” My step pitifully and clutching at his boots for h, but I was not as stupid as my sisters

The Wizard seeain and wiped the tears froly when you cry, you ought to try not to do it Let us see about these two lambs of yours, shall we?” He held up the iron collar and Iolanthe flinched ever so slightly “It is a simple test Each of theh to fit one of them, she will cos and live a life that even a queen would envy That does sound nice, doesn’t it, girls?”

My sisters nodded, but they trembled with fear like leaves blown across an empty street He approached them as a , pale fingers settled first on Ien

“Please, sir,” she whispered, “I don’t want to”

“Well, little girls s they don’t wish to do It is the way of the world,” the Wizard said co it around her neck

It hung loose, lie, around her collarbone

“See? That wasn’t so awful You are far too weak to be of any use to me Next!”

Isaura nearly voed, “I don’t want to”

He chuckled and did not waste his breath on an answer He clasped the collar around her slim little neck, soft as a swan’s

It was so tight she could hardly breathe, and I saw that the collar was special, that it chose, and not the Wizard, for it shrank around an to claw at it in desperation