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His mind was veiled; all their minds were veiled Could they keep their secrets from her?

As they filed into the rooht hand because she wanted estured for Gabrielle and Louis to sit opposite, close, where I could see thened, yet sorrowful, struck my heart

The red-haired woman, the ancient one called Maharet, sat at the opposite end of the table, the end nearest the door Marius and Ar red-haired one, Jesse Maharet looked absolutely passive, collected, as if nothing could alarm her But it was rather easy to see why Akasha couldn't hurt this creature; or the other very old one, Khayht

The one called Eric was terrified, it was obvious Only reluctantly did he sit at the table at all Mael was afraid too, but it lowered at Akasha, as if he cared nothing about hiding his disposition

And Pandora, beautiful, brown-eyed Pandora-she looked truly uncaring as she took her place beside Marius She didn't even look at Akasha She looked out through the glass walls, her eyes ly, as she saw the forest, the layers and layers of dim forest, with their dark streaks of redwood bark and prickling green

The other one who didn't care was Daniel This one I'd seen at the concert too I hadn't guessed that Armand had been with him! Hadn't picked up the faintest indication that Arht have said to each other, it was lost now forever But then that couldn't be, could it? We would have our tiether, Armand and I; all of us Daniel knew it, pretty Daniel, the reporter with his little tape recorder ith Louis in a room on Divisadero Street had somehow started all of this! That's why he looked so serenely at Akasha; that's why he explored it moment by moment

I looked at the black-haired Santino-a rather regal being, as appraisingfashion He wasn't afraid either But he cared desperately about what happened here When he looked at Akasha he ed by her beauty; it touched some deep wound in him Old faith flared for a moment, faith that had meant more to him than survival, and faith that had been bitterly burnt away

No time to understand them all, to evaluate the links which connected thee-the two red-haired wolancing flash when I looked at Jesse,

I ondering if they could scanto conceal; the things I unwittingly concealed from myself

Gabrielle's face was unreadable now Her eyes had grown sht and color; she looked froure so out

And a sudden terror crept over me Maybe it had been there all the ti inveterate would prevent it, just as it had with me And some fatal resolution would come before we left this room

For a moment I was paralyzed I reached out suddenly and took Akasha's hand, I felt her fingers close delicately around mine

"Be quiet, my prince," she said, unobtrusively and kindly "What you feel in this room is death, but it is the death of beliefs and strictures Nothing more " She looked at Maharet "The death of dreao "

Maharet looked as lifeless and passive as a living thing can look Her violet eyes eary, bloodshot And suddenly I realized why They were hu the Too many of the tiny nerves in her own body were dead

I saw the dreaain The twins, the body before them What was the connection?