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Marius knocked his assailants away, turning his ar on the marble floor He closed his cloak about Bianca

"They mean to kill us!" she screahtered the boys, and others they've taken prisoner!"

Suddenlybefore the first attackers could climb to their feet I sahat they were All had the saic blood

They were creatures such as we!

Again, Marius was attacked, only to fling off all of thenited Dark odoriferous smoke belched forth from the adjacent roo light suddenly ht as day

I pitched ly weak And picking up one of their torches I rushed at the them back, away from me, just as the Master did

"Blasphean!" cursed another They ca their robes afire so that they screamed and fled to the safety of the waters of the canal

But there were too ht

Suddenly, to my horror, Marius shoved Bianca away from him towards the open front doors of the palazzo

"Run, darling, run Get clear of the house "

Savagely he fought those ould follow her, running after her, to bring them down one by one as they tried to stop her, until I saw her vanish through the open doors

There was no time to make certain she had reached safety More of the tapestries fell from their rods Statues were overturned and sed down by two of the little demons who clutched at my left arm, until I drove my torch into the face of one, and set the other coht

"To the roof, Amadeo, come!" Marius shouted

"Master, the paintings, the paintings in the storage rooms!" I cried

"Forget the paintings It's too late Boys, run froet out now, save yourselves from the fire "