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PART ONE

MITT

1

The Earl of Hannart arrived in Aberath two days before Midsu the Countess of Aberath a portrait of the Adon to put in her collection As this was a state visit, he brought his son as well and a string of his hearthmen, and his arrival caused a rare bustle

A tall h in the hills where the green roads ran He had an excellent view fro courts of the mansion but of the whole town, the cliffs, the bay, and the boat sheds The Earl was easy to pick out aures, because he ith a servant carrying the picture The ht to the library, where he knew the Countess aiting to receive the Earl Almost immediately the servant was sent away to fetch so his way, first to the stables, then to the dining hall, and finally to the hearthly person and pointed to the library The gangly one set off there at a run, on long, gawky legs

The watcher turned away “So they did send for this Mitt,” he said as if this had confirmed his worst suspicions Then he looked up and round and over his shoulder, clearly thinking that soreen road was e swiftly inland

About the same time as thisnot to pant, and pushed open the creaky door

“Oh, there you are,” said the Countess “We want you to kill someone”

She was never one to beat about the bush It was al Mitt liked about her All the saht He stared at her long, bony face, which was set slightly crooked on her high shoulders, and then looked at Earl Keril of Hannart to make sure Mitt had been ten months now in Aberath, but the North Dale Earl Keril was dark, with a long nose Everyone said what a likable rimly as the Countess

“Didn’t you hear?” Earl Keril asked “We want someone dead”

“Yes Is this a joke of some kind?” Mitt said But he could tell frousted, and his knees shook “I gave up killing—I told you!” he said to the Countess

“Nonsense,” she said “Why else do you think I had you trained as my hearthman?”

“You would have it that way, not me!” Mitt said “And I never kidded myself you made me learn all that out of love for me!”

Earl Keril looked questioningly at the Countess

“I warned you he was rude,” she said She leaned toward hiether

Mitt was too disgusted to try to overhear He looked beyond their two i of the Adon propped on an easel behind theht was across the canvas from where Mitt stood, in a bluish haze, but the painted eyes caught his, like dark holes in the haze They looked ill and haunted The fa, with lank hair and crooked shoulders Near on a cripple, like the Countess, Mitt thought She and Earl Keril both descended fro nose Earlier that day Mitt would have been thoroughly disappointed to find that the Adon looked like this Since he came to Aberath, he had heard story after story of the Adon, the great hero who had talked with the Undying and lived as an outlaw before he becao Now he looked froether in the twilight of the library, and he thought, Fairy stories! Bet he was just as bad as they are! Well, I ran off from Holand, so I reckon I can run off from Aberath, too

Just then he caught a murmur from Keril “Oh, yes, I’m sure that he is!” Sure I aain “We’ve gone into your history,” Keril said to him “Attempted murder in Holand Successful murder in the Holy Islands—”

“That’s a lie!” Mitt said angrily “Whatever you think, I neverbefore I came here”

“Then you’ll have to force yourself to try again,” said the Countess “Won’t you?”

“And you came on here by boat,” Keril went on, before Mitt could speak, “with Navis Haddsson and his children Hildrida and Ynen In Aberath the Countess took you in and had you educated—”

“For ly