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"I don’t knohat I can do," I said "Even if I went backI mean, if Dorian and Maiwenn haven’t come up with any ideas, I’ about uniting powers to atteh" Roland’s tone conveyed that even if he pitied the gentry for their suffering, theirhe had no use for "Dorian also has some ideas about who’s responsible"

Of course he would Even if his own ical attempts proved ineffectual, Dorian wouldn’t sit idly by He’d try to solve this e of the situation was liht go I jumped back to one of Roland’s earlier codoht?" I asked "You said a feeren’t"

"The Yew Land is one," said Roland, looking surprised at my leap "That’s who Dorian thinks--"

"--is responsible?" I guessed

"How did you know that?"

"Because as much as I hate to admit it, I kno Dorian thinks If some places were affected and some weren’t, I’d look at the unaffected ones too"

"That’s what Dorian said" Roland didn’t look pleased that I could "think like Dorian," and I could definitely understand his dis quite a profit off of food Their land--and I guess their, what, subsidiaries?--are still able to grow and produce food, and they have no qualh prices"

I was aghast "That’s terrible"

Roland shrugged "But so to pay, rather than see their people suffer And it’s better than the alternative "

I looked up sharply at his o"

"From the Yew Land?" I certainly didn’t endorse theft but was surprised Roland would care one way or another about gentry stealing froentry who have been raiding our world for food and supplies"

I gaped, unable to immediately forain, but it was still hard to believe "If there were elees, I think I would’ve heard about that They’re not exactly subtle, and there are only a handful of gentry who can cross over in true form" Dorian was one, but I kneith absolute confidence he’d never lower himself to that

"A handful is all it takes," said Roland "And those are exactly the ones doing this--not the elementals One of them’s that boythe one I saw that day in the Rowan Land, whose sister had been attacked? You know hiiel? No No way He wouldn’tno" Once again, though, I had to questionworlds intact Even though I kneas good at heart, I also knew he had a fierce, passionate streak about the things he believed in He’d made it clear--both in his defense of ers involved if it ht And if ever there was a cause that would trigger all his noble i people?

Yes, Pagiel as an Otherworldly Robin Hood was very much a possibility With his powers to control wind and air, he’d also be a formidable--

"Oh Lord," I said A flashback came to me of that weird story in the news about a Tucson robbery "I saw sorocery store in Tucson That was him, wasn’t it?"

"Yes," said Roland "With a couple cronies The one good thing is that they’re pretty fast and efficient Most hu when the hits occur, so there hasn’t been any mass hysteria about supernatural invaders--yet And that’s the thing "

I snappedruminations and focused on him The lines of his face were hardand filled with sorrow "What is?"