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"Why would I be interested in that? I hope he’s dead and gone Trodden underfoot"
Grim-faced, Elinor went up to the shelves and took out haifa dozen books, supplies for another cheerless day in bed "Yes, trodden underfoot! By a giant Or--no, wait!
Even better -- I hope his clever tongue is blue and sticking out of his ht a smile to Darius’s owlish face
"Elinor, Elinor!" he said "I think you could teach the Adderhead hi of fear"
"Of course I could!" replied Elinor "Compared to me, the White Women are a bunch of sisters of mercy! But I’m stuck for the rest of my life in a story where there’s no part for me but the role of a batty old woman!"
Darius didn’t reply to that However, when Elinor ca to find another book, he was standing in front of the glass case onceat the words Orpheus had written on the sheet of paper
CHAPTER 12
BACK IN THE SERVICE OF ORPHEUS
Of course, the city gates of Ombra were closed when Farid finally rode his stubborn donkey around the last bend in the road A thin crescent uards were passing the tiallows outside the city walls The Milksop had left soh, to spare his sensitive nose, the galloere no longer in use Presu a sight for his subjects
"Well, well, who couards, a tall, thin fellow propping his alone wouldn’t carry hi Farid’s reins "Riding around all on his own in the ht! Aren’t you afraid the Bluejay will steal that donkey from under your skinny behind? After all, he had to leave his horse up at the castle today, so he could do with your donkey And you he’ll feed to the Black Prince’s bear!"
"I’ve heard the bear eats nothing but men-at-arms because they crunch so nicely in his jaws" As a precaution, Farid’s hand went to his knife He felt too tired to be huhtly reckless to know that the Bluejay had et out of the Milksop’s castle safe and sound Yes, he, too, found hiue by that naie was always cross if she heard him
"Ho, ho, hark at the lad, will you, Rizzo?" called the guard to the other man on duty
"Maybe he stole the donkey hie-maker in Butchers’ Alley before the poor beast drops dead under hi unpleasantly, and raised his lance until the ugly spearhead was pointing straight at Farid’s chest "I know this fellow," he said He had twofront teeth, whichfire once or twice in the marketplace Aren’t you the one they say learned his trade from the Fire-Dancer?"