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Jacopo put out his hand, and Orpheus dropped a coin bearing his grandfather’s head into it

The little hand stayed open, de more "I want three"

Orpheus snarled with annoyance, and Jacopo clutched the book a little more firmly

Greedy little bastard Orpheus dropped two more coins into the child’s hand, and Jacopo was quick to close his fingers over them "That’s for one day"

"One day?"

Oss trudged toward the out of his boots; he was always needing new boots for his elephantine feet Too bad Let hio barefoot for a while

"Your tent is ready,at his own belt and held out the book to Orpheus with a gracious expression

"Three silver coins, three days!" said Orpheus, taking the book "And now get out before I change my mind"

Jacopo ducked, but the next randson he was

"That’s no way to talk toon Orpheus’s foot so hard that he screa in the cold, laughed, and Jacopo stalked away like a shrunken copy of the Adderhead

Orpheus felt the blood shoot to his face "What kind of bodyguard are you?" he snapped at Oss "Can’t you even protect me from a six-year-old?"

With that, he limped toward his tent

Oss had lit an oil lamp and spread a bearskin on the cold forest floor, but Orpheus missed his own house the moment he stepped inside "All because of Mortirumbled as he sat down on the bearskin in a bad teer with him From all I hear, those two seem to be inseparable these days And if there isn’t any hell in this world, well, I’ll write one especially for theer won’t like that kind of fire!"

WriteHe avidly opened the book he had bargained for with that avaricious little devil Bears, brownies, fairiesthe child was right, these were children’s stories It wouldn’t be easy to read so out of them to tempt the Adderhead, as sure to su to help hiht?

More brownies The old man seemed to have a soft spot for thelass wo a nymph madly in love with a princeFor heaven’s sake, even Jacopo could hardly be expected to take much interest in that Was a robber at least ? Yes, that would do it: He could step into the Adderhead’s tent and, with just a feords, read the ene into his presence But instead he found woodpeckers, nightingales, even a talking sparrow -- no blue jay

Curse it, curse it, curse it! He hoped his three silver coins had been a good investment Nose-Nipperhet back at the boy But wait a moment! There, where the forest was at its darkest

Orpheus’s lips formed the words soundlesslyand where not even the brownies ventured out to search for mushrooms

"This camp is a very uncomfortable place to stay, loo?"