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Presuive ainst her will Who knows? Perhaps she even believed that story herself in the end"

"You’re lying" Violante was trying very hard to sound composed "I don’t want to hear any more

"But hear it you will," said the Adderhead, un behind pretty stories and heard the facts Your grandfather was only too inclined to hters disappeared So your mother showed et into the castle entirely unnoticed

She was madly in love with me at the time, whatever sheh, but her voice was tre "It wasn’t my mother who showed you the tunnel It must have been one of your spies And she never loved you, either"

"Believe what you like I assuhed, and rose with a groan fro

Violante retreated as he stepped into the torchlight

"Yes, see what your noble robber has done to me," said the Adderhead as he slowly approached Morti more and more painful for hih on the endless journey to this bleak castle, but the Silver Prince still stood as straight as his daughter

"But let’s not discuss the past anymore," he said when he was so close to Mortiave off, "or about the way ain Convince me that it really doesn’t make sense for me to flay you alive at once -- and do the sahter

Yes, you left them with the Black Prince, but I know about the cave where they’re hiding I assume that my useless brother-in-law has captured theot through to Mortimer Guess who told the Adderhead about the cave, noble robber, thought Orpheus, s broadly when Mortimer looked at hiloved fist into his prisoner’s chest just where Mortola had wounded him "What are the prospects? Can you reverse your own trick? Can you cure the Book you so craftily used to deceive me?"

Mortimer hesitated for only a ive it to me"

Very well Orpheus had to admit that Mortimer’s voice still sounded ih his own sounded far, far better) But the Adderhead wasn’t to be beguiled this time He struck Mortimer in the face so hard that he fell to his knees

"Do you seriously expect to fool ain?" he snarled "How stupid do you think I am? No one can cure this Book! Dozens of your fellow crafts, which means that my flesh will rot for all eternity, and every day I’ll be tempted to write the three words in it ht of a better solution and I’ll require your services for it once hter for taking such good care of you Because, of course," he added, glancing at the Piper, "I knohat a hot teoing to say so, but the Adderhead merely raised his hand impatiently and turned back to Mortimer

"What kind of solution?" The famous voice sounded hoarse Was the Bluejay afraid now after all? Orpheus felt like a boy enjoying a particularly exciting passage in a book I hope he’s afraid, he thought And I hope this is one of the last chapters he appears in

Mortiainst his ribs Oh yes, he’s obviously ht Orpheus And the wrong friends But that was high-minded heroes for you Stupid

"What kind of solution?" The Adderhead scratched his itching flesh "You’ll bind o unobserved for a single second

And once this new book with its spotlessly white pages protects ain, we’ll write your name in the other one -- so that you can know for a while how it feels to be rotting alive After that I’ll tear it to pieces, page by page, and watch as you feel your flesh tearing and you beg the White Women to come for you

Doesn’t that sound like a solution satisfactory to all parties?"