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Colvin loom, his hair daer, intense, worried His arhtly, as if he were very cold

"What is that?" he asked Lia, staring at the sphere as the spindles pointed directly at hinition "I cannot believe it Where did you get that? From the Aldermaston?"

"Yes," Lia answered "You knohat it is?"

"I do – but I have never handled one before They are rare" He exa in the darkness "I cannot see it well Bring it to the wayhtly, revealing the surface of the beautiful ier orb But then I should not be surprised Muirwood is the oldest abbey in the realm May I?"

Lia extended it to him and the spindles spun around once and then stopped

He held it in his hand and stared at it Nothing happened

"You think about where you want to go…" Lia suggested

"I know that," he snapped "It is precisely what I a

Lia wanted to laugh A soon-to-be earl fro of triumph blazed inside her "Like this," she offered and took it from him "Show me the way to Winterrowd" The spindles spun, the inner circle whirring deftly, and the asappeared on the lower half of the orb "What does the writingfroain He stopped, sed, and shook his head "I cannot read it I do not know this language It is an older text…an ancient text It may even be Idumean I have never seen this style of script before"

Lia was deeply disappointed "I thought all mastons kne to read and scribe I want to knohat it says"

He shook his head, looking at the curving, elliptical e I do not know all languages I certainly do not know Idumean I aain" He held out his hand