Page 48 (1/1)

"What?"

"I said I have the orb"

"It is useless towhy he was being thick-headed "But I can I a her as well, sloshing broth onto the tray "What?"

She looked at him fiercely in return "I stole the orb Do you think I will ever be welcoo with me to the battle field? And then ill you do?" He shook his head,darkly "This sheriff will hunt us He wants you You I do not knohy, but he is determined to have you He hardly seemed to care that he arrestedabout you He is arguing with the Aldermaston to turn you over to hi to untwist as they left the rooain "Why would he…?"

"Several reasons I can think of and I have had nothing to do but think since I was arrested You should be hiding And yet here you are, in the lion’s maw When you ca more furious than ever

"I came to help you!" she scolded "I pro to kill you, I will not let that happen, not if I can stop it" She tugged her aret away, then we can talk it over" Her feelings were hurt – she had hoped he would offer to protect her, to offer her sanctuary in his earldoreed"

At the end of the hall there were steps descending As they started down, the sound of others conized

"A mob, I tell you By Idumea’s hand, the fools Better ride out while we still can Who cares about the girl e have the other prize"

"You tell Aluer I will stay behind and find the wretched I know this abbey She cannot hide fro"

"Tell the sheriff yourself, Scarseth Let us fetch the stripling and ride back to Shefton and e the boy dies in"

Lia froze in the stairwell She recognized the thief’s voice Now she knew his nah tirim Three sets of boots came up the stairs, were al men in the roo quickly up There was no more time to think It was time to act, but she had no ideas and Colvin had no sword Helplessly, frantically, she froze as their heads appeared fro you, if the mob riots, ill not make it out of town unscathed The Alderers count on hiuer not to confront hi breath with me There are twenty of us with swords and hauberks, and if we leave a river of blood, then it is the Mediuuer’s authority in this Hundred Aldermaston or no"

Lia saw their faces It was over She had done her best but it had only s worse Now both she and Colvin would be captured by the sheriff’s…

It happened so quickly, she nearly shrieked with surprise Colvin yanked the tray from her hands and threw it at the sheriff’s men below Warm broth and water splashed, the crockery shattered, and the tray itself struck like a catapult stone, toppling one of them back into another in the narrow stairwell Colvin leapt down the full flight of stairs, and Lia clutched the rail and watched

Curses, shrieks, grunts, crunches The sheriff’s ht for their lives There was no room or time to draords – the stairas all a tus, of fists and chins and red-specked spittle The force of Colvin’s attack toppled the two ushed froht she saw a tooth fly from his mouth and rattle and drop down the stairwell like a pebble

"Brickolrabbed his ar his neck and throat with his arm With a twirl, the man went head first into the wall and dropped like a sack

Scarseth, dripping with broth and looking horrorstruck, scrambled down the steps Lia started after hi hiled to free himself and both tumbled down the stairs