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He shifts back to the corner of the settle I stare straight ahead as he looks at ainst your skin Now eat I won’t have wasted food

I lift my fork Make myself eat another bite He drinks his wine an watches me

My men rounded up your rebel crew, he says What was left of them Three people in a junkyard One’s the crazy old junk woman, I’m told The Steward couple were easily found Dealt with on the spot We fee happy fee band of brothers Small wonder you were ready to surrender And, before you ask, no, you can’t see the Don’t worry, I intend to keep my word I have no wish for a resentful wife What is it they say? A little kindness goes a long way

He toasts me

So … how do I rate your perfora to lose, no e that I set your brother against you? You must know that I always have a safety net I’ive you a week and the best you can do is free a few children from their intolerable life of three ful future They’re all back at Edenho infants to their parents, I don’t suppose they’ll be thanking you now He stares atmoment There’s the tiniest of frowns between his eyes Disappointing, Saba, he says And perplexing You’ve caused me some … inconvenience, that’s all And rained your own blood upon your head Your lover, the traitor, is the only one not accounted for If he drowned, he’ll wash up downstream If not, he’ll be found and dealt with

He pulls somethin fro with the barkscroll o-between, I presu on the fire

Safe passage fer Jack too, I says You promised

What? he says You’d have your brother die for nothing?

A single tear shames me Tracks down my cheek

He watches me as he drinks What is this? he says Self-pity? Guilt? Or is it grief?

It’s somethin in the way he asks Not to taunt it it His unreadable eyes His smooth, blank face Not blank becuz he’s hidin how he feels Blank becuz he don’t feel nuthin Kindness Guilt Grief Self-pity They’re jest words to hiht tihts and one day, he says Cry until then if you lass I’ll have no red-eyed bride, he says We’re not made of coether There’s in A hard kiss, like he owns its to his feet Goes to the door It opens an closes He locks it behind hione

I sit I stare in the fire A sudden rattle at theht, through the glass My heart quickens

Nero, I says

He’s lifted the latch, like Mercy taught him Silently, carefully--theyhim in I can hear Tracker still howlin nearby I lean out into the night There ain’t nobody around I whistle softly Once Twice I wait I wait Then I see hih the field towards the house He flings hisself at the wall below ht Hopin to try an reach me But three bone-breaker floors stand between us

All I can do is look down an whisper to him I’m okay, it’s okay, I’m here I tell him what a fine fellow he is He whio He mustn’t be found near the house DeMalo would never hurt him He’s kindness itself to any creature not human But the Tonton cain’t be trusted not to har him to my fireside chair I cradle his warmth to me Breathe his smell to me He rubs his beak on one Jest you an me

I say the words I still don’t feel what they in to think

The two Tonton we left in the road They ht Lanes Three at the junkyard Peg an Tommo an Webb DeMalo said, the Steward couple, dealt with on the spot The Tonton uilty with hi That means they didn’t talk before they died Before they died That leaves Molly an Auriel at Nass Camp Slim an Ash an Creed still somewhere in New Eden Jack, who hates me, on the run Maybe they all hate me