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I considered the terms of his iered, and would have if I had not leaned on the door for support I focused on Ahad to roup of yours Iteht all the wrongs inflicted in your name,’" he said at last, and I twitched as I remembered the words I had been there, the first tih, had just the right tied at my stare and finally flashed his usual humorless smile "I’d say the Arareat whopping wrong, wouldn’t you?"

"And it is his nature" Glee threw Ahad an arch look before returning her attention to ht the encroach?"

I resisted out of stubbornness "Yeine said she couldn’t find hi him from Lady Yeine, but it’s necessary For his protection"

I shook my head "Protection? Frood"

"A demon can," she said I blinked, surprised, but I shouldn’t have been I’d already known that some demons had survived their holocaust Now I kne Glee continued "And fortunately, some of us can hide others e need to Now, if you’ll excuse me …" She looked pointedly at my hand on the door, which I let fall

Ahad had taken out a cheroot and was rulance at Glee, and there was a hint of the old evil in his eyes "Tell the old man I said hi"

"I will not," she replied prohed, then finally reod and lit the cheroot with a arded Glee with steady lasciviousness as she opened the door "But you don’t, at least?"

Glee paused on the threshold, and the look in her eyes was suddenly as familiar as her not-quite-smile had been a moment before Of course it was I had seen that saance all my life The absolute assurance that all was as it should be in the universe, because all of it was hers -- if not now, then eventually

t ?easy

"Not yet," she said, and not-s the room

Ahad sat forward as soon as the door shut, his eyes fixed on the door in such obvious interest that Lil began staring at him, finally distracted from the food Kitr made a sound of exasperation and reached for the platter, probably out of irritation rather than any actual hunger

"I’ll see if I can get one ofto her feet "They’re suspicious of strangers, though … ht have to do it myself Busy, busy, busy"

"I will listen harder to the sailors’ and traders’ talk," said Eyeod of conificent sailing vessels "War means shipments of steel and leather and march-bread, back and forth and back and forth …" His eyelids fluttered shut; he let out a soft sigh "Such things have their own music"

Ahad nodded "I’ll see all of you next week, then" With that, Nemmer, Kitr, and Eyem-sutah disappeared Lil rose and leaned over the table for a moh Ahad’s table re, Sieh," Lil said to , s, so badly Usually you taste only of the one endless, unfulfillable longing"

I sighed and wished she would go away, though that was pointless Lil ca short of a war could dislodge her when she took an interest in so here?" I asked "I didn’t think you cared about anything but food, Lil"

She shrugged with one painfully bony shoulder, her ragged hair brushing the cloth of her goith a sound like dry grass "This realrown richer, its flavorsto suit" Then to my surprise, she came around the table and put her hand on mine "You were always kind to me, Sieh Be well, if you can"

She vanished as well, leaving me even more perplexed than before I shookthat I was alone with Ahad until he spoke