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od at stage magic as at true wizardry。
I recalled that Raven had been pretty good with tricks。
His biggie had been making knives appear out of thin air。 But he had had other tricks with which he had entertained Darling。
Hagop said； 〃Look here； Croaker。〃
I looked。 I did not see anything abnormal。 〃What？〃
〃Going through the grass toward the lump。 It's almost gone now； but it's there。 Like a trail。〃 He held blades of grass parted。
It took me a while to see it。 Just the faintest hint of a sheen； like an old snail track。 A closer scrutiny showed that it should have started roughly where the corpse's heart would have lain。 It took a little work to figure； because scavengers had torn the remains。
I examined a fleshless hand。 Rings remained on the fingers。 Various metal accoutrements and several knives also lay around。
One…Eye worked Kingpin over to the bones。 〃Well？〃 I asked。
〃It's possible。 With a little misdirection and stage magic。 I couldn't tell you how he did it。 If he did。〃
〃We got a body；〃 I said； indicating the bones。
〃That's him；〃 Asa insisted。 〃Look。 He's still wearing his rings。 And that's his belt buckle and sword and knives。〃 But a shadow of doubt lingered in his voice。 He was ing around to my way。
And I still wondered why the nice new ship had not been claimed。
〃Hagop。 Hunt around for signs somebody went off in another direction。 Asa。 You said you lit out as soon as you saw what was happening？〃
〃Yeah。〃
〃So。 Let's quit worrying about that and try to figure what happened here。 Just to look at it； this dead man had something that became that。〃 I indicated the lump。 I was surprised I had so little trouble ignoring it。 I guess you can get used to anything。 I'd paraded around the big one in Juniper till I'd lost that cold dread that had moved me for a while。 I mean； if men can get used to slaughterhouses； or my business…soldier or surgeon…they can get used to anything。
〃Asa； you hung around with Raven。 Shed； he lived at your place for a couple years； and you were his partner。 What did he bring from Juniper that could have e to life and bee that？〃
They shook their heads and stared at the bones。 I told them； 〃Think harder。 Shed； it had to be something he had when you knew him。 He stopped going up the hill a long time before he headed south。〃
A minute or two passed。 Hagop had begun working his way along the edge of the clearing。 I had little hope he would find traces this long after the fact。 I was no woodsman； but I knew Raven。
Asa suddenly gasped。
〃What？〃 I snapped。
〃Everything is here。 You know； all the metal。 Even his buttons and stuff。 But one thing。〃
〃Well？〃
〃This necklace he wore。 I only seen it a couple times。 。 。 。 What's the matter； Shed？〃
I turned。 Shed was gripping his chest over his heart。 His face was marble white。 He gobbled for words that would not e。 He started trying to rip his shirt。
I thought he was having an attack。 But as I reached him； to help； he opened his shirt and grabbed something he was wearing around his neck。 Something on a chain。 He tried to get it off by main force。 The chain would not break。
I forced him to take it off over his head； pried it out of stiff fingers； held it out to Asa。
Asa looked a little pale。 〃Yeah。 That's it。〃
〃Silver；〃 One…Eye said； and looked at Hagop meaningfully。
He would think that way。 And he might be right。 〃Hagop！ e here。〃
One…Eye took the thing； held it to the light。 〃Some craftsmanship；〃 he mused。 。 。 。 Then flung it down and dived like a frog off his lily pad。 As he arced through the air； he barked like a jackal。
Light flashed。 I whirled。 Two castle creatures stood at the side of the black lump； frozen in midstep； in the act of rushing us。 Shed cursed。 Asa shrieked。 Kingpin zipped past me and drove his blade deep into a chest。 I did the same； so rattled I did not recall the difficulty I'd had during our previous encounter。
We both hit the same one。 We both yanked out weapons free。 〃The neck；〃 I gasped。 〃Go for the vein in the neck。〃
One…Eye was up again； ready for action。 He told me later he had glimpsed motion in the corner of his eye； jumped just in time to evade something thrown。 They had known who to take first。 Who was most potent。
Hagop came up from behind as the things started moving； added his blade to the contest。 As did Shed； to my surprise。 He jumped in with a knife about a foot long； got low； went for a hamstring。
It was brief。 One…Eye had given us the moment we needed。 They were stubborn about it； but they died。 The last to go looked up at Shed； smiled； and said； 〃Marron Shed。 You will be remembered。〃 Shed started shaking。 Asa said； 〃He knew you； Shed。〃
〃He's the one I delivered bodies to。 Every time but one。〃
〃Wait a minute；〃 I countered。 〃Only one creature got away at Juniper。 Don't seem likely it would be the one who knew you。 。。。〃 I stopped。 I had noticed something disturbing。 The two creatures were identical。 Even to a scar across the chest when I peeled back their dark clothing。 The creature the Lieutenant and I had hauled down the hill； after having slain it before the castle gate； had had such a scar。
While everyone else was suffering post…bat shakes； One…Eye asked Hagop； 〃You see anything silver around Old Bones？ When you were checking first？〃
〃Uh。 。 。 。〃
One…Eye held up Shed's necklace。 〃It might have looked something like this。 It was what killed him。〃
Hagop gulped and dug into a pocket。 He handed over a necklace identical to Shed's； except that the serpents had no eyes。
〃Yeah；〃 One…Eye said； and again held Shed's necklace to the light。 〃Yeah。 The eyes it was。 When the time was right。 Time and place。〃
I was more interested in what else might e out of the black lump。 I pulled Hagop around the side； found the entrance。 It looked like the entrance to a mud hut。 I supposed it wouldn't bee a real gate till the place grew up。 I indicated the tracks。 〃What do they tell you？〃
〃They tell me it's busy and we ought to get out of here。 There's more of them。〃
〃Yeah。〃
We rejoined the others。 One…Eye was wrapping Shed's necklace in a piece of cloth。 〃We get back to town； I'm sealing this in something made of steel and sinking it in the harbor。''
〃Destroy it； One…Eye。 Evil always finds its way back。 The Dominator is a perfect example。〃
〃Yeah。 All right。 If I can。〃
Elmo's rush into the black castle came to mind while I was getting everybody organized to get out of there。 I had changed my mind about overnighting。 We could get most of the way back before nightfall。 Meadenvil； like Juniper； had neither walls nor gates。 We would not be locked outside。
I let Elmo lie in the back of my mind till the thought ripened。 When it did； I was aghast。
A tree ensures reproduction by shedding a million seeds。 One certainly will survive； and a new tree will grow。 I pictured a horde of fighters bursting into the guts of the black castle and finding silver amulets everywhere。 I pictured them filling their pockets。
Had to be。 That place was doomed。 The Dominator would have known that even before the Lady。
My respect for the old devil rose。 Crafty bastard。
It was not till we were back on the Shaker Road that I thought to ask Hagop if he had seen any evidence that anyone had left the clearing by another route。
〃Nope；〃 he said。 〃But that don't mean anything。
〃Let's not spend so much time yakking；〃 One…Eye said。 〃Shed； can't you make that damned mule go any
faster？〃
He was scared。 And if he was； I was more so。
Chapter Forty…Five： MEADENVIL： HOT TRAIL
We made the city。 But I swear I could sense something sniffing along our backtrail before we reached the safety of the lights。 We returned to our lodgings only to find most of the men gone。 Where were they？ Off to take over Raven's ship； I learned。
I had forgotten about that。 Yes。 Raven's ship。 。 。 。 And Silent was on Raven's trail。 Where was he now？ Damn！ Sooner or later Raven would lead him to the clearing。 。 。 。 A way to find out if Raven had left it； for sure。 Also a way to lose Silent。 〃One…Eye。 Can you get hold of Silent？〃
He looked at me strangely。 He was tired and wanted to sleep。
〃Look； if he follows Raven's every move； he's going to head out to that clearing。〃
One…Eye groaned and went through several dramatic shows of disgust。 Then he dug into his magic sack for something that looked like a desiccated finger。 He took it to a corner and muned with it； then returned to say； 〃I got a line on him。 I'll find him。〃
〃Thanks。〃
〃Yeah。 You bastard。 I ought to make you e with me。〃
I settled by the fire； with a big beer； and lost myself in thought。 After a while； I told Shed： 〃We have to go back out there。〃
〃Eh？〃
〃With Silent。〃
〃Who's Silent？〃
〃Another guy from the pany。 Wizard。 Like One…Eye and Goblin。 He's on Raven's trail； tracing every move he made from the minute he arrived。 He figured he could track him down； or at least tell from his movements if he was planning to trick Asa。''
Shed shrugged。 〃If we have to； we have to。〃
〃Hunh。 You amaze me； Shed。 You've changed。〃
〃I don't know。 Maybe I could have done it all along。 I just know that this thing can't happen again； to anybody else。〃
〃Yeah。〃 I did not mention my visions of hundreds of men looting amulets from the fortress at Juniper。 He did not need that。 He had a mission。 I couldn't make it sound hopeless。
I went downstairs and asked the landlord for more beer。 Beer makes me sleepy。 I had a notion。 A possibility。 I did not share it with anyone。 The others would not have been pleased。
After an hour I took a leak and dragged off to my room； more intimidated by the thought of returning to that clearing than by what I hoped to acplish now。
Sleep was a time ing； beer or not。 I could not relax。 I kept trying to reach out and bring her to me。 Which meant nothing at all。
It was a weak fool's hope that she would return so soon。 I had put her off。 Why should she？ Why shouldn't she forget me till her minions caught up and could bring me to her in chains？
Maybe there is a connection on a level I do not understand。 For I wakened from a drowse； thinking I needed to visit the head again； and found that golden glow hanging above me。 Or maybe I did not waken； but only dreamed that I did。 I can't get that straight。 It always seems so dream…like in retrospect。
I did not wait for her to start。 I started talking。 I talked fast and told her everything she needed to know about the lump in Meadenvil and about the possibility the troops had carried hundreds of seeds out of the black castle。
〃You tell me this when you are determined to be my enemy； physician？〃
〃I don't want to be your enemy。 I'll be your enemy only if you leave me no option。〃 I abandoned debate。 〃We can't handle this。 And it has to be handled。 All its' like must be handled。 There is evil enough in the world as it is。〃 I told her we had found an amulet upon a citizen of Juniper。 I named no name。 I told her we would leave it where she could be sure to find it when she arrived。
〃Arrive？〃
〃Aren't you on your way here？〃
Thin smile； secretive； perfectly aware that I was fishing。 No answer。 Just a question。 〃Where will you be？〃
〃Gone。 Long gone； and headed far away。〃
〃Perhaps。 We shall see。〃 The golden glow faded。
There were things I wanted to say yet； but they had nothing to do with the problem at hand。 Questions I wanted to ask。 I did not。
The last golden mote left me with a whispered； 〃I owe you one； physician。〃
One…Eye rambled into the place shortly after sunrise； looking a lot worse for wear。 Silent came along behind him； looking pretty beaten himself。 He had been on Raven's trail without let…up。 One…Eye said； 〃I caught him just in time。 Another hour and he would have headed out。 I conned him into waiting till daylight。''
〃Yeah。 You want to wake the troops？ We get an earlier start today； we ought to be able to get back before dark。〃
〃What？〃
〃I thought I was pretty clear。 We've got to go back out there。 Now。 We've used one of our days。〃
〃Hey； man； I'm ripped。 I'll die if you make me。 。 。 。〃
〃