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¡¡¡¡
¡¡¡¡¡¡CHAPTER¡¡XXIII¡¡
¡¡¡¡¡¡THE¡¡FINAL¡¡FRAY¡¡
¡¡¡¡THE¡¡SHADOW'S¡¡sudden¡¡attack¡¡had¡¡been¡¡brought¡¡about¡¡by¡¡Cyro's¡¡change¡¡in¡¡plans¡£¡¡Dunwood¡¡Marr¡as¡¡Cyro¡had¡¡talked¡¡too¡¡much¡£¡¡He¡¡had¡¡said¡¡so£»¡¡himself¡£
¡¡¡¡As¡¡Brilliard¡¡and¡¡Lence¡¡had¡¡arranged¡¡it¡¡with¡¡the¡¡supposed¡¡Larribez£»¡¡the¡¡squad¡¡of¡¡water¡front¡¡fighters¡¡were¡¡to¡¡enter¡¡and¡¡carry¡¡off¡¡the¡¡treasure¡£¡¡That¡¡would¡¡have¡¡left¡¡Marr¡¡and¡¡his¡¡two¡¡lieutenants¡¡in¡¡the¡¡house£»¡¡Link¡¡Ruckert¡¡and¡¡his¡¡mob¡¡outside¡£
¡¡¡¡It¡¡had¡¡been¡¡The¡¡Shadow's¡¡plan¡¡to¡¡drop¡¡the¡¡role¡¡of¡¡Larribez¡¡when¡¡he¡¡went¡¡to¡¡summon¡¡the¡¡seamen¡£¡¡Guised¡¡as¡¡The¡¡Shadow£»¡¡sinister¡¡in¡¡his¡¡cloak¡¡of¡¡black£»¡¡he¡¡had¡¡planned¡¡an¡¡unexpected¡¡return¡¡to¡¡catch¡¡Cyro¡¡and¡¡his¡¡lieutenants¡¡helpless¡£
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¡¡¡¡To¡¡meet¡¡Marr's¡¡unexpected¡¡measure£»¡¡The¡¡Shadow¡¡had¡¡also¡¡changed¡¡his¡¡campaign¡£
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¡¡¡¡His¡¡purpose¡¡was¡¡to¡¡swing¡¡Marr¡¡and¡¡Brilliard¡¡upon¡¡him£»¡¡giving¡¡them¡¡the¡¡thought¡¡that¡¡they¡¡might¡¡beat¡¡him¡¡to¡¡the¡¡shot¡£¡¡Marr¡¡showed¡¡surprising¡¡swiftness¡£
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¡¡¡¡His¡¡bullet¡¡lodged¡¡in¡¡the¡¡ceiling¡£
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¡¡¡¡Marr¡¡was¡¡grappling¡¡with¡¡Exeter¡£¡¡Cardona¡¡and¡¡Wayson¡¡were¡¡leaping¡¡to¡¡aid¡¡him¡£¡¡Medbrook¡¡was¡¡hard¡¡behind¡¡them¡£¡¡But¡¡Marr¡¡had¡¡gained¡¡a¡¡break¡£¡¡Wrenching¡¡free¡¡from¡¡Exeter£»¡¡he¡¡aimed¡¡a¡¡wild¡¡shot¡¡toward¡¡the¡¡far¡¡corner£»¡¡where¡¡other¡¡saved¡¡victims¡¡still¡¡stood¡£
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