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Show PROLOGUE "Though a child, God willing, remains not a child, her mother is a mother forever." from The Memoirs of Dr'Anya Gundarholt-Needlesmith Outside, mother and daughter hesitated in the shadow of the doorway. The deep red Twins were dropping down behind a slight rise on the horizon to the left, bathing the sky in crimson. To the east of them lay the blackness of the Tartars. Dr'Anya squinted over the wagon, still tied up before the alehouse, to the aircar waiting under the tree. Then she signaled to Janni and the two of them raced across the square. Dr'Anya reached the aircar first and smacked the sensor. The door slid open and she turned to Janni. Suddenly she was grabbed from behind and Janni screamed. Dr'Anya twisted inside the arm encircling her and bit savagely at the hand over her mouth. The one holding her yelped and pulled his hand away, then went suddenly sprawling backward, tripped up by Dr'Anya's foot behind his leg. She fell on top of him purposely and knocked the wind out of him, then she twisted, quickly found his carotid and pressed it firmly. Her assailant dropped back limply, unconscious. Dr'Anya had, of a surety, learned a few things during her travels in the Provinces! The woman had freed herself in less than a minute, but it was long |
