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Show Although the transceiver would have done Hoqqam just as well, the villain had achieved what was his open purpose: a lucrative position for his unhappy sister and a possible windfall for himself of several thousand hectares of land. Such constant contact by Armand with the wretched child-whom he often noticed hiding unsuccessfully the bruises She'd received from her surly brother-and basking with great pleasure in her puppy-like devotion, the man's head was turned, complete. He did give her sympathy, slight though it was, and she'd been full unused to such a thing during the last few TwelveMonths of her life. Indeed, she fair worshipped the ground Armand walked on. So Janni's foolish father took the child in as his companion. In point of fact, Hoqqam's sister moved in with Armand but two SevenDays after she'd appeared on her brother's cottage stoop and one day, exact, before Janni's birthday. And the reason Armand had stood outside the granary shouting into the night for Dr'Anya was that he had, in the space of a few minutes since, made a decision-apply he would on the instant to be loosed from Dr'Anya and pair with Hoqqam's sister! And why not? Wildly successful he'd been in his first two SevenDays of managing Needlesmith Hold! He had at length come of age, and was no longer needful of a keeper such as the terrifying Dr'Anya. And this poor girl he'd suddenly acquired, she hangs on his every word! Indeed she worships him! Looks upon him as one of the Saints! Assuredly, Armand had been made bold with two hours worth of drinking the forbidden Tartary whiskey with the girl sitting wide-eyed at his feet. If he'd taken a bit more time to think about the proposition, he might not have plunged into the argument so precipitately. He might have allowed the 218 |