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Show Dr'Anya had been feeling for the motionless girl's pulse through the uproar with the geese, and was pounding full fair against the child's breast-she was used to the cataclysmic squabbles of the reds-and had been frowning in deep concentration. At Armand's disjointed speech she looked up at him and the expression on her face turned from irritation to disbelief. Then she looked at the young Janni, squatted amid the stricken DragonGeese whose plight only at that instant struck her. Isacc's God in Heaven! A surge of disgust shot up through mother and daughter together and it took on a life of its own. Assuredly, they thought in unison, 'twould indeed serve the blackguard r i g h t . .. There was an extended pause during which everyone held their various poses in absolute stillness. Then Dr'Anya laid the unresisting arm of Hoqqam's sister on the bloody and littered ground, closed her eyes, and said to her partner; "Go thou to bed, Armand." She thought for a minute and then added, "And better 'twould be if thou sleepest tonight in thy proper place in the Hall-thou catchest, of course, my meaning?" The befuddled man nodded his head, though it was true that he caught not her meaning, nor did Dr'Anya have any in mind, save to get him out of the way. Armand scrambled up from his perch on the cold frame, then-his face plainly showing his relief-took off erratically in the general direction of the Hall, his striped shift billowing out behind him. Young Janni and her good mother had risen early on the morrow-the guests for Janni's birthday fete were due to arrive at midday-and they had a fair lot to do before everyone arrived. The night before had needs be forgotten. Janni herself was amazed at her mother's ability to block the 225 |