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。 Perfectly。 All this be by plan。 I have made you do exactly as he wished。 I shall be rewarded。 I be the one who started the fire when you be little。 I be the one who did those things to Pell。 Not because I thought him or you a baneling。 I be the baneling。 I did it to make you break your oath。 To make you wele the Keeper’s hate into your heart。
‘‘Breaking your oath be the first step； and look what you have done since。 Look at what you be doing right now。 Look at how far you have slipped toward him。 You be within his grasp now。 You may not have given him your oath； but you do his bidding。 You have bee what you hate。 You have bee me； you be a baneling。 The Keeper smiles upon you； Adie； and thanks you for weling him into your heart。’ Mathrin slumped； and fell back； dead。’
Adie dissolved into tears； her head sagging into her hands。 Zedd unlocked his joints and swept around the table； holding her to him as he stood next to her； holding her head against his stomach； stroking her hair； forting her as she cried。
‘Not so； dear lady。 Not so at all。’
She wept against his robes； shaking her head。 ‘You think you be so smart； wizard？ You not be so smart as you think。 You be wrong about this。’
Zedd knelt beside her chair； holding her hands in his； looking up into her stricken face。 ‘I’m smart enough to know that the Keeper； or one of his minions； would not let you have the satisfaction of knowing you had won a battle against him。’
‘But I 。。。’
‘You fought back。 You struck out from your hurt； not for a lust of the things you did。 Not for a want to help the Keeper。’
Her brow wrinkled together with her effort to stop the tears。 ‘You be so sure？ Sure enough to trust one such as I？’
Zedd smiled。 ‘I’m sure。 I may not know everything； but I know you are no baneling。 You are the victim； not the criminal。’
She shook her head。 ‘I not be so sure as you。’
After Mathrin died； did you go on killing？ Seeking vengeance against any innocent？’
‘No； of course not。’
‘Had you been an agent； you would have given yourself over to the Keeper； to his wishes； and gone on to hurt those who fought him。 You are no baneling； dear lady。 My heart weeps for the things the Keeper took from you； but he did not take your soul； that is still yours。 Put those fears aside。’
He held her hands and gave them soft squeezes。 She didn’t try to take her hands back； but let them stay in his； as if to soak up the fort as they trembled。
Adie wiped the tears from her cheek。 ‘Pour me some more tea？ But no more powdered cloud leaf； or I will fall asleep before I can finish the story。’
Zedd arched an eyebrow。 She had known what he had done。 He patted her shoulder as he rose to his feet。 He poured her tea and then pulled his chair forward and sat again while she sipped。
After she drank half of her cup； she looked to have regained her control。 ‘The war with D’Hara be burning hot； but it be near the end。 I felt the boundary go up。 Felt it e into this world。’
‘So you came here right after the boundary went up？’
‘No。 I studied with a few women first。 Some taught me a few things about bones。’ She pulled a little necklace from under her robes。 She fingered the small； round bone； with red and yellow beads to each side。 It was just like the one she had given him to get him through the pass。 He still wore it around his neck。 ‘This be a bone from the base of a skull like that on the shelf over there； the one that fell on the floor。 The beast be called a skrin。 Skrin be guardian beasts to the underworld； something like the heart hounds； except they guard in both directions。 The best way to explain it is that they be part of the veil； though that not be accurate。 In this world they be solid； have form； but in the other； they be only a force。’
Zedd frowned。 ‘Force？’
Adie held out her spoon and let it drop on the table。 ‘Force。 We cannot see it； but force be there。 It makes the spoon drop； and keeps it from flying up into the air。 It cannot be seen； but it be there。 Something like that with the skrin。
‘On rare occasions； in their duty to repel all from the cusp where the world of the living and the world of the dead touch； they be pulled into this world。 Few people know of them because it so rarely happens。’ Zedd was frowning。 ‘It be very plex。 I will explain it better another time。 The important thing be that this bone from the skrin hides you from them。’
Adie took a sip of her tea while Zedd pulled his necklace out of his robes； taking a new look at it。 ‘And it must hide you from other beasts； too； to get through the pass？’ She nodded。 ‘How did you know about the pass？ I put the boundary up； and I didn’t know the pass existed。’
She turned the teacup around and around in her fingers。 ‘After I left my grandmother； I sought out women with the gift； women who could teach me things about the world of the dead。 After Mathrin died； I studied harder； with more urgency。 Each woman could tell me only what small bit she knew； but they usually knew one who knew more。 I traveled the Midlands； going among them； gathering knowledge。 I collected all those bits of knowledge； piecing them together。 In this manner； I learned a little of how the worlds interact。
‘By putting up a boundary across parts of this world； it be a little like stoppering up a teakettle and then putting it on the fire。 Without a vent； something will blow off。 I knew that if there be magic wise enough to know how to bring the underworld into this； it must have a way to equalize each side of the boundary。 A vent of some sort。 A pass。’
Zedd lifted an eyebrow； staring off into his thoughts； as he drew his thumb down his chin。 ‘Of course。 That makes sense。 Balance。 All force； all magic； must be balanced。’ He focused his eyes on her。 ‘When I brought up the boundary； I was using magic I didn’t fully understand。 It was in an ancient book； from the wizards of old； who had more power than I can fathom。 Using their instructions to bring up the boundary was an act of desperation。’
‘It be hard for me to imagine you being desperate。’
‘Sometimes； that’s all life is： one desperate act after another。’
Adie nodded。 ‘Perhaps you be right。 I was desperate to hide from the Keeper。 I remembered what Mathrin had said： he be hiding right under my nose。 I reasoned that the safest place for me to hide from the Keeper would be where he wouldn’t look： right under his nose； right at the edge of his world。 So I came to the pass。
‘The pass did not be this world； yet it did not be the underworld either。 It be a mix of both。 A place where both worlds boiled together a little bit。 With the bones； I be able to hide from the Keeper。 He and the beasts from his world could not see me。’
‘Hide？’ The woman had more iron in her than the kettle hanging on the fire。 If he knew Adie； there was more to it。 Zedd gave her a stern stare。 ‘You came here； simply to hide？’
She averted her eyes as she fingered the small； round bone on her necklace； and then at last tucked it back into her robes。 There be another reaso