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. Moran,
watching in dismay, had to admit that what Tarli did not
know about mercy or the Measure, he clearly made up for
with his knowledge of anatomy.
At length, Tarli, staggering under the weight, carried
the beaten Saliak to bed. Steyan and Maglion shook Tarli's
hand several times. Then, to Moran's immense relief, the
two larger boys dressed and bandaged Saliak. Everyone but
Tarli seemed at last to understand what the Measure was, to
a knight.
*****
Moran hated doing it.
He could see Loraine's laughing face, quizzical and
completely trusting. All that summer, she had never looked
as though she thought anyone would hurt her, and he had
tried very hard never to be the one who did.
After breakfast, Rakiel, with every show of sympathy and
every indication of smugness, went down the stairs and sent
Tarli up.
Moran argued with himself a final time. The best I
could hope for, he said to himself, is that it would be many
years before he failed. And then it would be trial, and
conviction, and the black roses of guilt on the table.
He sat quietly, rehearsing what he would say. As many
years as he had sent squires from the manor, Moran always
hated good-byes - unexpected good-byes the most
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