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. If you would not attack
me, I would have no need to defend myself-"
There came a clicking, grinding sound. It took me several seconds to
realize that it was a gnashing of teeth. "Miy adoption by your father meant
nothing to me," I said, "beyond the fact that he honored me by it. I was not
even aware until recently that it had occurred." "You lie!" he hissed. "You
tricked him some way, to get ahead of us in the succession."
"You've got to be kidding," I said. "We're all so far down on the list
that it doesn't matter."
"Not for the Crown, you fool! For the House! Our father isn't all that
well!"
"I'm sorry to hear that," I said. "But I'd never even thought of it
that way. And Mandor's ahead of all of us, anyhow. "
"And now you're second."
"Not by choice. Come on! I'll never see the title. You know that! "
He drew himself upright, and when he moved I became aware of a faint
prismatic nimbus that had been clinging to his outline.
"That isn't the real reason," I continued. "You've never liked me, but
you're not after me because of the succession. You're hiding something now.
It's got to be something else, for all this activity on your pan. By the
way, you did send the Fire Angel, didn't you?"
"It found you that fast?" he said. "I wasn't even sure I could count on
that. I guess it was worth the price after all. But. .
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