pt. But there were too many trying too hard. You got through to him in spite of me. Second, I had to be on hand to try to kill him in the event you succeeded. Too bad things worked out the way they did."
"You say that you and Bleys had second thoughts about the alliance, but that Brand did not?"
"Yes."
"How did your second thoughts affect your desire for the throne?"
"We thought we coald manage it without any additional outside help."
"I see."
"Do you believe me?"
"I'm afraid that I am beginning to."
"Turn here."
I entered a cleft in a hillside. The way was narrow and very dark, with only a small band of stars above us. Fiona had been manipulating Shadow while we had talked, leading us from Ed's field downward, into a misty, moorlike place,
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"What can I do to gain your trust?" she said.
"That's asking quite a bit."
She laughed.
"Let me rephrase it. What can I do to convince you I am telling the truth?"
"Just answer one question."
"What?"
"Who shot out my tires?"
She laughed again.
"You've figured it out, haven't you?"
"Maybe. You tell me."
"Brand," she said. "He had failed in his effort to destroy your memory, so he decided he had better do a more thorough job."
"The version I had of the story was that Bleys had done the shooting and left me in the lake,
mbt shoes, that Brand had arrived in time to drag me out and save my life. In fact,
MBT Nama Shoes, the police report seemed to indicate something to that effect."
"Who called the police?" she asked.
"They had it li