I do not know that I had much luck obscuring Elmos backtrail. I think we were helped more by morning traffic than by anything I did. I did get rid of the stableboy. I gave him a sock full of gold and silver, more than he could make in years of stable work, and asked him if he could lose himself. Away from Roses, preferably. He told me, I wont even stop to get my things. He dropped his pitchfork and headed out, never to be seen again.

I hied myself back to our room.

Everyone was sleeping but Otto. Oh, Croaker, he said.

Bout time.

Pain?

Yeah.

Hangover?

That too.

Lets see what we can do. How long you been awake?

An hour, I guess.

Soulcatcher been here?

No. What happened to him, anyway?

I dont know.

Hey. Those are my boots. What the hell do you think youre doing, wearing my boots?

Take it easy. Drink this.

He drank. Come on. Whatre you doing wearing my boots?

I removed the boots and set them near the fire, which had burned quite low. Otto kept after me while I added coal. If you dont calm down youre going to rip your stitches.

I will say this for our people. They pay attention when my advice is medical. Angry as he was, he lay back, forced himself to lie still. He did not stop cussing me.

I shed my wet things and donned a nightshirt I found lying around. I do not know where it came from. It was too short. I put on a pot of tea, then turned to Otto. Lets take a closer look. I dragged my kit over.

I was cleaning around the wound and Otto was cursing softly when I heard the sound. Scrape-clump, scrape clump. It stopped outside the door.

Otto sensed my fear. Whats the matter?

Its.... The door opened behind me. I glanced back. I had guessed right.

The Limper went to the table, dropped into a chair surveyed the room. His gaze skewered me. I wondered I: he recalled what I had done to him in Oar.

Inanely, I said, I just started tea.

He stared at the wet boots and cloak, then at each man in the room. Then at me again.

The Limper is not big. Meeting him in the street, no knowing what he is, you would not be impressed. Like Soulcatcher, he wears a single color, a dingy brown. Ht was ragged. His face was concealed by a battered leather mask which drooped. Tangled threads of hair protrude*from under his hood and around his mask. It was grey peppered with black.

He did not say a word. Just sat there and stared. No knowing what else to do, I finished tending Otto, then made the tea. I poured three tin cups, gave one to Otto, se one before the Limper, took the third myself.