To me,he told Keth. me something

He never finished his suggestion. Keth took a deep breath to speak, and the room flashed with white fire, blinding Nomasdina, the arurim who was there to take notes, Tris and Keth himself.

Vision only returned slowly. The first thing Keth saw, when he could see, was that the circle hed been standing in was a charred mark on the floor. Its barrier was gone, as if lightning had struck the thing and burned it out of the wood. Nomasdina s powders were a small, black clump on the floor. Nomasdina himself was covered in soot. His carnelian, which he still held, was black and cracked.

Of all mercy, what was that?whispered the arurim clerk.

Tris removed her spectacles to rub her eyes. Keth thought that without the spectacles she actually looked her age, nojJikesome fierce old lady with unwrinkled^skm. Nomasdina rounded on her.

Did you do?he growled. ought to put you in irons, and dont think I cant!

me, dhaskoi said the clerk. She was there because she too could see magic. didnt come from her. It came from him, and he didnt actually do anything. It just surged out of him, like - like lightning. Like he couldnt help it.

is part of Keths magic,Tris informed Dema. only found out about it recently. He hasnt learned to control it yet. And if I may, a hint? Dont threaten someone unless youre certain you c an carry out the threat.

Nomasdina snorted and turned to Keth. if your power fights me, then theres only one way to do this,he said. He went to the door and pulled it open.

Keths knees buckled. He dropped to the floor. Nomasdina was going to call for torturers.

One moment!

Everyone turned to stare at Tris, who had risen from her chair. The door yanked out of Nomasdinas hand and slammed shut, as if a high wind had blasted through the windowless room.

get up,Tris ordered, her eyes blazing. Keth obeyed without realizing he was taking an order from her. Tris walked over to stand between him and the arurim dhaskoi. To Nomasdina she said, I ve been nice and cooperative so far.Her eyes blazed up at the Tharian. came peaceably; we didn t make trouble. You had your disgusting show back there, exhibiting that poor girl to us without so much as covering her face. But I am at the end of my patieince. You are not torturing Keth. You re going to get a truthsayer, like a civilized human being.

Nomasdina sighed. arurimat has no truthsayer funds. Its not like were in First District here.

you wait until my teacher comes with Dhasku Dawnspeaker,retorted Tris. will tell you that my teacher is the finest truthsayer known, and hell do it for no charge. You should be ashamed, leaping to torture a man on no more evidence than a glass ball!

Nomasdina looked puzzled as he stared at Tris. Keth knew how the other man felt. you so ignorant of your standing?asked the arurim dhaskoi, genuinely curious. re a foreigner,

here on sufferance. In Tharios we take the law very seriously. Interference is not appreciated.

Take it seriously in Emelan, too,snapped Tris. m not saying you cant question him, Im just saying you cant torture him. If you try, I promise you, I will bring this place down around your ears.

Keth saw a spark crawl out of one of her braids, then another, and another. listen to her,he begged, suddenly as afraid of her as he was of torture. won t like it if she loses her temper!

still want to know why youre in my way,Nomasdina repeated stubbornly, his eyes fixed on Triss.

s my student, Tris said. we havent been together very long, but I learned from the best t eachers what a student is owed. I refuse to shame them by letting you do whatever you like to Keth, when anyone but a desperate idiot could have seen back there that Keth didnt kill that woman.

Though she stood only as high as the arurim dhaskois collarbone, there was no question in Keth s mind who dominated the conversation: Tris. Something in the way he felt about her changed, frightened though he was by the sparks in her hair. He wasnt sure what had changed just yet, only that something was different.

Nomasdina frowned. know, Im beginning to believe you are a mage,he remarked slowly. He turned to Keth. tell me something. Did you kill her?

no,Keth replied, trembling. hate the Ghost. Id kill him myself, given the chance. Iralima was a friend of mine.

The last victim?Nomasdina asked.

Keth nodded, then winced. Hed just spoken the fact hed thought he was too clever to reveal.

realize that makes you look even more suspicious,the dhaskoi pointed out.

Keth nodded again. Suddenly a breeze whipped around him, and Tris raised a hand. A cocoon of silver mage fire enclosed Keth from top to toe. He touched it: the fire stung.

Told you, Nomasdina, youre not going to torture him,Tris said flatly.

Nomasdina looked at Keth in his cocoon. Then he looked at Tris. you know how long it would take me to raise protections like that? Youre starting to scare me.

The guild,Keth muttered.

Nomasdina glanced at him and smiled crookedly. Then he pulled a stool over to the barrier that sheathed Keth and sat on it. now Im just asking questions,he informed Tris wearily. He looked at Keth and asked, How did you know Iralima?

Lived at my lodging house. You were there yesterday,replied Keth. He sat cross-legged on the floor, inside the protections Tris had set around him.

you know any of the other victims?inquired Nomasdina.

knew Zudana by sight,Keth replied. used to listen to her sing all the time. She had a beautiful voice.

Did,Nomasdina agreed. they put me on the murders, I used to sneak out on my shift to hear her. How long have you been in Tharios?

He questioned Keth for an hour as the clerk took notes. Tris resumed her seat in the corner without lowering her protective barrier. Keth gave Nomasdina the details of his movements for the last two weeks, the tale of his arrival in Tharios and his employment at Touchstone Glass, and all that he d heard said about the Ghost and his murders. At last Nomasdina went to the table, where he picked up the glass ball with the gruesome scene at its heart.