Spellsinger 03 – The Day of the Dissonance by Foster, Alan Dean

around him, making him stagger. “I knew you liked me!”

“Please, Folly.” Jon-Tom reluctantly worked to disen-

gage himself. Roseroar would have been happy to help,

though she might have broken both of the girl’s arms in

the process. “Folly, I already have a woman.” Her expres-

sion fell abruptly. She moved away from him, once more

concentrating on the street ahead.

“You never told me that.”

“It was never necessary to tell you. Her name’s Talea.

She lives near a town called Lynchbany, which lies far

across the Glittergeist.”

Otter ears overheard and Mudge fell back to join them.

“O’ course, she ain’t really ‘is woman,” he said con-

versationally, thoroughly delighting in Jon-Tom’s discom-

fort. “They’re just friends is all.”

Folly’s delight returned upon hearing this disclosure.

“Oh, that’s all right, then!”

“Besides, you’re much too young for what you’re

thinking,” Jon-Tom told her, impaling Mudge with a stare

promising slow death.

“Too young for what?”

“Just too young.” Strange. The right words had been

there on his lips just a moment earlier. Odd how they

vanished the instant you needed them.

“Bet I could convince you otherwise,” she said

coquettishly.

“Here’s the right cross street,” he said hastily, lengthening

his stride. “We’ll be back at the inn in a couple of

minutes.”

A short furry shape jumped from an alcove ahead of

176

Alan Dean Foster

him. Roseroar reached for her swords. Folly hid behind

Jon-Tom as Mudge put a hand to his bow.

They relaxed when the shape identified itself.

“Jalwar!” Jon-Tom couldn’t conceal his surprise. “What