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

his nose close to the ground. When he stood straight again,

his whiskers were twitching. “An otter can follow a scent

on land or through water if there’s just enough personal

perfume left to tickle ‘is nostrils. This track’s fresh as a

new whore. Until it rains we’ve got a trail to follow, and

there’s desert ahead. Maybe if we pee on the run we can

overtake the bloody double-crossers.”

“Ah second the motion, suh. Let’s not give up, Jon-

Tom.”

“I wasn’t thinking of giving up, Roseroar. I was thinking

about what we’re going to do when we do catch up with

them.”

“That’s the spirit!” She leaned close. “Leave the de-

tails to me.” Her teeth were very white.

“I’m not sure that would be the civilized thing to do,

Roseroar.” Despite the deception, the thought of Folly in

Roseroar’s paws was not a pleasant one.

“All man actions are dictated by man society’s code of

honah, Jon-Tom,” she said stiffly. She frowned at a sudden

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Alan Dean Foster

thought. “Don’t tell me that after what’s happened heah

yo still feel fo the little bitch?”

He was shouldering his backpack. “We still don’t know

that she went with Jalwar voluntarily. Maybe he forced

her.”

Mudge was waiting at the edge of the campsite, anxious

to get moving. “Come on now, mate. Even if you exclude

age as a consideration, the girl was bigger and stronger

than that old ferret. And she could always have screamed.”

“Not necessarily. Not if Jalwar had a knife at her throat.

Look, I admit it looks like she went with him voluntarily,

but I won’t condemn her until we know for sure. She’s