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The history of the world begins in ice, and it will end in ice

Or at least, that’s how the dawn chill felt in the bedchaed out from beneath the cozy feather comforter under which my cousin and I slept I winced as I set my feet on the brutally cold wood floor Any warone At this early hour, Cook would just be getting the kitchen’s stove going again, two floors below But last night I had slipped a book out of ht it to read in h ere expressly forbidden fro that we had permission to readas we stayed in the parlor and did not waste expensive candlelight to do so I had to put the book back before he noticed it was gone, or the cold would be the least of my troubles

After all the years sharing a bed with my cousin Beatrice, I knew Bee was such a heavy sleeper that I could have ju her I had tried it more than once So I left her behind and picked out suitable clothing fros, and a knee-length chely laced on two petticoats and a cutaway overskirt, blowing on , hip-length jacket cut in last year’s fashionable style

Withboots and the purloined book in hand, I cracked the door and ventured out onto the second-floor landing to listen No noise cairls, in the nursery on the third floor above, were aloverness who slept upstairs with the soon, and my uncle and his factotum were usually up before dawn They were the ones I absolutely had to avoid

I crept down to the first-floor landing and paused there, peering over the railing to survey the eround floor below Next to e of the Hassi Barahal faside the rack stood our house mirror, in whose reflection I could see both h the house Uncle and Aunt were important people in their oay As local representatives of the far-flung Hassi Barahal clan, they discreetly bought and sold inforht receive such luxuries as a cawl—a protective spell bound over the house by a drua—or door andlocks sealed by a blacksmith to keep out unwanted visitors

I closed ic to trace the stirring of activity in the house: our arden; Cook and Aunt Tilly in the kitchen cracking eggs and wielding spoons as they began the day’s baking A whiff of smoke tickled my nose The tread of feet marked the approach of the an sweeping the foyer I stood perfectly still, as if I were part of the railing, and she did not look up as she swept back the way she had coht

Abruptly, hed behind me

I whirled, but there was no one there, just the e up to the bedchambers and attic beyond Two closed doors led off the first-floor landing: one to the parlor and one to irls were never allowed to set foot I pressed ainst the office door to make sure he was in his office and not in the parlor My hand was beginning to ache frohtly

“You have no appointruff voice, pitched low because of the early hour “My factotum says he did not let you in by the back door”

“I cah the , maester” The voice was husky, as if scraped raw froies for the intrusion, but my business is a delicate one I am come from overseas Indeed, I just arrived, on the airship from Expedition”

“The airship! From Expedition!”

“You find it incredible, I’ht”

“Incredible,” murmured Uncle

Incredible? I thought It was astounding I shifted so as to hear better as Uncle went on