The clerk’s gaze was lowered. She eventually looked up at me, her eyes brimming. I was surprised to realize that I, too, was crying. I hadn’t even noticed when the tears began to flow, but they made such tracks down my face that it was evident they had started a while back.
The clerk cleared her throat and spoke in a wavering voice. “I had heard of Duke Lye-St-Eere,” she said. “I guess I never put it together, with your name. Steere’s a common family name in Tar-ma-rin, isn’t it?” I nodded in confirmation. The clerk wiped her eyes. “I only would have been a few years old when it happened, but I grew up hearing about the s*******r of Lyekeep. I was mainly interested because of the missing girl. She and I had the same…” She paused, a blush rising to her cheeks.
“Same what?” I asked. I knew
