Chapter 8
Bringing Evil to AlbaShaking hands required a man to offer his right, even the ugly scarred appendage that he was left to carry around with him. So he reached out to the farmer and shook his hand with an air of nonchalance and confidence.
He had checked on this farmer earlier, before traveling here from Modane. The farmer was a truffle hunter, and he had innocently accepted the hired task, making plans in advance of the smugglers' arrival.
“Digging for truffles is a delicate business,” said the trifolào, with hand gestures to illustrate his point that the unearthed gems be treated with great care. “Scratching or cutting the surface reduces the value of the find. You use a zappino to gently lift the truffle from the earth.”
“A zappino is a small pick,” he continued, chuckling
