It surprised her when the man leaned his shoulder on the door-frame and countered her grin with one of his own. “Yeah, you’re a looker, all right,” he said. “But you’ve been running around in that body armour all day, and you stink.”
“I prefer to think of it as an endearing musk.”
“Still not convinced, lady.”
Squeezing her eyes shut, Anna stifled her irritation and then gave her head a shake. “Look, at least let me talk to Shandarel,” she pleaded. “The reverend might want to hear what I have to say.”
In the end, she got her way. The doorman – or guard, or whatever he was – ushered the four of them down into the basement, where the families were gathered together in little groups. Most of the kids were asleep. The robo-teddy still sat on his yellow stool, but he was quiet now.
Shandare
