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Chapter 13
Every muscle in his body hurt. What happened? Herald rolled over onto his side and looked around. He did not recognize his surroundings, nor could he identify its strangeness.
His attempt to sit up was thwarted by a piercing pain in his skull. Raising his hand slowly, he felt the bandage covering the gash over his right eye. As he gradually grew more alert, he felt for more bandages. He found one on his right thigh. As he eyes slowly focused, he was able to look at his leg to see that it had not fared well.
Herald struggled to recall the chain of events that led to his being trussed up like a mummy in what looked like a hospital bed, although he could not fathom what hospital it might be. As hard as he tried, he could recall nothing beyond the card game he was winning in Stephen’s cabin on board the Duke.
The gentle rustling of skirts nearby caught his attention. His attempt to speak produced something that resembled a cross between a laugh and a moa
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