Page 287 of Sins of the Heart

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“Precisely.”

“And Sutekh prides himself on being a good politician. Nicely played.”

“Thank you.”

“And Gahiji?”

“He’s dancing a very careful waltz at the moment,

slow and controlled. He knows Dad’s not pleased, and

he knows I’m watching him.” Alastor was quiet for a

second, then he asked, “What the bloody hell was he

thinking? It was as if he had a personal grudge against

your Roxy Tam.”

“Yeah.” Dagan paused. Gahijihadacted like it was

personal, though he’d offered generalizations as justification. But the whole thing had felt off. Wrong.

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SINS OF THE HEART

Something dark and dangerous uncoiled inside

him. Suspicion.

He had a flash of recollection, like a flare going off,

of Lokan mentioning Gahiji’s name before he’d headed

off to get himself killed. Nothing unusual there. Gahiji

often conveyed the old man’s orders. Why was that particular time suddenly jumping out at Dagan like a plaid

tie against a paisley shirt?

He shook his head. He was clutching at any and

every straw. What was he thinking? That the old man

was harboring a traitor? Gahiji had been his father’s

right hand since at least a millennium before Dagan

was born.

“Speaking of…howisMs. Tam?” Alastor asked.

Dagan glanced at the bathroom door. “She’s alive,

and I intend to make certain she stays that way.”

“You realize you sound positively rabid?”

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