'Therefore, if I am to help you, you must do your part and help me in return. I don't care a fig if you wish to live out the rest of your life in Port Haven, but when the time comes you must leave the Casa with my friends and never return.'

Toying absently with a small white flower, Kara asked, 'Will I be able to find a job in Port Haven, do you think?'

'Not to worry,' Camilla told her. 'I will take care of everything. You just leave it up to me. Now come, let's go join the others as though nothing of this was said between us. And- not a word to anyone! Do I have your word on this? If we're found out, it could cost both of us dearly.'

'All right,' Kara said, looking her directly in the eye. 'I will keep my word.'

'What's the matter? You don't like my cooking these days?'

Kara, who sat alone before the fireplace at a small table, stopped picking at her food, contritely. 'I'm sorry, Maria. Supper is delicious. It's just that . . . I haven't any appetite.'

'Nevertheless, you will eat! You can't make the most of a surprise with an empty belly.'

Kara gave her a blank look. 'What surprise?'

'Ah, you'll have to finish your supper if you want to find out. In the meantime you'll get nothing from me.'

When she was done, Maria led her to the back door where Guiseppe waited for her. She followed him outside and up the trail that led to the utility buildings, and there before the shed was the old trap she had seen when she got the bicycle, only now it was clean, freshly oiled and painted a dark forest green, and hitched to an enormous grey dray horse with shaggy mane and feet, that stopped cropping the grass and regarded Kara gravely. Even the leather upholstery, though a little cracked and faded with age, had been oiled and seemed to glow.

'Remember this?' he said with a wide grin.

'Guiseppe! What on earth! You didn't go to all this trouble on my account, I hope!'

'It was no trouble,' he said, 'Here, I didn't mean to make you cry! It was really the Señora's idea.' Taking the horse by the bridle, he said, 'This stout fellow is named Toro. Don't ask me why, because it was a joke some time ago, and now none of us can remember what the joke was. Anyway, the Señora thought that he would go well with the old trap. He's not what you would call built for speed, but he has lots of stamina. This way you can visit Anana whenever you like- ah, I thought your eyes would light up at that! And Toro is very useful for another reason. He knows his way around Isla Fiero, all the way to Port Haven.




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