,BOOK #g1 ,*APT] #c 

#ahfiahfi 

,PEOPLE 3 

,AU?OR 3 ,LEO ,TOL/OY 

,TEXT 3 

,! WEA!R WAS ALREADY GR[+ W9TRY & MORN+ FRO/S CONGEAL$ AN 
 E>? SATURAT$ BY AUTUMN RA9S4 ,! V]DURE HAD ?ICK5$ & ITS BRI<T 
 GRE5 /OOD \T %>PLY AGA9/ ! BR[NI% /RIPS ( W9T] RYE TRODD5 
 D[N BY ! CATTLE1 & AGA9/ ! PALE-YELL[ /UBBLE ( ! SPR+ 
 BUCK:EAT4 ,! WOOD$ RAV9ES & ! COPSES1 :I* AT ! 5D ( ,AUGU/ 
 HAD /ILL BE5 GRE5 ISL&S AMID BLACK FIELDS & /UBBLE1 HAD BECOME 
 GOLD5 & BRI<T-R$ ISL&S AMID ! GRE5 W9T] RYE4 ,! H>ES HAD 
 ALREADY HALF *ANG$ !IR SUMM] COATS1 ! FOX CUBS W]E BEG9N+ TO 
 SCATT]1 & ! Y\NG WOLVES W]E BIGG] ?AN DOGS4 ,IT WAS ! BE/ TIME 
 ( ! YE> = ! *ASE4 ,! H\NDS ( ?AT >D5T Y\NG SPORTSMAN 
 ,RO/OV HAD NOT M]ELY REA*$ H>D W9T] CONDITION1 BUT W]E SO JAD$ 
 ?AT AT A MEET+ ( ! HUNTSM5 IT WAS DECID$ TO GIVE !M A ?REE 
 DAYS' RE/ & !N1 ON ! SIXTE5? ( ,SEPTEMB]1 TO GO ON A DI/ANT 
 EXP$ITION1 />T+ FROM ! OAK GROVE :]E !RE WAS AN UNDI/URB$ 
 LITT] ( WOLF CUBS4 

,ALL ?AT DAY ! H\NDS REMA9$ AT HOME4 ,IT WAS FRO/Y & ! AIR WAS 
 %>P1 BUT T[>D EV5+ ! SKY BECAME OV]CA/ & IT BEGAN TO ?AW4 ,ON 
 ! FIFTE5?1 :5 Y\NG ,RO/OV1 9 HIS DRESS+ G[N1 LOOK$ \T ( ! 
 W9D[1 HE SAW IT WAS AN UNSURPASSABLE MORN+ = HUNT+3 IT WAS AS IF 
 ! SKY W]E MELT+ & S9K+ TO ! E>? )\T ANY W9D4 ,! ONLY 
 MOTION 9 ! AIR WAS ?AT ( ! DRIPP+1 MICROSCOPIC P>TICLES ( 
 DRIZZL+ MI/4 ,! B>E TWIGS 9 ! G>D5 W]E HUNG ) TRANSP>5T 
 DROPS :I* FELL ON ! FRE%LY FALL5 LEAVES4 ,! E>? 9 ! KIT*5 
 G>D5 LOOK$ WET & BLACK & GLI/5$ LIKE POPPY SE$ & AT A %ORT 
 DI/ANCE M]G$ 9TO ! DULL1 MOI/ VEIL ( MI/4 ,NI*OLAS W5T \T 9TO 
 ! WET & MUDDY POR*4 ,!RE WAS A SMELL ( DECAY+ LEAVES & ( DOG4 
 ,MILKA1 A BLACK-SPOTT$1 BROAD-HAUN*$ BIT* ) PROM95T BLACK EYES1 
 GOT UP ON SEE+ H] MA/]1 /RET*$ H] H9D LEGS1 LAY D[N LIKE A 
 H>E1 & !N SUDD5LY JUMP$ UP & LICK$ HIM RI<T ON HIS NOSE & 
 MU/A*E4 ,ANO!R BORZOI1 A DOG1 CAT*+ SI<T ( HIS MA/] FROM ! 
 G>D5 PA?1 >*$ HIS BACK &1 RU%+ HEADLONG T[>D ! POR* ) 
 LIFT$ TAIL1 BEGAN RUBB+ HIMSELF AGA9/ HIS LEGS4 

0,O-HOY60 CAME AT ?AT MOM5T1 ?AT 9IMITABLE HUNTSMAN'S CALL :I* UNITES 
 ! DEEPE/ BASS ) ! %RILLE/ T5OR1 & R\ND ! CORN] CAME 
 ,DANIEL ! HEAD HUNTSMAN & HEAD K5NELMAN1 A GRAY1 WR9KL$ OLD MAN ) 
 HAIR CUT /RAI<T OV] HIS =EHEAD1 ,UKRA9IAN FA%ION1 A LONG B5T :IP 
 9 HIS H&1 & ?AT LOOK ( 9DEP5D5CE & SCORN ( EV]Y?+ ?AT IS 
 ONLY SE5 9 HUNTSM54 ,HE D(F$ HIS ,CIRCASSIAN CAP TO HIS MA/] & 
 LOOK$ AT HIM SCORNFULLY4 ,?IS SCORN WAS NOT (F5SIVE TO HIS MA/]4 
 ,NI*OLAS KNEW ?AT ?IS ,DANIEL1 DISDA9FUL ( EV]YBODY & :O CONSID]$ 
 HIMSELF ABOVE !M1 WAS ALL ! SAME HIS S]F & HUNTSMAN4 

0,DANIEL60 ,NI*OLAS SAID TIMIDLY1 CONSCI\S AT ! SI<T ( ! WEA!R1 
 ! H\NDS1 & ! HUNTSMAN ?AT HE WAS BE+ C>RI$ AWAY BY ?AT 
 IRRESI/IBLE PASSION = SPORT :I* MAKES A MAN =GET ALL HIS PREVI\S 
 RESOLUTIONS1 AS A LOV] =GETS 9 ! PRES5CE ( HIS MI/RESS4 

0,:AT ORD]S1 Y\R EXCELL5CY80 SAID ! HUNTSMAN 9 HIS DEEP BASS1 DEEP 
 AS A PROTO-DEACON'S & HO>SE ) HALLOO+--& TWO FLA%+ BLACK 
 EYES GAZ$ FROM UND] HIS BR[S AT HIS MA/]1 :O WAS SIL5T4 0,CAN Y\ 
 RESI/ IT80 ?OSE EYES SEEM$ TO BE ASK+4 

0,IT'S A GOOD DAY1 EH8 ,= A HUNT & A GALLOP1 EH80 ASK$ ,NI*OLAS1 
 SCRAT*+ ,MILKA BEH9D ! E>S4 

,DANIEL DID NOT ANSW]1 BUT W9K$ 9/EAD4 

0,I S5T ,UV>KA AT DAWN TO LI/510 HIS BASS BOOM$ \T AFT] A M9UTE'S 
 PAUSE4 0,HE SAYS %E'S MOV$ !M 9TO ! ,OTRADNOE 5CLOSURE4 
 ,!Y W]E H[L+ !RE40 7,?IS MEANT ?AT ! %E-WOLF1 AB\T :OM !Y BO? 
 KNEW1 HAD MOV$ ) H] CUBS TO ! ,OTRADNOE COPSE1 A SMALL PLACE A MILE & A 
 HALF FROM ! H\SE47 

0,WE \<T TO GO1 DON'T Y\ ?9K SO80 SAID ,NI*OLAS4 0,COME TO ME ) 
 ,UV>KA40 

0,AS Y\ PLEASE40 

0,!N PUT (F FE$+ !M40 

0,YES1 SIR40 

,FIVE M9UTES LAT] ,DANIEL & ,UV>KA W]E /&+ 9 ,NI*OLAS' BIG /UDY4 
 ,?\< ,DANIEL WAS NOT A BIG MAN1 TO SEE HIM 9 A ROOM WAS LIKE SEE+ A 
 HORSE OR A BE> ON ! FLOOR AMONG ! FURNITURE & SURR\ND+S ( HUMAN 
 LIFE4 ,DANIEL HIMSELF FELT ?IS1 & AS USUAL /OOD JU/ 9SIDE ! DOOR1 
 TRY+ TO SPEAK S(TLY & NOT MOVE1 = FE> ( BREAK+ SOME?+ 9 ! 
 MA/]'S AP>TM5T1 & HE HA/5$ TO SAY ALL ?AT WAS NECESS>Y SO AS TO 
 GET FROM UND] ?AT CEIL+1 \T 9TO ! OP5 UND] ! SKY ONCE MORE4 

,HAV+ F9I%$ HIS 9QUIRIES & EXTORT$ FROM ,DANIEL AN OP9ION ?AT ! 
 H\NDS W]E FIT 7,DANIEL HIMSELF WI%$ TO GO HUNT+71 ,NI*OLAS ORD]$ 
 ! HORSES TO BE SADDL$4 ,BUT JU/ AS ,DANIEL WAS AB\T TO GO ,NATA%A CAME 
 9 ) RAPID /EPS1 NOT HAV+ DONE UP H] HAIR OR F9I%$ DRESS+ & 
 ) H] OLD NURSE'S BIG %AWL WRAPP$ R\ND H]4 ,PETYA RAN 9 AT ! SAME 
 TIME4 

0,Y\ >E GO+80 ASK$ ,NATA%A4 0,I KNEW Y\ W\LD6 ,SONYA SAID Y\ W\LDN'T 
 GO1 BUT ,I KNEW ?AT TODAY IS ! SORT ( DAY :5 Y\ C\LDN'T HELP 
 GO+40 

0,YES1 WE >E GO+10 REPLI$ ,NI*OLAS RELUCTANTLY1 = TODAY1 AS HE 
 9T5D$ TO HUNT S]I\SLY1 HE DID NOT WANT TO TAKE ,NATA%A & ,PETYA4 0,WE 
 >E GO+1 BUT ONLY WOLF HUNT+3 IT W\LD BE DULL = Y\40 

0,Y\ KN[ IT IS MY GREATE/ PLEASURE10 SAID ,NATA%A4 0,IT'S NOT FAIR2 Y\ 
 >E GO+ BY Y\RSELF1 >E HAV+ ! HORSES SADDL$ & SAID NO?+ TO 
 US AB\T IT40 

0',NO B>RI] B>S A ,RUSSIAN'S PA?'--WE'LL GO60 %\T$ ,PETYA4 

0,BUT Y\ CAN'T4 ,MAMA SAID Y\ MU/N'T10 SAID ,NI*OLAS TO ,NATA%A4 

0,YES1 ,I'LL GO4 ,I %ALL C]TA9LY GO10 SAID ,NATA%A DECISIVELY4 0,DANIEL1 
 TELL !M TO SADDLE = US1 & ,MI*AEL MU/ COME ) MY DOGS10 %E ADD$ 
 TO ! HUNTSMAN4 

,IT SEEM$ TO ,DANIEL IRKSOME & IMPROP] TO BE 9 A ROOM AT ALL1 BUT TO 
 HAVE ANY?+ TO DO ) A Y\NG LADY SEEM$ TO HIM IMPOSSIBLE4 ,HE CA/ 
 D[N HIS EYES & HURRI$ \T AS IF IT W]E NONE ( HIS BUS9ESS1 C>EFUL 
 AS HE W5T NOT TO 9FLICT ANY ACCID5TAL 9JURY ON ! Y\NG LADY4 

,FROM 3 ,GUT5B]G4ORG4 

,*RONOLOGY 3 
,NOVEMB] #c1 #ahfh 3 ,BOOK #g1 ,*APT] #c -- ,PUBLICATION4 
,FEBRU>Y #a#a1 #bag 3 ,BOOK #g1 ,*APT] #c -- ,ADD$4 

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