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Everything had passed so quickly and she had had to see that Cnebba indeed went to sleep. It had been an exhausting day for the boy and she would not have him running around when she discussed his upbringing with his father. Now he was there, sleeping beside his parents. His light snoring could be heard in the silent night, as well as the voices of the crickets and the lonely owl.
"Stigend?" Modtryth whispered. "Are you still awake?"
There was a silence. "Stigend?" she asked again.
"Yes?" came the answer, at length.
Deaf old dog, she thought. "I want to have a word with you."
He seemed to recognise the tone of voice. He nodded seriously. "About what?"
"Come, let's go a bit further away. I don't want to wake the children, or anyone else."
"Of course."
They stopped when they were still close to the baker, but out of earshot if they talked in low voices. Stigend did not ask anything, he probably knew his wife well enough that he knew she would tell him what was the matter soon enough, he would not need to prompt her.
So, she asked, rather bluntly, "Why did you make Cnebba climb there? What were you thinking?"
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