Sabotage - Chapter One

                                         Chapter One

"How'd we get into this mess!?" Mondre` yells, keeping his legs moving at a full run. "You opened that mouth of yours and stuck us in it!" Skreme yells back, staying even with him. Behind, they could hear the unit of city guards struggling to keep up, even in their lightweight mail armor. "Stop this instant!" the captain bellows. It sounds more like a gasp of air. Citizens and slaves move aside as the boys zip by in a blur down the city street. "Look out, you fools!" a noblewoman shouts as they barely miss hitting her mount. "Sorry." Mondre` says when they pass. He sees a stack of crates ahead and races over. "Help me!" he says urgently, straining as he pushes against them. Skreme helps him, pushing as hard as he can. The crates tip then tumble over into the street. The sound of breaking wood is a loud ruckus that grabs everyone's attention. "You little pests!" cries the merchant of the store. They were already too far to pay attention. "Get back here!" he shouts, shaking his fist. The guards kick and climb over the shattered boxes. A wagon pulls across the road, blocking the boys' way. "This way." Skreme says, grabbing Mondre`‘s sleeve. The captain sees them turn to an alleyway. "We have them now!" he shouts to his men. They pick up speed. They come to a stop at the entranceway and have a look. They can see supplies stacked in neat towers against the walls, barrels of wine by store or tavern backdoors, but only a single person sits in the alley. The man looks up to see the unit step in front of him. "Human. Did you see two boys come through here?" the captain asks. The man blinks then gives a slight shake of his head. "No, Protectors of Veud. I have only been here." he says. The captain's face droops into a frown. "Where is your master?" he asks. The boys watch from a shingled roof as the unit interrogates the old human. "That was close." Mondre` says to Skreme privately. Skreme nods, but gives him a sharp look with his autumn brown eyes. His diamond shaped pupils were thin slits. "Next time, keep your mouth closed." he says to Mondre`. "How was I to know he would call the Guards?" Mondre` says to him. Skreme gazes back down at the guards. His long brown umber hair was drifting in a small wind. Mondre`'s own long blonde hair was tied back with a leather strip. Strands tickle his neck. His piercing green eyes gaze at his cousin carefully. "I didn’t mean to." he says to him. "I know you didn’t." Skreme says to him, taking a deep calming breath then sighs. "Did you hear that?" a guard below asks. The boys back away from the edge. They scurry across the rooftops then slow down once they are far enough away. Mondre` sucks in a breath of air. It smelled a great deal better up here than on ground level. A flock of bright cinnamon birds fly overhead. The vast Veudian palace can be seen amid the small chimney stacks, reaching into the clouds with it's hundreds of spires like huge slate blue claws. Flags with the Western Daemoniacs' emblem on it flap in a cool breeze around the palace walls. A smile makes it's way across his face. Skreme notices his expression. "What are you so cheery about?" he asks curiously. "Just thinking about what Eresal will say when we tell him." Mondre` replies. "I know what he'll say. 'You do realize they will tell High Advisor Everdron about chasing you, even if they do not know that it was you. He will be smart enough to realize who it was. You should stop while you still have a neck'." Skreme says, raising his voice to a high pitch. Mondre` restrains his laughter, but can't help grinning. "He doesn't want us to get hurt. He'll always be that way, especially since his sister was....." He goes quiet. "Yes, well. She was too young to know better. That inconsiderate father of theirs should've placed her under the care of a better slave than an old coot." Skreme says. He walks along the narrow top of the roof. Mondre` walks behind him, folding his arms behind his head. “You’re right, I guess.” he says. “Of course I am.” Skreme says. He comes to the end of the roof then slides down the side and hops onto another. "It looks like we can get down here." he says. They jump down into another alley then peek out the entrance. They can see that they were in the high levels of the city. Carpets with intricate patterns hang from wide balconies to dry in the sun. Designs cover the doors, each a masterpiece in itself. People walk over the walkway bridges that have sparkling clear water running underneath. Many have an aura of color an inch or so around their body and most wear rich elaborate clothes. The rest don't have either. Wagons and carriages have to move carefully along with the people on foot. The boys saunter on out, going with the crowd. Everyone was talking so much that it was hard to hear anything. It was all the same to Mondre`. What was popular in ladies' fashion, the best spices to be found in which store, gossip about what the High King was doing over the Abyss. One conversation catches his attention. "I heard the Eastern Demons are planning to attack. Very soon." someone says in a soft voice. Mondre` stops to listen. Skreme stops by him. "Quiet! You don't know if that's true. If one of the Protectors heard you, you'd be sent to the dungeons for conspiracy." another beside the first hisses. "But that's what I heard. I'm not a traitor." the first says inelastic. "Quiet." the second says. She had noticed Mondre` and Skreme standing near them. The people hurry off. The boys return to following the crowd. "Did you hear that?" Mondre` asks. Skreme lifts his shoulders up then back down in a shrug. "It's most likely a rumor to scare the humans." he says. "Are you positive of that?" Mondre` asks. "Of course I am." Skreme says haughtily, walking faster. Mondre` goes to keep up. He feels something catch his boot. He yells and falls over to land on the hard stone. He winces then looks for what he tripped over. A woman in ragged clothing sits against the wall with her legs jutting out into the street, which he had tripped over. Her face is dirty. He can tell her skin is lighter from the streaks where tears had washed the dirt away. Her big eyes gaze at him, full of apology. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you." she says in a soft voice that is close to a whisper. "It's fine. I wasn't paying attention." he says, rising to his feet. She grabs his sleeve. "Please. Do you have any food you could give me?" she asks. "No. We don't carry food with us." Skreme says flatly, standing by Mondre`. "I'm sorry. But we don't have any." Mondre` says. She releases his sleeve, despair showing on her face. He thinks of what he could say to help her. Skreme walks away. "Come on." he says over his shoulder. Mondre` walks after him. Laughter makes him look back. A group of men had gathered around her. 'What are they doing?' he wonders. One man kicks the girl, making her cry out. He goes rigid. He is about to run over, but Skreme grabs his arm. "We can't help her." he says. "Yes, we can." Mondre` argues. "No, we can't. If anyone finds out, we'll be in trouble. You know that." Skreme says. Mondre` looks back at the group and the girl. They were laughing and kicking her repeatedly in the legs. Mondre` grits his teeth then turns away. He keeps quiet, angry at Skreme, but he knew his cousin was right. If they had tried to help, they might have been able to stop them, but the Protectors would have come. The next unit might recognize them. Thankfully, the last one didn't. Or didn't give the notion of knowing. 'Maybe we could've eluded the Protectors after we stopped those men.' he thinks. Then Skreme speaks up. "Let's go to Ichberd's Market. They might have something new there." "I suppose." Mondre` mumbles. Skreme doesn't seem to notice his gloomy tone. "We should hurry. Or the fifth late Tone crowd will buy all of it before we get there." he says. They come to a wide bridge decorated with flowering vines. Two guards stand infront of it. One hears their footsteps and turns. "What are you two doing back here?" he snaps, stepping in their way. "We're looking for term seed for supper." Mondre` says. The guard looks down at his right hand, which has a silver ring with a pea sized pale green stone set in it. Nothing happens. He turns to Skreme. "And you?" "We need to get the seed then we're going home to help our mother cook." Skreme says. The guard looks back at the ring. Again, nothing. He frowns, facing the boys. He turns to his partner, who shrugs, his armor clicking from the motion. The first guard shakes his head then waves them on. "Hurry off then." he says. "Yes sir." they say and run across the bridge. "I nearly thought they would have found out this time." Mondre` says to Skreme as they weave down to the merchant's square. "Ha! Those lodestone rings can't detect anything." Skreme laughs to him. "I believed you when you said we were heading home." Mondre` says to him. "I know. It's so easy, it's sad." Skreme says with a loud chuckle. A few people turn to him with puzzled looks. He hurries along with Mondre` across the street to a store. "Master Ream. Master Andre`. It's nice to see you both again." an older lady says. A kind smile is on her face and a faint blossom pink aura surrounds her. "It's nice to see you as well, Zuenila. Has anything new arrived yet?" Mondre` asks. She gets a thoughtful look. "I think there was something, just came yesterday." she says, digging under the counter. Mondre` leans over to see it. Skreme pulls him back when she stands. "Here it is." she says. She holds up a mirror with a mother of pearl backing, surrounding a coin sized lodestone. "A distance mirror?" Skreme asks. "Very good, Master Ream. Yes, it is. Twenty-two moons just for you if you make it a gift for a certain girl, maybe?" she says. "I don't have a certain girl in my life." he says. "What about your mother? Maybe she will like it." she suggests. "I know who we can give it to. Can you save it for us? We don't have the money yet." Mondre` says. "Certainly, young master. But if you don't come by within the week, then I'll have to let someone else buy it." she says. "We will. We promise." he says. "All right. Goodbye." she says, waving. "Goodbye." he says, waving back. They walk along the stores when Skreme says. "Look at that." "At what?" Mondre` asks, facing the direction he was glancing in. "That." Skreme points at a blob of red liquid in a glass. "That is a Phoenix tear, caught as the great bird was crying for it's parent." a woman behind the counter says. There is no aura around her. "Why purchase something like that?" Skreme asks. The woman comes inches from his face, cleverly smirking. "Place it in your enemy's drink and it burns them inside out. It can also burn away poison in your body." she says. 'That would hurt.' Mondre` thinks, touching his stomach. "If that's true, then there are plenty of people I could use it on." Skreme mumbles. "It is thirty two moons." she says. He snorts and waves a hand. "I said I could. I said nothing about doing it right now." he says. "We don't have the money right now. That's all." Mondre` says, pulling his cousin away. "Snobbish imp." the woman mutters under her breath. Skreme stops and turns back. His eyes darken. "Excuse you?" He sounds low and threatening. Mondre` notices the woman try to withhold a shiver. "I was speaking to someone else." she says quickly. Skreme narrows his eyes then the two step into the gathering. The air is filled with the sound of bells ringing in a cheery familiar tune. The crowd was already thick, moving down the street like a two way river. Mondre` and Skreme have to push to get through. They move to one side to catch their breath. "This is madness!" Skreme says, watching the people shove against each other. "We should travel to the shops. That might be better." Mondre` says. "No. We might touch someone and accidentally bring them with us." Skreme says. "We should just walk along the outside. We'll be able to move faster that way." Slipping through the masses, they move on the edge. Something shiny catches Mondre`'s eye, making him stop. "This way." he says, running through a gap of people. Skreme goes to follow when he pauses. Mondre` comes to a booth that has shining objects swinging from the roof. They look like strange crystal cocoons ready to open. A man smiles at him. "Welcome. What would you like to buy today?" he asks. He has a sharp blue aura, but not a strong one. Mondre` was gazing at the cocoons. "What are those?" he asks. Skreme stands behind two people while guards pick a boy up off the ground. An apple lays a few feet away. "You filthy thief! You are going straight to the dungeons." the captain snarls. 'They think he's stealing?' Skreme wonders then mumbles. "He should have it since it's on the ground. I doubt anyone would want it now." The captain turns his way. "Who said that?!" "What is that?" Mondre` asks. He points to a multicolored spiral horn. It looked to be an opal, wrapped in leather straps attached to a nail on the post of the booth. "This, my young fellow, is a unicorn's horn." the merchant says. He slips on a pair of gloves and takes down the horn. It becomes wet and drips a liquid. "It is very delicate, so you must wear gloves. It is eighty-five suns. But for you, I will bring it down to fifty suns." he says. 'That would be perfect for my collection.' Mondre` thinks. He rifles through his pockets, hopeful of some money. He finds a wad of paper and a key in one pocket and a dead insect in the other. He flicks the insect away then unravels the paper. "That's where my notes went." he mumbles. The merchant clears his throat, making him look up. "I....don't have any money at this time." he says. The merchant's face becomes blank. He puts the horn back and takes the gloves off. "Then you have no business here." he says with a flat tone. 'How dare he speak to me in such a manner?' Mondre` thinks. He goes to reprimand him, but stops himself. He didn't want to bring attention to himself again. He puts the key and notes back in his pockets and stalks off. He stops a few yards away. "Skreme?" he calls. Skreme is nowhere to be found. He searches for him in the crowd. Yelling ahead has him making his way through then squeezes between a couple to see a scene. Guards stand over someone under a group of beech trees. Mondre` scoots by enough to see that the someone is Skreme. He has a bloody lip and dirt all over his face. A soldier stands over him, laughing. "That is what you get, peasant, for talking back to me." he leers underneath his helmet. Skreme scowls. His eyes are narrowed and black, except for his irises, which are bright yellow with thin black pupils. 'Oh no.' Mondre` slips through the ring of soldiers and helps him up. "I'm terribly sorry about him. He sometimes rambles when he shouldn't." he apologizes. Skreme glares at him. "I do not!" he snaps at him. The captain narrows his eyes. "Who are you?" he growls. "I'm his brother. I won't let him do this next time." Mondre` replies. The squad chortles. The captain's eyes glow a malicious maroon. "There will not be a next time, for either of you." he says. "What?" Mondre` asks. "You both are going to be punished." the captain says. The ring of guards closes in. Mondre` swallows hard. "P...punished? How?" he asks. He and Skreme are grabbed from behind. "Punished by execution." the captain says. Mondre`'s eyes widen. He gives Skreme a mean look. "What did you say to them?" he asks as their hands are shackled infront of them. The shackles shrink around their ankles and wrists. Skreme shrugs, rubbing his lip with his shoulder. His eyes had returned to their original colors. "Move." a soldier orders, shoving Mondre` forward. They make their way down the road. People point and laugh when they pass by. They throw vegetables and eggs. Skreme grits his teeth. "I am going to make them regret this!" he says to Mondre` angrily. "Don't do anything foolish..." Something hits a guard, knocking him off his feet. The object lands at Mondre`'s feet. It is a red orb. Skreme blinks. "Where did that come from?" he asks. It rolls back a foot then shoots at Mondre`. He ducks out of the way. It hits the guard in the chest behind him. The guard falls, releasing him. He runs over to help Skreme. He places his hands on the guard's breastplate. The soldier is sent flying fifteen feet before he hits the ground with the clanking of metal and loud obscenities. Mondre` leads Skreme through the crowd, trying not to trip over the shackles. He can hear the guards shouting from the surprise attack. "I'm getting tired of running!" Skreme yells. "So am I!" Mondre` says loudly. The red orb rolls under his foot, tripping him up. He lands face forward. "Get up." Skreme hisses, pulling him to his feet. "Psssst!" They look to an alleyway. A strange looking boy with gray hair and orange eyes with blue rimming his pupils grabs the orb then gestures for them to follow. A single brass earring dangles from his left earlobe and he has no aura. "Over here!" he says, looking down the street. Mondre` rubs his sore nose. "Perhaps he can help us." he says. The soldiers could be heard coming closer. "We should go then." Skreme agrees. They dash into the alleyway, following the mysterious teenager. The boy stops in the middle of a backstreet and kneels down. He slips his fingers under a flat stone and pulls it out. A pit big enough for a normal person to fit in is underneath. "Hurry!" the boy hisses. A horrid smell seeps out of the hole. Skreme grimaces. "I don't want to go down there." he whines. Mondre` pushes him with his shoulder. "Go!" Skreme loses his balance and falls in feet first. "Whaaaaoof!" Mondre` hears along with a thud. He goes next, sliding inside. He lands beside Skreme, who was getting to his feet. The boy comes last. He closes the stone lid then slips down, landing with a small pat of his boots. They all calm their breathing. Mondre`'s eyes soon adjust to the dark. They were in a tunnel covered in green slime. It stops at a point farther down and splits off in other directions. The sound of waterfalls is soft, but audible. 'We must be under the water systems.' he wonders then coughs. The smell of rot makes him want to gag, burning his eyes. "Where are we?" he asks, covering his nose. "I don't know, but I hate it." Skreme says. He was staring hard at the cuffs. A dark green, almost black, aura appears around his body then gathers around the shackles. The cuffs stretch slowly, letting him slide out. Mondre` concentrates on his. The metal grows. He slips out his wrists and ankles. The shackles hit the ground with a rattling crash. "Ssshhhhh!" the boy says, staring up at the lid. Mondre` doesn't move, straining his ears to listen. Footsteps and shouts come from overhead. He holds his breath, noticing shadows pass over the sewer. "Did you see where they went to?" "They couldn’t have gone far." "I know they went this way." "That way!" someone shouts. The shadows hurry to one side and disappear. The boys let out their breaths. "We appreciate your help." Mondre` says. "Your friend helped me. I was only repaying him." the boy says, shifting the satchel strap on his shoulder. Mondre` faces Skreme, amazed by what was said. Skreme has his eyes shut tight. "You helped him?" Mondre` asks. Skreme gives a small nod then holds up a finger. "I have one question though." he says. "Sure." the boy says. "What's moving around my feet?" Skreme asks shakily. Mondre` and the boy look down. A thick greenish-gray tentacle was worming it's way around Skreme's legs. "What is that?" Mondre` gasps, stepping back. "Don't move." the boy says. "I don't plan to." Skreme mutters between clenched teeth. The boy kneels and begins to delicately remove the tentacle. The more he touches it, the more it constricts. He searches for something to remove it with. He grabs a bottle and rubs it between his hands. Then he places it in the tentacle's grasp. It sticks to the warm glass, so he tugs on it. It wraps around tight, moving from Skreme's legs to pull on the bottle. The boy lets go. The tentacle slithers away with the bottle clasped in it's suckers. The boy stands. "You can open your eyes now." Mondre` says. "What was that?" Skreme asks, opening his eyes. "A sewerpus. They're really mean things." the boy says. "What do they look like?" Skreme asks. "You don't want to know." the boy says with a grin. Mondre` speaks up just before Skreme opens his mouth to tell the boy off. "I'm Andre`. This is Ream." "I'm Ryuu. Nice to meet you." the boy says. "Are you a Demon?" "Yes. We both are." Mondre` says. "Why were the guards chasing you?" "We put a tanctoid on the captain's shoulder. I want to go. This place is giving me the chills." Skreme says. "We should go anyway. The shackles may have tracking magic on them. I know a place. But it's on the other side of the city. It'll take about a tone." Ryuu says. "What do you think?" Mondre` asks. "Let's go. It'll be better than being stuck here or in the palace." Skreme says. "You're from the castle? Are you spies?" Ryuu asks, gripping his satchel strap. "We wouldn't be down here if we were." Skreme says tartly. "We're servants. We had errands in the city. But that didn't happen." Mondre` says. Ryuu looks to his finger. A lodestone ring is on it, but it does nothing, so he lets go of the strap. "All right. It's this way." he says. He starts walking deeper into the tunnel. The cousins follow. He steps into a lane of water and sinks to his knees. All sorts of gunk bobs up from the waves he creates as he walks. Skreme becomes rigid with revulsion. Mondre` feels the same way. "You asked for it." he says. "No, I didn't." Skreme says then raises his voice. "Is there an easier way?" "If you want to go up top where the soldiers are, we'll go that way." Ryuu says, pausing in the sewage. Skreme glances to the shackles. Mondre` can tell he was weighing his options. He turns back, looking angry, and follows them. Mondre` steps into the mucky water. He grimaces when the slime seeps into his boots and moves up to his knees. He wonders what else could be in the water he can not see. 'One false move and I am in trouble. All right. Just stay calm.' he thinks. “Why don't you block it?” Skreme says, walking up to him. He stands beside him, untouched by the muck. A wall of grimy water sits two feet from his clothes. Mondre` feels foolish and focuses. Skreme sees a golden yellow aura strengthen around his body. The water moves away from his legs. Ryuu turns as the water sloshes. “How are you doing that?” he asks, gaping at Mondre` and Skreme, who stand in dry spots. “It's a technique we were taught to use in the laundry rooms.” Skreme says. Ryuu stares, seeming awe-struck. “Are you going to stand there or can we go?” Skreme asks. "Oh, yeah." Ryuu says. He takes them through the sewers. "We shouldn't use too much power or he might become suspicious." Mondre` says to Skreme. Skreme gives a short nod of agreement. The unusual sounds makes moving in the tunnels feel like tones going by. Skreme’s lip heals over in the time that passes. He keeps a sleeve over his nose. Mondre` holds a sleeve to his own nose, blocking most of the stench. Ryuu doesn't seem to mind the smell. He was busy explaining who lives where in the city to Mondre`. They soon find a half dry landing to walk on and rest. Mondre` takes a boot off to wring out his stocking. "Panter Cae and Doma Kenter live here. They're always chasing me around." Ryuu says, leaning against the wall to wipe gunk from his leg. "Panter and Doma? Who are they?" Mondre` asks, slipping his stocking back on. "Panter is a butcher and Doma is a weaver on this street. We sometimes take some food from Panter. We have to borrow thread to sew our clothes from Doma." Ryuu replies. “Whose we?” Skreme asks. “The guild I live with.” Ryuu says. “So you're a thief?” Skreme asks. “Yeah. But I won't steal from you.” Ryuu says. “We don't have any money for you to take.” Mondre` says with a shrug. They become quiet when something splashes in the distance. “Can we go now?” Skreme asks. "Good idea." Ryuu says. They continue on. The walls glisten in the faint light seeping in from the drains. Water drips from the ceiling, landing in their hair as they march. "This is absolutely revolting. How can anything stand living down here? When we get back, I am going to have someone clean this place!" Skreme was ranting in Mondre`'s mind. He steps into a pit and falls in. He gasps, distracted, releasing his aura. The sewage comes in, rising up to his chest. "Aaaaarrrrrggghhhh!" He leaps out, sending water all over his cousin as he lands beside him. “Yuck!” Mondre` says, covering his face. Ryuu turns and chuckles. "Are you all right?" he asks. Skreme doesn't reply. He was too busy wiping the slime off his clothes while muttering things under his breath. It sticks to his hands and arms. “We're fine.” Mondre` says, wiping the gunk off his face with his tunic. It leaves smears over his cheeks. "With the way this clings to us, we probably won't ever be able to get it off." he says to Skreme. Skreme gets a look of horror on his face as he looks down at the slime. Mondre` walks away, snickering. "That isn't funny." Skreme growls at him. “It is too.” Mondre` says to him. “It isn't.” “It is.” They don't encounter too many creatures. Just some giant rats, a smaller sewerpus, which Ryuu has to fend off. A cat black from the muck follows them before vanishing into the shadows. Ryuu slaps the water to scare off anything nearby. The sound makes a flock of hikbats wake up and fly out of a crevice. Mondre` holds Skreme's shirt to keep him from running after the bats zip over their heads. "I really despise this." Skreme whines, covering his head. “They won't eat us. They're vegetarians.” Mondre` says. “They still bite.” Skreme says. Ryuu scares the critters away by swinging his satchel at them. "How long have you been in the castle?" he asks after they fly away. "All our lives." Mondre` replies, letting Skreme go. Ryuu places the satchel back over his shoulder then pats Skreme on the back. "It's not so bad once you get used to it." Ryuu says then walks ahead. Skreme shivers. “Get used to it?! How are you able to get used to this?” he asks Mondre` while he checks for the slimy handprint. “How should I know?” Mondre` says. Ryuu crosses a wide lane of sewage to a wall that has a metal ladder laying against it. “Here we are.” he says, climbing up. Skreme takes a step back then takes a running leap over the eighteen foot wide lane instead of walking through it. Mondre` follows his example, landing on his feet. Ryuu was peeking out from under the grate then waves a hand for them to come. Mondre` climbs up beside him and looks out. Skreme comes up beside him. They see it is now night. Ryuu climbs out and helps the cousins up. Mondre` feels relieved to be out of the sewers. Ryuu places the sewer lid down then has the two follow him into a crowd of people, who stand in the streets around lit stores, keeping the boys out of sight from any soldiers. People clutch their pouches and purses when they see the three messy boys pass. They come to a small building with cheers and lights coming from within. They stop at the doorstep, where he places his palm on the door. "Is the door locked?" Skreme asks. "I need to let the others inside know it's me and not a guard.” Ryuu says. “Are they unable to recognize your voice?” Mondre` asks. “The guards can use magic to sound like any guild member. So it's safe to use touch, not sound. A rune on the other side tells the guild who it is." Ryuu says. "So do you know any other sort of techniques?" Mondre` asks. "My blood crystal ball." Ryuu says. A small group of people laugh as they walk down the street, coming closer. "Can we go in?" Skreme asks. The door opens right then. A teenage girl with shoulder length black hair and deep orange eyes stands in the doorway. Mondre` sees she has a faint flame orange aura to her. She smiles when she sees Ryuu and hugs him. "Where have you been? I have been worried." she says. "Sorry, Ashla. I found servants from the castle." he says. He points to Skreme and Mondre` behind him. She turns to Skreme then, when she turns to Mondre`, her facial expression turns to amazement. "From the palace?" she asks. "Yes." Ryuu says. She smiles. It was a kind, welcoming smile. "Welcome to the Fireskins. Come on in." she says, opening the door wider. They all go inside.


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