the-secret-crusade-oliver-bowden

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Fahad nodded. ‘You have a wiser head than your predecessor, Altaïr.Much of what you say makes sense, and I shall indeed consider it on theride back. Also I shall endeavour to explain it to my wife.’ He gatheredup his reins and turned his horse to go. ‘Good luck, Assassin,’ he said.‘It’s you who will need luck by the sound of it.’The brigand gave another of his crooked, cloudy smiles, then left.Altaïr chuckled and looked up at the citadel on the promontory.There was much work to do.
5812 August 1257So. We were too late to escape Masyaf before the Mongols arrived.Indeed, they have arrived. As a result we leave for Constantinople in amatter of hours and I’m scribbling these words as our possessions areremoved by helpers to be loaded on to the carts. And if Maffeo thinksthat the sharp looks he insists on throwing my way will be enough tomake me lay down my quill and lend a hand then he is mistaken. I knownow that these words will be of vital importance to future Assassins.They must be written down at once.It’s a small skirmishing party, or so we’re told. But the main force isnot far away. In the meantime the skirmishing party seems to want tomake a name for itself and has been launching small but fierce attacks,scaling the walls of the village and fighting on the ramparts beforeretreating. I know little of warfare, thank goodness, but it occurs to methat these short assaults may be a way of gauging our strength, or lack ofit. And I wonder if the Master ever regrets his decision to weaken thecitadel by disbanding the Assassins. Just two short years ago no mereskirmishing party would have come within ten paces of the castle beforefalling to the Assassin archers, or beneath the blades of the defenders.When he had wrested control of the Order from Abbas, Altaïr’s firsttask was to send for his journals: the Master’s work was to be a totemic
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Also in the Assassin’s Creed seri
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PENGUIN BOOKSPublished by the Pengu
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PrologueThe majestic ship creaked a
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Part One119 June 1257Maffeo and I r
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‘That all depends. Your pitch mak
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‘The invading force?’‘Yes. Sa
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he was as angered by the Assassins
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‘He is half the leader Salah Al
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himself, feeling the early-morning
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Mualim.‘As long as interests allo
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‘Your last chance, Assassin,’ c
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420 June 1257This morning I awoke w
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leader, the Master Assassin; his sk
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‘I would not have drawn attention
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reaching with his right hand to smo
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climbing quickly down the first lad
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arrogant: it was himself. All of a
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5Altaïr arrived at Masyaf after an
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wrong with him. ‘Buried in his bo
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littered the floor beneath it. He r
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6Malik stood at the entrance to the
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Now he turned his attention to Alta
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appearing, villagers and Assassins
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on the platform.Then, without cerem
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trap rigged and ready to be sprung:
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‘His force is broken,’ continue
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His eyes widened as they went to th
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commits upon another. It refers to
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‘It’s the price you pay for the
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Inside, he kept his head down, movi
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smile. Either that or use his blade
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patchwork of carts, stands and merc
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turned on him. It could be that we
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he’s planning.’‘I know only t
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He reached below his desk and retri
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A frightened sound escaped the merc
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opportunity? With the entire market
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11Tamir, the first of the nine: Al
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visit …’He smiled at his own jo
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conducting tests - tests for some u
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guards to be allowed inside. Others
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reaction to him. ‘Cast out this f
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De Naplouse smiled indulgently. ‘
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‘In body, perhaps. But not in min
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13‘Garnier de Naplouse is dead,
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little challenge.’Malik curled hi
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Then, from behind, Altaïr heard an
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‘You know nothing. It was folly t
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facing multiple opponents.Altaïr v
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Altaïr was gaining on Talal now, t
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crowds, Talal’s corpse staining t
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with the shame of having succumbed
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which his father had died and left
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blade across his own throat, grinni
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before it begins in earnest?’‘N
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at least, he envied him.
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The soldier pursed his lips. ‘His
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‘Your words will see you hanged,
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18Altaïr returned to the citadel,
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The Lionheart roared. ‘Oh, yes. A
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Altaïr pulled himself up to the ro
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Altaïr had reached his position wi
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de Montferrat, as though such thing
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men do not bother to make the disti
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Although he’d been about to move
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Altaïr had overheard lurid descrip
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I wish to speak more of this war -
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service to the same God that calls
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‘I think if you had another, you
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‘Altaïr - before you go?’‘Ye
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down and saw his chance, coming for
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23As he had approached the Wailing
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Could he better them all in that ti
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‘Here are four filled with sin,
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‘It was a single dinar,’ the ac
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dawn on Addin that death was near.
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himself up on to the canopy, feelin
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beyond. But they cannot succeed in
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‘Which is what I’ve had you doi
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they weren’t paying attention. Th
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standing at the window, watching ov
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documents? In the name of some ‘n
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Collect any remaining writings and
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show mercy had been the right one.
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Jabal considered. ‘This will make
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The holy man was desperate now. ‘
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out there, Assassin,’ he screeche
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through a thick shaft of light shin
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however, his hand went to his side.
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skill.’‘Cunning,’ said Abbas.
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There was a moment of shocked silen
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pair of guards, who came hurrying u
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Again, Malik somehow understood.
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this? What are you talking about?
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rising and the setting of the sun.
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be quite so fortunate next time.The
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Altaïr bridled. ‘Speak sense,’
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slew. Learn what you can. You call
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the living, the screams of the dyin
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make a long dash, coming ever close
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standing at his side, who wore a fu
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suffered the cuts and blows that Al
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that he was pure - pure Assassin. T
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Knights Templar had formed and made
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‘He threatened my brothers and wh
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32Masyaf was not as he had left it:
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more of his attackers to make a gap
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him. Just the same sense of thick,
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victor’s assurance.‘I’ve neve
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him. Tamir died screaming at one, t
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Templars had to die.’ He sighed.
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way then the other, hoping to catch
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glowing on the marble. Waiting.‘Y
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Part Three3423 June 1257Sitting in
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beside him, and when he gazed at it
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35Night was falling over Acre port,
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His fears were realized. He’d wai
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and he had to move fast to defend.
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‘Send him a message,’ said Alta
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she was his slave. This situation,
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Maria piped up from behind them:
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Castle. A real brute.’Altaïr nod
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a duel between two of his men. The
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His heart was hammering as he drew
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his formidable appearance as much a
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‘How dare you?’ she retorted an
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39They travelled as a monk and his
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We repaired to his family seat, Hal
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‘But is chaos something to be cel
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Assassin scaled the ladder and then
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country of these Crusaders.’Excel
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Jonas was pinned by his blade, bloo
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one hand Barnabas was an ally. On t
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Barnabas, who was nowhere to be see
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42Altaïr did indeed see for himsel
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the heat of the flames, oblivious t
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it had a flaw. It would be fatal if
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43Maria was gone. Taken by Crusader
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So it was that Altaïr found himsel
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‘Let her play,’ smiled Bouchart
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people? Did she still have enough r
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She resisted. ‘Shalim, no. Please
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he stepped inside a wicket door, di
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45On a wide, baking-hot balcony, Ma
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He screamed and crumpled just as sh
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I remember my moment of weakness, m
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material fell away to reveal a deca
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Alexander, the angry mob having bee
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Protruding from his chest was a bla
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ran along the wall of a cavernous s
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‘Purchasing what you already cont
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murder, you might understand this.
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Part Four4815 July 1257Maffeo has t
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‘Marriage?’ said Maffeo. ‘She
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promote the way of the Assassin stu
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49From a distance all looked well w
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‘I expected to be met by Rauf,’
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‘I’m not at liberty to say, Mas
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resentment. He saw a rival. And for
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‘Perhaps not,’ said Altaïr, ev
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51Later, Altaïr and Maria sat in t
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‘Perhaps Malik has nurtured a hat
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Page 328 and 329: 52They laid Malik on a pallet and M
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Page 332 and 333: Abbas dropped the head back into th
Page 334 and 335: Abbas looked concerned. He pulled M
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Page 338 and 339: 5310 August 1257Altaïr means us to
Page 340 and 341: and lying down with his thawb pulle
Page 342 and 343: too. He sipped then gulped, wetting
Page 344 and 345: around Mukhlis’s legs.‘Masyaf,
Page 346 and 347: 54The bowman reached for his bow bu
Page 348 and 349: three offensives, picking up new wo
Page 350 and 351: blade and stared narrow-eyed at Lon
Page 352 and 353: ‘It seems the Master has given Fa
Page 354 and 355: his hood over his head, liking the
Page 356 and 357: Abbas was forced to quell an uprisi
Page 358 and 359: had moved with him like a shadow, s
Page 360 and 361: Altaïr sensed his world lurch a li
Page 362 and 363: 57The next morning, as day broke, M
Page 364 and 365: was in there somewhere. It had need
Page 366 and 367: crowds were becoming restless. He f
Page 368 and 369: He darted forward with his sword sw
Page 370 and 371: swiping at his legs. When his oppon
Page 372 and 373: honour than you will ever know, and
Page 374 and 375: They pulled up at the edge of the m
Page 378 and 379: force in the rebuilding of the Orde
Page 380 and 381: ‘A last favour, Niccolò. Take th
Page 382 and 383: 1 January 1258The first day of a ne
Page 384 and 385: EpilogueFrom above him on deck the
Page 386 and 387: Shihab Al’din, his sonAltaïr’s
Page 388: Maria LoretoAlex ClarkeAlice Shephe
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