She did not respond,

She did not respond, her gaze distant and lost. She might have been looking right through him. There were tears in her eyes. 102 The Talismans of Shannara He reached back suddenly and drew out the Sword of Lean. Damson watched him without moving, her green eyes fixing on the gleaming blade as he placed it point downward in the earth between them, his hands fastened on the pommel. "Put your hands on the flat of the blade. Damson," he said softly. She looked at him without answering, and for a long time she did not move. He waited, listening to the distant sounds of the free-bom as they gathered for dinner, listening to the si- lence closer at hand. The light was fading rapidly now, and there were shadows all about. He felt oddly removed from ev- erything about him, as if he were frozen in time with Damson Rhee. Not this girl, he found himself praying. Not again. At last she reached out and touched the Sword of Leah, her palms tight against the metal. Then she deliberately closed her fingers about the edge. Morgan watched in horror as the blade cut deep into her flesh, and her blood began to trickle down its length.