she dropped her head forward , crying softly . although nobody could deny her beauty , she appeared to be several years older . `` you better continue to do it , '' his mother answered . the healer was closer than she was comfortable with , perhaps within striking distance . the pressure of all those tiny , terrible hands turned her left , around a bend in the road , and the rat disappeared from view . inside the room were two cots set against the stone walls . `` but what do you ... what do you think of him ? 