‘It’s in Latin as well as the tongues of angels.’ Further silence, then in the same careful voice, ‘It’s a letter from my mother. She apologises for all the deceptions she practised on me. And for hiding me.’ ‘By virtue of its being the same text written in two languages, it is also a cipher key,’ Hugin said. ‘It will be useful to you, Shift.’ ‘Yes,’ Shift said. He wasn’t replying to Hugin, but to the woman who wrote the letter. ‘Being hidden has been difficult for me.’
