There wasn't a good answer.

We did everything from getting the county nurse to visit the home to providing shampoos. School workers picked through their hair to make sure they were OK. Once detected with head lice the children were sent home until cleared. It became routine (for Stafford) to let her kids stay home.

Attendance in some cases isn't what we would like it to be, and when we have extreme cases shame on us if we didn't do anything. I've signed petitions and usually parents fix the problem. We've had cases with up to 30 and 40 absences in a 180- day school year.

I see this as a win-win solution. First, we retain ownership which keeps the land permanently within the public domain and thus available for all future generations. Second, the Utopia Grist Mill Committee will have an opportunity to continue pursuing its vision of restoring the mill.

Well met, Mistress Lirael. This ragamuffin, as your servant so aptly described him, is His Highness Prince Sameth, the Abhorsen-in-Waiting. Hence the bells. But on to more serious matters. Could you please rescue us? Prince Sameth's personal vessel is not quite what I'm used to, and he is eager to catch me a fish before my morning nap.

He was obviously a very arrogant ragamuffin, and younger than she was, to boot. And he was wearing a necromancer's bells! Apart from that, he was quite handsome, which was another black mark as far as she was concerned.