Page 21 (1/2)

"Anyway," she continued, squeezing my hand, "I have to admit I've never understood why people like the Pelerines always think ordinary people have to have their lust purified In h by themselves, and just about every day, too What most of us need is to find someone we can unbottle it with"

"Then you care that I love you" I was only half joking

"Every woman cares if she's loved, and the more men who love her, the better! But I don't choose to love you in return, if that's what youaround the city with you like this But then if you're killed this evening, I'll feel badly for a fortnight"

"So will I," I said

"No you won't You won't even care Not about that or anything, not ever again Being dead doesn't hurt, as you of all people should know"

"I'm almost inclined to think this whole affair is some trick of yours, or of your brother's You were outside when the Septentrion caainst hed at that, her teeth flashing in the sun "Look at own, but you've seen what's beneath it My feet are bare Do you see rings or earrings? A silver lamia twined about old? If not, you may safely assume I have no officer of the Household Troops for ly and poor, who presses ilus and I own our shop It was bequeathed to us by our mother, and it's free of debt only because we can find no one who's enough of a fool to lend anything on it So from our stock and sell it to the paper-makers so we can buy a bowl of lentils to divide between us"

"You should eat well tonight anyway," I told her "I gave your brother a good price for this ood huned astonishment with an open ? After I've spent the day counseling you and guiding you about?"

"Involving me in the destruction of the altar those Pelerines had erected"

"I'm sorry about that I really as - you'll need theht I saw a chance for you to make some money"

Her look had left my face and come to rest on one of the brutal busts that flanked the stair I asked, "Is that really all there was to it?"

"To confess the truth, I wanted theo about in fancy dress soto fetes and tournaht so myself when I first saw you And you see, if you were, then I was soer and probably the bastard of an exultant, ht care for Even if it was only a kind of joke I had no way of knoould happen"

"I understand," I said Suddenly laughter overca in the fiacre"

"If you understand, then kiss me"

I stared at her

"Kiss ive you hed too "After supper, perhaps If we can find a private spot, though it won't be good for your fighting" She threw herself intoon her toes to press h, and I could feel the motion of her hips

"There now" She pushed me away "Look down there, Severian Between the pylons What do you see?"

Water glimmered like a mirror in the sun "The river"

"Yes, Gyoll Now to the left Because there are so many nenuphars, the island is hard to see But the lawn is a lighter, brighter green Don't you see the glass? Where it catches the light?"

"I see solass?"

She nodded "That's the Botanic Gardens, where we're going They'll let you cut your avern there - all you have to do is deht"

We made the rest of the descent in silence The Ada hillside, and they are a favored place for strollers, who often hire a ride to the top and descend I saw many couples finely dressed,their faces, and ro me more, I saw too from several points the dark towers of the Citadel on the opposite bank, and on the second or third such sighting it ca fro with the tenement children, I had once or twice noticed this narrow line of white on the other shore, so far upstreaht

The Botanic Gardens stood on an island near the bank, enclosed in a building of glass (a thing I had not seen before and did not know could exist) There were no towers or battle until it lost itself against the sky and its momentary brilliancies were confounded with the faint star's I asked Agia if ould have tiardens - and then, before she could reply, told her that I would see them whether there was time or not The fact was that I had no co to have difficulty in taking seriously a coht with flowers "If you wish to spend your last afternoon visiting the gardens, so be it," she said "I coif you're not too squeareen I asked Agia if the enor existed only to provide bloo, and motioned toward the wide arch before us "On either side of this corridor are chah that because the corridor is shorter than the building itself, the chao into the"

We entered, and in so doing stepped into such silence asof the world, before the fathers ofcartwheels, and splashed Gyoll with striding oars The air was fragrant, damp, and a trifle warmer than it had been outside The walls to either side of the tessellated floor were also of glass, but so thick that sight could scarcely penetrate theh these walls wavered as though glih water On one broad door I read: THE GARDEN OF SLEEP

"Youfrom his chair in a corner "And as ia shook her head "We won't have time for more than one or two"

"Is it your first visit? Newcoenerally enjoy the Garden of Panto I could not place I asked if it were the habit of souild

"Indeed it is We are the curators - have you never met one of our brotherhood previously?"

"Twice, I believe"

"There are only a few of us, but our charge is the most important that society boasts - the preservation of all that is gone Have you seen the Garden of Antiquities?"

"Not yet," I said

"You should! If this is your first visit, I would advise you to begin with the Garden of Antiquities Hundreds and hundreds of extinct plants, including some that have not been seen for tens of ia said, "That purple creeper you're so proud of - Iwild on a hillside in Cobblers Common"