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"You knew that when evening came the warmth of my hands would stimulate the avern, and that it would strike at loves and you only had to wait In reality, you didn't even have to do that, because you had thrown the leaves often before"

Agilus sauntlets was a side issue after all" He spread his hands "I won But in reality you won, by some concealed art neither ed by you three tied rant that the old law is no longer in force, buttells reat and your fortress the center of the Coia rose, brushing the straw froh she realized only now that she was naked, she picked up the blue-green brocade gown I remembered so well and clasped it to her

I said, "How have I wronged you, Agilus? It seeed me, or tried to"

"First by entrapment You carried an heirloo what it was you had As owner it was your duty to know, and your ignorance threatens to cost ht Secondly, by refusing to entertain any offer to buy In our coh as one wishes, but to refuse to sell at any price is treason Agia and I wore the gaudy arht hich you won our coreater than I could comprehend I lost my nerve, as any man would, and here I ahter caall "You're asking me to do for you, whom I have every reason to despise, what I wouldn't do for Thecla, whom I loved almost more than my own life No I' sister has ia dropped her gown and threw herself toward ht for an instant she was attackingmy hands put one on her breast and the other upon her velvet hip There were bits of rotten straw there still, and on her back, to which I shifted both hands a ed for you ere together, and tried to give myself to you a score of times Don't you remember the Garden of Delectation? How much I wanted to take you there? It would have been rapture for us both, but you wouldn't go For once be honest" (She spoke as if honesty were an abnormality like ilus will turn his face away, I proers had slid between my waistband and my belly, and I was not aware that her other hand had lifted the flap of my sabretache until I heard the rustle of paper there

I slapped her wrist, perhaps harder than I should, and she flew atfor er bear the thoughts of imprisonment and pain I pushed her away - not into a chair this tih it must have been padded by her abundant hair, the sound was as sharp as the tap of a th see on the straould never have guessed that Agia was capable of weeping, but she wept

Agilus asked, "What did she do?" There was no emotion beyond curiosity in the question

"You must have seen her She tried to reach into my sabretache" I scooped what coins I possessed out of their compartment: two brass orichalks and seven copper aes "Or perhaps she wanted to steal the letter I have to the archon of Thrax I told her about that once, but I don't carry it in here"

"She wanted the coins, I ary"

I picked Agia up and thrust her torn gown into her arms, then opened the door and led her out She was still dazed, but when I gave her an orichalk she threw it down and spat at it

When I reentered the cell, Agilus was sitting cross-legged, his back propped by the wall "Don't askyou suspect is true - is that enough? I will be dead tomorrow, and she ed the old man who dotes on her, or someone else I wanted her to do it sooner He couldn't have prevented her froone, and she won't have even that to worry about"

"Yes," I said, "you will die tomorrow That's what I've come to talk to you about Do you care how you look on the scaffold?"

He stared at his hands, slender and rather soft, where they lay in the narrow beaia's, an aureole a few moments before "Yes," he said "She may come I hope she won't, but yes, I care"

I told hi so that he would not be ill when the time came, and cautioned him to empty his bladder, which relaxes at the stroke I drilled him too in that false routine we teach to all who must die, so they will think the moment is not quite come when in fact it has co less of fear I do not know if he believed h I hope he did; if ever a lie is justified in the sight of the Pancreator, it is that one

When I left hione In its place - and no doubt with its edge - a design had been scratched on the filthy stones Itface of Jurupari, or perhaps a map, and it reathed with letters I did not know I rubbed it aith my foot

Chapter 30

NIGHT

There were five of them, three men and tomen They waited outside the door, in a sense, but not near it, grouped a dozen strides away Waiting, they talked aether, al one another I watched them from the shadows for a time They could not see in cloak, and I was able to pretend I did not knohat they were; they ht have been at a party, all a little drunk

They ca repulsed and determined to itimate son of some exultant, fifty or more, and nearly as fat as the host at the Inn of Lost Loves A thin woainst hiriest eyes I have ever seen When the fatmy ith his bulk, she nearly (yet not quite) eical that we did not touch, her long-fingered handsof my cloak with the desire to strokeso, so that I felt I was about to fall prey to sohost, a succubus or laainst the building

"It's tomorrow, isn't it? How does it feel?"

"What's your real name?"

"He's a bad one, isn't he? A monster?" None of them waited for answers to their questions, or, so far as I could see, expected or wanted any They sought propinquity, and the experience of having spoken to ?"