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"You were in our audience, I take it," said Dr Talos "I can well syain But on't be able to oblige you until evening, and by then we hope to be some distance froilus's prison with the fat ry-eyed woman and the others, did not seelances toward Baldanders and Dorcas "He hurt you, didn't he? Writhing, writhing I saw you with the blood running, red as pentecost Wh-hat honor for you! You serve hiher than mine"

Dorcas shook her head and turned her face away The giant only stared Dr Talos said, "Surely you understand that what you saas a theatrical perfor that if rip on that idea, ould have found ourselves in an ee)

"I u-understand more than you think, I the old captain, the old lieutenant, the old c-c-cook in his old kitchen, cooking soup, cooking broth for the dying pets! My master is real, but where are your armies? Real, and where are your empires? Sh-shall false blood run froone, where is the luster of the silken hair? I ill catch it in a cup of glass, I, the old c-captain of the old liainst the silver sails, and the C-c-coalstack behind it"

Perhaps I should say here that at the time I paid little attention to the rush and stuh my ineradicable obbling singsong, with a fine spray of spittle flying through the gaps in his teeth In his sloay, Baldanders may have understood him Dorcas, I feel sure, was too repelled by him to hear much of what he said She turned aside as one turns froes a carcass, and Jolenta listened to nothing that did not concern herself

"You can see for yourself that the young woman is unharmed" Dr Talos rose and put away his money box "It's always a pleasure to speak to someone who has appreciated our performance, but I'm afraid we've work to do We must pack If you'll excuse us?"

Now that his conversation had becoain, pulling it down until it nearly covered his eyes "Stowage? There's no one better for it than I, the old s-supercargo, the old chandler and steward, the old st-stevedore Who else shall put the kernels back on the cob, fit the f-fledgling into the egg again? Who shall fold the soles each like stuns'ls, into the broken cocoon left h-hanging like a s-s-sarcophagus? And for the love of the M-master, I'll do it, for the sake of the M-oes"

I nodded, not knohat to say Just at the ht the references to packing if he had caught nothing else - scooped a backdrop froan to wind it on its pole Hethor vaulted up with unexpected agility to fold the set for the Inquisitor's chamber and reel in the projector wires Dr Talos turned to me as if to say, He's your responsibility after all, just as Baldanders is ood many of them," I told him "They find pleasure in pain, and want to associate with us just as a norht want to be around Dorcas and Jolenta"

The doctor nodded "I wondered One can iine an ideal servant who serves out of pure love for his master, just as one can an ideal rustic who remains a ditcher fros a dozen tiht from a love of copulation But one never encounters these fabulous creatures in reality"

In about a watch ere on the road Our se barrow fore, and Baldanders, heeled this contraption, also carried a few odds and ends on his back Dr Talos, with Dorcas, Jolenta, and me behind him, led the way, and Hethor followed Baldanders at a distance of perhaps a hundred paces

"He's like ia, only not as bad Do you reo away, and eventually you "

I did remember, and asked why she had followed us with such determination

"You were the only people I kneas ia"

"Then you were afraid of Agia"

"Yes, very much I still am ButI don't knohere I've been, but I think I've been alone, wherever I was For a long time I didn't want to do that anymore You won't understand this - or like it - but"

"Yes?"

"If you had hated ia did, I would have followed you anyway"

"I don't think Agia hated you"

Dorcas stared up at me, and I can see that piquant face noell as if it were reflected in the quiet well of vermilion ink It was, perhaps, a trifle pinched and pale, too childlike for great beauty; but the eyes were bits of the azure fir for Man; they could have vied with Jolenta's own "She hated me," Dorcas said softly "She hates ht? You never looked back when I led you away I did, and I saw her face"

Jolenta had been co to Dr Talos because she had to walk Baldanders's deep, dull voice calanced back at him "What? On top of all the rest?" He did not reply

"When I say I want to ride, I don't "

In iant's sad nod

Jolenta was afraid of looking foolish, and what I ah it is true You, my reader, may enjoy yourself at my expense It struck me then how fortunate I was, and how fortunate I had been since leaving the Citadel Dorcas I kneas h we had been together only a few days The giant's heavy tread behind me reminded me of how many men there are ander Urth utterly alone I knew then (or thought I did) why Baldanders chose to obey Dr Talos, bending his th to whatever task the red-haired man laid on him A touch at my shoulder took me from my reverie It was Hethor, who must have come up silently from his position in the rear "Master," he said

I told him not to call uild, and would probably never attain to h his open lips I could glio?"

"Out the gate," I said, and told myself I said it because I wanted him to follow Dr Talos and notof the preternatural beauty of the Claw, and hoeet it would be to carry it to Thrax with estured toward the Wall, which now rose in the distance as the walls of a common fortress must rise before a mouse They were black as thunderheads, and held certain clouds captive at their summit

"I will carry your sword, Master"