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I said, "At least a year, I should iine"

"Two! Every day, winter and summer, rain or shine, provided we dole it out in bits of copper, as we shall We'll have fifty such men to help rebuild our home Wait until you see it next!"

Baldanders added in his heavy voice, "If they ork"

The red-haired doctor whirled on hi since last time, let me tell you!"

I interposed "I assus to these women - does it not?"

Dr Talos relaxed "Oh, yes I had forgotten The women have already had their shares Half of this is yours After all, ouldn't have had it without you" He scooped the coins out of the giant's hand and began to create two stacks on the ground before him

I supposed that he meant only that I had contributed to the success of his play, such as it was But Dorcas, whoiven me, asked, "Why do you say that, Doctor?"

The fox-face sh places I own I have thought so for sorant was a bit too much even for Baldanders to s, and I have, I fear, an excessively narrow throat"

"If I have such friends," I said, "I am unaware of them"

The stacks were level now, and the doctor pushed one toward iant "At first, when I found you abed with Baldanders, I thought youmy play - in some respects it is, as you may have observed, at least in appearance critical of the Autarchy"

"Somewhat," Jolenta lisped sarcastically

"Yet surely, to send a torturer fro mountebanks would be an absurd overreaction Then I realized that we, by the very fact that ere staging the play, served to conceal you Feould suspect that a servant of the Autarch would associate himself with such an enterprise I wrote in the Fa your habit a reason for existence"

"I know nothing of this," I said

"Of course I have no desire to force you to violate your trust But as ere setting up our theater yesterday, a highly placed servant froamite, I think, and they are always close to the ear of authority - ca if our troupe was the one in which you performed, and if you ith us You and Jolenta had absented yourselves, but I answered in the affirreat a share you had of e made, and when I told hiht's perforreat ninny went charging out into our audience"

It was one of the few times I saw Baldanders appear hurt by his physician's jibes Though it clearly cost hi body about until he faced away from us

Dorcas had told me that when I had slept in Dr Talos's tent, I had slept alone Now I sensed that the giant felt so; that for hi held only hi

"He has paid for his rashness," I said "He looks badly burned"

The doctor nodded "Actually, Baldanders was fortunate The Hierodules dialed down their bea hienerate"

Dorcas murmured, "Heal, you mean? I trust so I feel more pity for him than I can say"

"Yours is a tender heart Too tender, perhaps But Baldanders is still growing, and growing children have great recuperative powers"

"Still growing?" I asked "His hair is partly gray"

The doctor laughed "Then perhaps he is growing grayer But now, dear friends," he rose and dusted his trousers, "noe have come, as some poet aptly puts it, to the place where men are pulled apart by their destinations We had halted here, Severian, not only because ere fatigued, but because it is here that the route toward Thrax, where you are going, and that toward Lake Diuturna and our own country diverge I was loath to pass this point, the last at which I had hopes of seeing you, without ains - but that is accoain with your benefactors in the House Absolute, will you own that you have been equitably dealt with?" The stack of chrisos was still on the ground before me

"There is a hundred times more here than I ever expected to receive," I said "Yes Certainly" I picked up the coins and put thelance passed between Dorcas and Jolenta, and Dorcas said, "I aoing"

Jolenta held up a hand to the doctor, obviously expecting that he would help her to rise

"Baldanders and I will be traveling alone," he said, "and alk all night We willis upon us Dorcas, hted that you will have a protector" (Jolenta's hand was by this tih) "Coiant luh he es ith led sweat and blood I knehat I had to do, and said, "Baldanders and I must speak privately for a moment Could I ask the rest of you to an to do as I had asked, Dorcas walking down one path and Jolenta (whom Dorcas had helped up) down another; but Dr Talos reo

"You wish me to leave as well? It's quite useless Baldanders will tell ain Jolenta! Co at my request, just as I asked you to"

"Yes, but she's going the wrong way, and I cannot have it Jolenta!"

"Doctor, I only wish to help your friend - or your slave, or whatever he is"

Quite unexpectedly, Baldanders's deep voice issued froes "I am hisup the stack of chrisos he had pushed toward Baldanders, he dropped it into the giant's trousers pocket

Jolenta had hobbled back to us with tears streaking her lovely face "Doctor, can't I go with you?"

"Of course not," he said as coolly as if a child had asked for a second slice of cake Jolenta collapsed at his feet

I looked up at the giant "Baldanders, I can help you A friend of o, and I was able to help him But I won't do it while Dr Talos and Jolenta look on Will you come with me, only a short way, back down the path toward the House Absolute?"

Slowly, the giant's head swung from side to side

"He knows the lenitive you offer," Dr Talos said, laughing "He himself has provided it to many, but he loves life too much"