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A little after noon, I noticed a carrion bird circling high above us It is said they smell death, and I remembered that once or then the journeymen were very busy in the examination room, it was necessary for us apprentices to turn out to throw stones at those who settled on the ruined curtain wall, lest they give the Citadel a reputation ht that Jolenta iven ht perhaps pick the bird out of the air; but I had nothing of the kind, and could only wish

After an interminable time, this first bird was joined by two ht head color, occasionally visible even from so far below, I knew thes had three times the spread of theirs, was a mountain teratornis, the breed that is said to attack cli thereat pinions until they fall to their deaths From time to time the other two approached it too closely, and it turned upon them When that occurred we so down from the raestured for the birds to join us All three dove, and I brandished estured no more When the western horizon had climbed nearly to the sun, we reached a low house, scarcely s sat on a bench before it, drinkingto watch the colors in the clouds In truth, hebeforehim, for he was small and brown and blended ith his sainst the sky

I thrust away the Clahen I saw this herdsh I was not certain what the bull would do when it was no longer in his sight In the event he did nothing, plodding ahead with the tomen on his back as before When we reached the sod house I lifted them down, and he raised his muzzle and sniffed the wind, then looked at rass, both to show him I had no more need of him and to let him see that my hand was empty He wheeled and trotted away

The herdsman took his pewter straw from between his lips "That was an ox," he said

I nodded "We needed him to carry this poor woman, who is ill, and so we borrowed him Is he yours? We hoped you wouldn't mind, and after all, we did hiuely deprecating gesture "I only asked because when I first saw you I thought he was a trier My eyes are not as good as they once were" He told us how good they once were, which was very good indeed "But as you say, it was an ox"

This tiether

"You see what it is to become old I would have licked the blade of this knife," he slapped the metal hilt that protruded above his broad belt, "and pointed it to the sun to swear that I saw sos But if I were not such a fool I would know that no one can ride the bulls of the pampas The red panther does it, but then he holds on with his claws, and sometimes he dies even so No doubt it was an udder the ox inherited from his mother I knew her, and she had one"

I said I was a citythat concerned cattle

"Ah," he said, and sucked his norant than you Everyone around here but norant eclectic You know these people they call eclectics? They don't know anything - how can a hbors like that?"

Dorcas said, "Please, won't you let us take this wo"

"I told you I don't know nothing You should ask this man here - he can lead an ox - I al"

"But he can't help her! Only you can"

The herdsman cocked an eye at me, and I understood that he had established to his own satisfaction that it was I, and not Dorcas, who had tamed the bull "I'm very sorry for your friend," he said, "who I can see h I've been sitting here cracking jokes with you, I have a friend ofinside You're afraid your friend is dying I know o with no one to bother him"

"We understand, but on't disturb him We may even be able to help him"

The herdse people - what do I know? No norant eclectics Couests"

He rose and opened the door, which was so low I had to stoop to get through it A single room constituted the house, and it was dark and sht, much taller than our host lay on a pallet before the fire He had the saht have been s beyond that on which the sick ed blanket on the earthen floor and laid Jolenta on it For a moment her eyes opened There was no consciousness in thereen had faded like shoddy cloth left in the sun

Our host shook his head and whispered, "She won't last longer than that ignorant eclectic Manahen Maybe not as long"

"She needs water," Dorcas told hiet it"

When I heard the door shut behind hi, cyaneous fla man who lay on the pallet breathed deeply, then released his breath with a sigh I put the Claay again at once

"It hasn't helped her," Dorcas said

"Perhaps the water will She's lost a great deal of blood"

Dorcas reached down to s out, as the hair of old woh fevers often does; soto Dorcas's damp palht "I think she's always been ill," Dorcas whispered "Ever since I've known her Dr Talos gave her so that made her better for a time, but now he has driven her away - she used to be very dee"

"I can't believe he meant it to be as severe as this"

"Neither can I, really Severian, listen; he and Baldanders will surely stop to perforht be able to find them"

"To spy?" I must have looked as surprised as I felt

"At least, it always seemed to me that they wandered as et money, and once Dr Talos as h I never learned just what they were looking for"

The herdsourd of water I lifted Jolenta to a sitting position, and Dorcas held it to her lips It spilled and soaked Jolenta's tattered shift, but soourd was eain, she was able to s I asked him if he knehere Lake Diuturna lay

"I anorant man," he said "I have never ridden so far I have been told that way," pointing, "to the north and the west Do you wish to go there?"