Page 6 (1/2)

"When Pig had een," Pig ru dinna never have nae thin' ter look fer Dinna tell yer sae?"

"No Tell me now" He had recalled the bloody tatters of the handkerchief that the wo at his own eyes with his sleeve once more (Remora spoke in the recesses of his mind "No, um, place of permanence for us, eh? For we mortals, no-ah-possessions Own it, eh? But in ti, Horn? We've nothing but the gods, in the, u" Pig mused not far away, less visible than Reht h'it livin'"

"No talk"

"Ho, Pig can bake h'it, H'oreb, an' yer can take h'it"

"No talk Thing hear"

"Somethin' ter hear? What's fashin' him, bucky?"

He had already stopped to listen, his head cocked, both hands grasping the knobbed staff No wind had blown, or so it see Sun Whorl; but a wind touched both his cheeks, war could hear hi to us or for us, I believe"

"Huh!"

"Where is it, Oreb?"

From his shoulder, Oreb muttered, "Bird see"

"Yes, I know you see it But where is it?"

"Bird see," Oreb repeated " 'Bye, Silk"

Feathers brushed the side of his head as Oreb spread his wings Clawed feet pushed against his shoulder, those wings beat loudly, and Oreb was gone

Pig said, "Yer corbie's right, bucky 'Tis a godlin' Pig winds h'it H'in ther road h'up h'ahead, 's hand clasped his shoulder, feeling as big as his father's when he hinant 's hoarse voice muttered, "'Ware ditch, bucky"

It was shallow and dry, although he ht easily have been tripped by it if he had not been warned A twig kissed his hand; he forced hih those eyes wanted very badly to stare out uselessly at the utter darkness that wrapped hi?" he breathed; then so?"

"Aye"

"What are they?"

There was no reply, only the big hand drawing hi leaves

"Oreb wouldn't tellhad halted "Hark" The hand drew hiain, and for an interval that see save the occasional snap of a twig Trees or bushes surrounded the staff encountered a li's evoked the soft speech of foliage

A faint and liquid ue and lips to thirst He hurried forward through the blackness, drawing the towering Pig after hiravel crunched beneath their feet and he sensed that the water he heard was before hih the knees of his trousers, bent and splashed his face, and tasted the water, finding it cool and sweet He sed and sed again

"It's good," he began "I'd say-"

Pig's span-across hand tightened upon his ar and gulping the water noisily, in fact

He drankto keep their entle so as not to stir up mud "It's not wide," he whispered "We could step across it easily, I believe"

"Aye" There was a hint of fear in the deep, rough voice

"But the godling-whatever that is-shouldn't be able to hear us as long as we remain here Or so I think The noise of the water should cover the sound of our voices"

He bent and drank again "I puo It was good, cold ater, I believe, and I allass But ere about to eat so I thought, at least-and I told myself I wasn't really so thirsty as all that I must learn to drink when I have the opportunity"

He recalled Pig's chance re, and added, "Drink water, I should say I thought I had learned that on Green, where there was rarely any water that was safe to drink except for what certain leaves caught when it rained"

"Bird find," a harsher voice even than Pig's announced

"Oreb, is that you? Ithear"

"Did you? Good Where is it?"

"No show"

"I don't want you to show it to me, Oreb, and I couldn't see it if you did I want you to tellto Viron, or at least I certainly hope ere Is this thing, this godling, standing in the road waiting for us?"

"No stand Thing sit"

"But it's in the road? Or sitting beside it?"

"On bridge"

Pig broke in "H'oreb, me an' Horn's partners You an' me, H'oreb, e're partners ter, h'ain't we? Yer Wallow such?"

"Good ain

"So, H'oreb, Pig needs yer ter tell where we're h'at Will yer? 'Tis h'another road, wi' this trickle across?"