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"But you didn't?"

"Over Over there" She pointed to the"Where I could see Where I could see out?"

"I didn't know you could sleep standing up"

"If I can If I can lean But I saw But I saw you"

"In the street below You have good eyes"

"I can't shut I can't shut them" There were tears in the thick voice "The The rest?"

"You're right It'shabits" He looked down at the Writings once e and closed the book "This is by no ods' concern for us `Now far the night advances her gloo stars roll down the azure plain: At the voice of Pas inds rise, and clouds and double darkness veil the skies' "

"Stars Stars, Patera?"

"Tiny lights in the night sky," he explained absently "We have them on Blue You have them here, too, in a sense; but you cannot see them because they're outside the whorl This is a difficult passage, Olivine Why thisplace in the Long Sun Whorl?"

She stared at hih he could not discern her expression he could feel her expectancy

"I believe it is what is called a signature; that is, a sign by which the god who has favored us identifies hinatures take the form of an animal-a vulture for Hierax, for example, or a deer for Thelxiepeia"

"There weren't There weren't any"

"No, there weren't No animal of any sort was ling with his conscience "In honesty I e was inspired by Pas We have his iod is mentioned by nae That's not invariably correct, however, and I don't believe it is in this case The stars, which at first seem so out of place, are outside this whorl as I told you As objects found outside it-and only outside it-they natures of the Outsider, as I feel quite sure they were in a dreao" He waited for her to protest, but she did not

"There were horses in natures of Scylla's; but I've never felt the dream came from her So let us look at the stars, as er" He tried to s stars roll down the azure plain' The azure plain is the sky-the sky by day, as we see it on Blue Notice that azure itself is a shade of blue"

Olivine nodded

"Since the stars are setting on Blue, we are warned that the influence of the Outsider will dih Blue, also, lies outside this whorl"

"Is that Is that bad?"

"For the people there it is beyond doubt, and I believe I can guess why it's happening Last night I was told by a godling that no h have gone, and everyone who is still here is to remain"

"I didn't know I didn't know that"

"Very few people can I was told to proclaim it, but I have not done so At least, not yet"

He was silent again, recalling New Viron and Pajarocu "We have very little respect for any god on Blue, Olivine Little piety, hence little decency Wealth is our god-land and cards and gold What little reverence for the gods we have is found only in the newest colonists, who bring it with them On Blue they tend to lose it The Outsider, who is little regarded here, is virtually forgotten there"

"Don't cry Don't cry, Patera"

"I used to upbraid myself, Olivine, because I paid him no proper honor Once a year, perhaps, I tried to ard Nobody else, not even my own sons-well, never mind" He wiped his face on the wide sleeve of his robe "Your ods I must mention that"

"Do you know Do you know her?"

"Yes, I do I saw her and spoke with her before I went to Green I've hesitated to tell you so because-because-"

Olivine reached across the cloth; s that appeared to be flesh closed on his

"She has gone blind"

The fingers relaxed; the thin metal arm fell to her side

"She is well otherwise, and I-I feel absolutely certain she would send her love to you, if she knew of your existence But she is blind now, likeTo tell you the truth, I so et your mother"

He waited for so you, as she did in obedience to the gods But I love her and can't help pitying her She gave me one of her eyes-a blind eye, of course They are both blind But she gaveeyes for her when I got here I've lost it At least, it isn't in my pocket anymore"

He ceased to speak, and the silence of the Calde's Palace closed around them There had been someone-a cook-in the kitchen, he told hiarden outside Bison was calde now, so he and Maytera Mint, who must have renounced her vows to beco Yet it seeure across the cloth frorasped all Viron had its center here

"Lost Lost it?" The thick, soft voice ht almost have been that of the wind in a chimney

He told himself he had to speak, and did "Yes, I have It's back on Green, I suppose" He wanted to say, "With s"

The shrouded figure ood, you understand Not to her or to anyone else She wanted me to have it so that I would knohat one looked like"

"I'm I'm lucky"