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"No No, indeed In the first place, Hari Mau, I have a wife already In the second I have never even seen these worace them, Rajan No one wants a cast-off wife Besides, youin the little horse-drawn tonga, he recalled that conversation Froood runners here) were pointing, this was certainly it, this three-storied stucco structure with turrets and peculiarly shaped s, behind this low plastered wall The gray-beardedas soon as the Rajan's eye fell upon him, was presumably Rajya Mantri

The curtain of one of the upper as twitched aside just long enough to reveal two lovely, laughing faces with frightened eyes, then let fall again

Chapter 19 THE LAST TIME

Juganu and Scylla wanted to go back to the Red Sun Whorl right away; but Father said there was no point in going from the boat and most likely ould end up back on the river boat if we did, which was not where anted What we needed was a nice safe house where things would be all right the whole tio back to New Viron, and ith bad wind and no wind it took three days Juganu did not like it, but there was nothing we could do about it

I thought ould go to Uncle Calf's, but Father decided on another place instead, in a good big house that belonged to a lady naet over thinking I was him But she was a nice old lady

Father explained anted, and she said she had just the place, it was a guest room that only had onebut there were two beds in it We went in there, and it was a bigbut there were bars on it She did not call them bars and they were twisted around pretty to rabbed hold and tried to pull theet them to bend a little

She went away, and we shut the door and bolted it, and lay down on the beds, Father and anu on the other After that I stared at the ceiling for a long ti happened It was about two o'clock and the sunshine in there was pretty bright It was an interesting ceiling, because so down at a garden There was a fountain with Green reflected in it, and those big white flowers that blooot pretty tired of it

I guess Father did too, because he said, "What are you thinking about Juganu? You're fighting anu said he was not, and they talked about that awhile The bird started to talk, sometimes on its own and sometimes Scylla I did not like that, and I think Father must have seen it, because he told it to be still Then he said for Juganu to come over and lie dohere I was, and for me to lie down in his bed I did not like that either, because I was naturally worried about Father But I did it

Then he started talking to Juganu about the place ere trying to go to I never heard hi to write down all I can remember, but I do not think I canat the bat and watching how the rooot dark

"Think of a whorl so old that even its seasons have worn out," Father said, "a whorl on which they had jungles like yours once, ide-leafed plants and e trees It is too cold for that in our time, and when the people of that whorl speak of the present they intend five hundred years

"The sun is red Shadeup is always cold, and it is cool even when the red sun is at its highest You can see the stars all day long, unless they are hidden by clouds Think of a whorl where beggars kill stray dogs for their pelts"

He talked a lot anu? Where do your thoughts fly? Be honest with anu said, "about the whorl we visited, and the boat of the winged woman"

"What else?"

"That I'll be a man like you there, a better er, as young and strong as your son, and I won't have to feed fro Do you knoe breed, Rajan? We of The People?"

"I know that your eggsbeyond that"

The bird said, "Not man People? Never! No Whorl," and I kneas Scylla "No there Good! Bad things!"

Juganu sat up "We were there! They brought us! We're everywhere!"

Father made him he back down and told Scylla to be quiet if she wanted to do what the Great Scylla had told her to She did not say anu? If it's not too personal, I would be interested to know"

"The an in his old, cracked voice "He selects a good place, a private place where the sun you call short kisses the water He builds it of little green branches woven together Weaving is difficult for us but we can do it, and if a man wishes to mate that is what he must do"

Father said, "This is on Green"

"Always on Green Your waters aren't warht life in theht kind in the water, or the children will starve

"He builds the hut and trioes away for a day When he returns there is no one, perhaps, and his flowers have wilted He takes the he gathers fresh ones, oes away

"At evening he returns The flowers he picked that reen branches from which he built his hut are flaccid and yellow He destroys it, and carries the withered branches far away to throw in the water Next er andrequires a day Next day he trioes away"

I was about ready to go awaythere very quietly waiting to hear more Their bed was only about two cubits fro on the side nearestianu said "She is lying in his hut How does he know? By a thousand signs, and none Perhaps soe has been trodden upon Perhaps she has taken a single blossom from his hut to wear

"He knows He reshapes hi Within-"

I said, "You can't do that" It got me a look fro hter Jahlee, how lovely she was Your son has told me, too That is how the woman looks when he sees her in the dimness of the hut he built and s, you understand, are their pro the children they will have You, Rajan, will understand what I mean by this Your son will not, and should not"

Father said, "Yes, I understand Please continue"

"In his hut they love as aame is"

His pet said, "Tell bird"

"He is a human man for her, and she is a human woman for him He tells her that he came to Green on a lander, as human men do, and she tells him that she ran away from her father's house and happened upon his beautiful hut It is not a lie"

I wanted to say that it was, but Father said, "No, it isn't I understand It is a drama"

"Exactly They are the audience as well as the actors I have been an actor, Rajan"

Father said, "I understand," again