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“Nothing, son,” said the ancient ferry to softness “No one who crosses this water ever had another choice” He poled the silt-stuck bottoull or corht the trees were closer now, that the silver line of a beach glea of the ferry, and his eyes were rubbed raw by the wind’s fingers The sky was so blank he could not see the sun, and he thought he s voice sank into his thoughts

“Tell s do you have left?”

“One,” the young et us back I saved enough for this, for her That’s all that’s left”

“And that leaves four to fill out your tale, before the storm screams in and there is no more room to talk beneath the white winds”

Seven nodded and coughed roughly “Four Four coins for a cripple and a monster to ply the road—that’s all there was outside of Marrow, once Vhue of the city for us Roads, paved and dirt-packed, cobbled and painted and bricked We followed one, we ht have followed any of the a lonely lake to her, to her, my sister and my friend…”

THE TALE

OF THE

TWELVE COINS,>

CONTINUED

WE CHOSE A ROAD, AND FOR THE FIRST TIME IN seven years, a golden sun, hanging in the sky not unlike a ball, shone on our skins It turned us red We swam in blue rivers and splashed each other We ate blackberries and walnuts cracked with flat stones We did not work Yet am and I saw her naked flesh shoot by under the cold, clear water, I still saw nothing beautiful, only dhheiba, lurking beneath

We wandered for a long while, she and I We ain, or horeereen orchards like foxes, and sucked at sweet owl eggs Autu to swell the apples beforeanyone on our road, and I am sure we looked quite feral by then Oubliette’s hair was even growing long and shaggy, crow black, frah hands We had no er than hers We were in quite a state—though happily gorged on apples and rabbit haunches, as ere between us quite clever at catching theate and jasper, soft ht the down the lane, ere still in rags and shoeless, but fatter than we had ever been

The cart had two great wheels, which towered over the thing itself, painted blue and spangled with silver stars A little wagon was suspended between the wheels, with a peaked gypsy-roof and round s Doors opened in each side, and it seeh; maybe it was even pleasant to sit inside and watch the spokes clack by It was drawn by a lithelittle cape and hat, all greener than apple skin He had hair the color of egg yolks that stuck out from under his cap and a thin, affable face His feet, froazelle, and his green hose ended just before the fur in a brass buckle, old enough to have gone slightly green itself Oubliette and I stared, our

“Well, good labrous day find you?” he said, curtseying as well as his legs allowed He did not let go his long blue poles, and his voice was like a thrush’s chirping song He sht and sharp as a fox’s

“Good… good htly

“You are fortunate to have crossed paths with us, my wastrels! I can see you are in need of c