Nightside the Long Sun

Silk shrugged. “You know a great deal more about women than I do, I’m sure. Perhaps I saw as much as I did mostly because I know so little about them. When one knows little about a subject, what one sees are apt to be the most basic things, if one sees anything at all. What I wanted to say, however, was that even the horrible element in her face was familiar.”

“Go on.” Auk refilled his wineglass. “Let’s hear it.”

“I’m hesitating because I’m fairly certain you won’t believe me. Orpine reminded me of someone else I had been talking with not long before—of Mucor, the mad girl in Blood’s villa.”

Auk laid aside his fork, the steaming beef on its tines still untasted. “You mean the same devil had taken ’em both over, Patera?”

Silk shook his head. “I don’t know, but I felt that I ought to tell you. I believe that Mucor has been following me in spirit. And I am coming to believe that she can, in some fashion, possess others, just as devils—and the gods, for that matter—are said to do at times. This morning I felt sure that I had glimpsed her in the face of an honest working man; and I think that she was possessing Orpine when Orpine died. Later I recognized her in another woman.

“If I’m correct, if she can really do such things and if she has been following me, you’re running a substantial risk just by sitting with me at this table. I’m very grateful for this truly remarkable dinner, and even more grateful for your help last night. Furthermore, I’m hoping to ask you a few questions before we separate; and all of that puts me heavily in debt to you. I was too tired—and too hungry, I suppose—to consider the danger to which I was subjecting you when we spoke in the manteion. Now that I have, I feel obliged to warn you that you too may suffer possession if you remain in my company.”

Auk grinned. “You’re an augur, Patera. If she was to grab hold of me while we’re sitting here, couldn’t you make her beat the hoof?”

“I could try; but I have only one threat to use against her, and I’ve used it. You’re not leaving?”

“Not me. I think I’ll have another dumpling instead, maybe with a little of this gravy on it.”

“Thank you. I hope you won’t regret it. You haven’t yet commented on my somewhat uneven performance last night. If you’re afraid I might be insulted, I assure you that you could not be more severe with me than I’ve already been with myself.”

“All right, I’ll comment.” Auk sipped his wine. “In the first place, I think if you can raise even a thousand, you’d better make sure Blood signs the manteion over to you before you cough up your goldboys. You were going on about safeguards a minute ago. I don’t think you ought to trust in any safeguards except the deed, signed and witnessed by a couple dimber bucks who got nothing to do with Blood.”

“You’re right, I’m sure. I’ve been thinking much the same thing.”

“You better. Don’t trust him, even if something that he does makes you think you can.”

“I’ll be very careful.” Silk’s chops were bathed in a piquant, almost black sauce he found unspeakably delicious; he wiped some from his plate with another slice of bread.

“And I think you’ve probably found your true calling.” Auk grinned. “I don’t think I could’ve done much better, and I might not’ve done as good. This was your first time, too. By number ten I’ll be begging to come along, just to watch you work.”

Silk sighed. “I hope there won’t be a tenth, for both our sakes.”

“Sure there will. You’re a real son of Tartaros. You just don’t know it yet. Third or fourth, or whatever it is, I want to see what it is a dimber bucko like you needs a hand from me on. You want to go back to Blood’s tonight and get your hatchet?”

Silk shook his head ruefully. “I won’t be able to work on the roof until my ankle’s healed, and it’s more than half finished anyway. Do you recall what I said about Hyacinth’s needler?”

“Sure. And the azoth. A nice azoth ought to bring a couple thousand cards, Patera. Maybe more. If you want to sell it, I can steer you to somebody who’ll give you a lily price.”

“I can’t, because it isn’t mine. Hyacinth intended to lend it to me, I’m sure. As I told you, I had told her that I was borrowing those weapons, and I promised that I would return them when I no longer required them. I feel certain she would not have sent the azoth to me by Doctor Crane if I had not said that earlier.”

When Auk did not reply, Silk continued miserably, “Two thousand cards, if I actually received that much, would be an appreciable fraction of the twenty-six thousand that we require. More than five percent, in fact. You’ll laugh at me—”

“I ain’t laughing, Patera.”

“You should. A thief who can’t bring himself to steal! But Hyacinth trusted me. I cannot believe that the—that any god would wish me to betray a friendless woman’s trust.”