"From me it she would take? This you think, mysire?"

I shrugged. "You know her much better than I do, Vadsig."

There was a lengthy pause while Vadsig reached a decision. "Not showing her, I am."

Oreb commended her. "Wise girl!"

"Stealing I am she thinking is… After court you giving it are, mysire?"

"No. Right now." I got out my paper and opened the pen case. "First, though, I'm going to write something you can show other people to prove that you're not a thief."

I did, and gave it to her; but finding that she was unable to read I read it aloud for her: Be it known that I, Horn, a traveler and a resident of New Viron, give this coral necklace, having thirty four large beads of finegreen coral flushed with rose, to my friend Vadsig, a resident of Dorp. It comes to her as agift, freely given, and as of this day becomes her own private possession.

I got out the necklace and put it around her neck. She took it off at once to admire it, put it back on, took it off again, put it on once more, preened exactly as if she could see her reflection, her large blue eyes flashing-and in short showed as much satisfaction as if she had been snatched from the scullery and made mistress of a city.

"If you're able to talk to my son, Vadsig, will you please tell him where I'm confined, and what my circumstances are, and that we are to go to court on Sphigxday, which he may not know? And bring back any message that he has for me?"

"Trying I am, Mysire Horn."

"Wonderful! And succeeding, too, I feel sure. I have great confidence in you, Vadsig."

"But forgetting I am." Very reluctantly, the coral necklace was removed for the last time, dropped into an apron pocket, and concealed beneath a soiled handkerchief. "Mistress a question asks. Every dream you understanding are, mysire? That to her I have told."

I tried to explain that dreams were a bottomless subject, and that no one knows everything about them; but that I had been successful at times in interpreting the principal features of certain dreams.

"Last night strange dreams she and Master having are. Them you for her will explain?"

"I'll certainly attempt it, Vadsig. I'll do what I can."

"Telling her I am."

That was two hours ago, perhaps. Thus far, Aanvagen has not come to have her dream explained; nor has Vadsig returned to report on her attempt to speak with Hide in person. Might Hide and I rescue Jahlee-provided that I can free him, or he can free himself? I suppose it is possible, but the chances of failure will be very high. I would sooner trust myself and them to the mercy of the court, I believe.

Aanvagen brought a most ample supper, accompanied by her portly husband, who was red-faced and panting after two flights of stairs. "My name-mysire… Beroep it is." He offered a very large and very soft hand, which I shook. "You Mysire Horn…" Another gasp for breath. "Mysire Rajan… Mysire Incanto… Mysire Silk-"

"Good man!" This from Oreb.

"Are. A man of many… Names you are." He smiled in a breathless fashion he plainly intended to be friendly.

"A man of many names, perhaps, but I'm certainly not entitled to all those. Call me Horn, please."

"You to my house I could not welcome… For the troopers watching were. Sorry I am." Yet another gasp. "Mysire Horn."

I assured him that it was quite all right, that I bore no animus toward him or his wife. "You have fed me very well indeed and provided me with firewood, wash water, and ample coverings for this comfortable bed. Believe me, I'm very much aware that the conditions under which most prisoners live are not one-tenth as good."

Aanvagen nudged her husband, who asked, "With gods you speak… Mysire Horn?"

"Sometimes. And sometimes they condescend to reply. But I ought to have invited you both to sit down. I have only my bed, but you are very welcome to sit there."

They did, and Aanvagen's husband got out a handkerchief with which he mopped his face and his bald head. "Nat. Him I know. A greedy thief he is."

Aanvagen added hastily, "To others this you do not say, Mysire Horn."

"Of course not."

"Judge Hamer Nat's cousin is."

Aanvagen's husband watched me for some reaction, but I tried to keep from showing what I felt.

"Already this knowing you are?"

"I knew that Dorp was governed by five judges, and that Nat was said to have a great deal of influence with them; but not that Nat was related to one. Am I to take that he's the judge who will try us?"

Aanvagen's husband nodded gloomily; Aanvagen herself poked a second time at his well-padded ribs. "You must about our dreams ask, Beroep."

"Mysire Horn not friendless is, first I say, woman. Poor, Judge Hamer him will make. Beaten, that also may be. But not friendless, he will be. Nat a greedy thief is. All Dorp knows."

I thanked him and his wife very sincerely, and inquired about their dreams.

"Beroep awake is, so he dreams. All through our house voices he hears."

Aanvagen's husband nodded vigorously. "Talking and tapping they are, Mysire Horn. Whisper, whisper and tap, tap."

"I see. You didn't get up to investigate?"

"Asleep I am. I cannot."

"I see. What did the voices say?"

He shrugged. "Psst, psst, psst!"

It was a passable imitation of Oreb's hoarse whisper, and I gave him a severe look to indicate that he was not to speak. He responded by saying "Good bird!" and "No, no!" quite loudly.

"You're not giving me a lot to go on," I told Aanvagen's husband. "Let me hear your wife's dream before I attempt to interpret yours."

"In my own house I am," she began eagerly, "in the big room for company. This room you see, mysire, when here you come."

"Yes. Certainly."

"With me two children sitting are. Darker than my cat one is, mysire. Beroep and I no children have. This you know?"

I admitted that Vadsig had so informed me.

"Girls in pretty dresses they are. Faces clean they have. Hair very nice, it is. A daughter you have, mysire?"

"Yes. A daughter and three sons."

Aanvagen's husband said, "A son by Strik kept is."

"Yes, my son Hide, who was traveling with me. My sons Hoof and Sinew are still free, as far as I know."

"From Dorp much traveling we are. To New Viron we go. Farther even, we sail." He waved a hand expansively. "Now travelers we arrest? Not good for traveling it is."

"I understand."

Aanvagen leaned toward me from her seat on my bed. "This these girls to me say. Bad with us it goes, for you keeping."

I made what I hoped was an encouraging noise.

"About your daughter they talk. Sick she is. Away with you her send we must. My cheeks they kiss." Aanvagen's formidable bosom rose and fell. "Mother, me they call, mysire. Bad things to me they don't want. Warned be! Warned be!"

Oreb interpreted. "Watch out!"

I asked, "Was there anything else about your dream that seemed significant to you?"

Aanvagen's mouth opened, then closed again.

"Was there any other sign associated with the gods?"

Her husband inquired, "One sign already you finding are?"

"Yes, of course. The two children. Molpe is the goddess of childhood, as you must surely know. Were there any animals, Aanvagen?"

She shook her head. "Just the children and me there were."

"Mice? Monkeys? Cattle? Songbirds?" I reminded myself so much of poor old Patera Remora then that I could not resist adding, "Vultures, eh? Hyenas-um-camels?"

Aanvagen had heard only the first. "No mice, no rats in my house there are, mysire."

"What about you?" I asked her husband. "Were there animals in your dream? Bats, for instance? Or cats?"

"No, mysire. None." He sounded very positive.

"I see. Oreb, I want you to speak freely. Do you think this a good man?"

"Good man!"

"What about Aanvagen here? Is she a good woman, too?"