It would be impossible for me to write down everything that has occurred since I last wrote. When I was back on the Whorl, and Silk spoke to me through my friend Pig, I was eager to hear all that had befallen him since we had gone to Mainframe. He never complied, although I was permitted a few glimpses; and now I understand why he did not. There are things that would be so long in the telling that the Whorl might go before any account was well begun. This is like that, but I will do what I can.

Before I start, I should say that we are very comfortably situated now in the house that was Judge Hamer's. At present it belongs to me, having been given to me by the town. Before we leave I hope to sell it; Nettle and I will need money, Hide and Vadsig want to build a house as well as a boat, and it is likely Hoof will marry before long. I have noticed that when one twin does something the other is not far behind.

Speaking of Vadsig, I should say that before my trial I questioned her at length, having observed at the hearing that she was possessed. I supposed-hoped, I should say-that Jahlee was her possessor. In that I was disappointed.

"Who are you? I know you're not really Vadsig. If you want to make us think you are, you must learn to talk as she does."

She gave me the defiant glance I had seen earlier when she had described her quarrel with "Cook." "We came to help. You should thank us."

"I certainly need help. Thank you very much."

"That's better." She smiled.

"You speak of yourselves as we. How many of you are there?"

She giggled. "What does it matter?"

Hide said, "So I can tell when you're all gone. I want Vadsig back."

"She's still here." Her voice changed tone. "We'll have to go soon. Onorifica will come in and wake me up." A return to the previous tone. (I will not continue to mark these changes; they were too frequent.) "That's the good thing about this. I can eat."

To entertain them I said, "You're not Mucor in that case. I thought you might be; but Mucor would be alone, I believe."

Vadsig giggled again.

Hide said, "We don't think it's funny, do we Father? Who's Onorifica? Was that the girl who thought you could make your stick talk?"

"He can!" More giggling from Vadsig.

"She was a servant at General Inclito's," I told Hide, "so Vadsig's possessors are Inclito's daughter Mora-you remember her, I'm sure-and her friend Fava."

"You said Fava was dead. You said we sat on her grave that one time, and-"

Vadsig interrupted. "Well, I like that!"

I told her, "I hope you'll remember, Fava, that without me your body would have gone unburied, and would, I believe, have been devoured by wild animals that very night. I buried you alone, digging stony ground in the bitter cold. Would you have done as much for me?"

Vadsig was silent.

Hide said, "I still don't understand about Fava. Isn't she really dead?"

"Death isn't a hard and fast line like the edge of a table. It is a process, and it can be a long time before the dead person is entirely gone-indeed, it may not end in total dissolution at all. Fava and Mora were close, so it's not surprising that Fava figures in Mora's dreams. The surprising thing is that both figure in yours."

He gawked, and I laid a hand upon his shoulder. "The three whorls are stranger places than you can imagine, my son. As you mature you will come upon less and less of that strangeness if you stay close to home, honor no god much, and busy yourself with prosaic affairs. Then you can scoff at such things."

Vadsig said, "Cruel to him you are, mysire."

"No, Vadsig. I'm causing him pain. Only children believe that there is no difference between cruelty and education."

Hide asked, "Are they gone now?" and she giggled.

"No, my son, they are not. Vadsig loves you so much that when she sensed that what I'd said had left you confused and unhappy she broke through to protest. Suppose you were on a mare, and the mare heard her foal cry out. You might be able to get her back under control, but you'd have to do it. For a moment you would have lost control, as Mora and Fava did then."

"I want them gone, Father!" Hide's fists clenched.

I said, "I would ask who it is you think that you're about to strike, but it would be useless, I'm sure. You may strike me, if you like, but I'll restrain you-if I can-should you attempt to strike Vadsig. It will not drive out her possessors, and she's done nothing to deserve it."

"I won't hit you."

"Thank you. As for making Mora and Fava leave, I suppose we might be able to if we tried, but there's little point in trying. They'll go when Onorifica wakes Mora for breakfast, as Mora told us. Meanwhile we must confer with them, and with Vadsig as well.

"Will you please let Vadsig speak? It is late already, we have a lot to talk over, and if Fava wants to eat and Vadsig allows it, I'll have to arrange for food-"

"Fish heads?"

I looked up in surprise, and found Oreb in his accustomed place on the chimney corner.

"Bird back!"

Vadsig said, "Speaking to you I am, mysire. What wanting you are?"

"First, your consent to the possession, Vadsig. Is it all right for Mora and Fava to remain with you till sunrise? It will help you and Hide in the long run, I'm sure."

She did not reply.

"Bird find." Oreb announced. "Find hus."

"That's right, I sent you after Babbie. Thank you. I haven't time to ask where he is, but I will later. Meanwhile, please don't forget."

"Hus good!"

"If helps it does, all right it is. Friends we are."

"Fine. Thank you, Vadsig. You're not only helping Hide and yourself, you're helping me, too. Now I must ask one more thing of you. Fava-I believe it's Fava-would like you to eat. I may be mistaken, but I think she'll make you eat voraciously. Is that all right? Have you objection to a big meal?"

"No, mysire."

"You'll have to talk more than that, I'm afraid. I can't be certain after hearing only two words."

"Sorry I am, mysire. Stupid I feel."

Hide said, "That was her. They couldn't fool me."

"Speaking I am, kandij. Late it is and hungry we are. If eating too much I am, stop me you can. But I won't make her hurt herself or drink blood like I used to, Incanto. I won't let Fava make her sick."

"Good. Thank you, all three. I'm hungry myself-"

Oreb croaked, "Bird eat?" from the chimney corner.

"Yes, Oreb. Certainly."

I turned back to Vadsig, wondering whose facial expression I was studying. "No doubt Hide's hungry too, and we might as well eat while we talk. Hide, would you go down and arrange for food with Aanvagen, if she hasn't gone to bed?"

"Right away, Father." Hide blew Vadsig a kiss.

"What do you want to talk about, Incanto?"

"Overthrowing the judges who rule Dorp."

Oreb whistled sharply.

"It seems to be the only course open to me. Nat is well connected and vindictive, and if I'm tried I'll certainly be found guilty and punished severely. I may be executed, and I'll certainly be flogged. Hide, Jahlee, and I will be deprived of our property. When they discover much of it missing-I've taken it out and sold it-Beroep and Aanvagen will be ruined, as Strik has been."

"A good man he is, mysire," Vadsig assured me. "This Master often says. This Parel also says. A hard trader Strik is, but as he says his goods are. Do you think we can really do it, Incanto? We overthrew the Duko, and I like to think Eco and I had something to do with that, but we had the Horde of Blanko, and they had a lot more to do with it than we did."

I told them, "Let me say first that if we succeed we should be able to restore Captain Strik's property. He helped me when I was just set ting out, and I certainly intend to try; in fact I'll try to restore all the property that's been unjustly confiscated. The judges have been using their positions to enrich themselves; we will deprive them of both riches and position-if we can.