"New Viron must have been settled by people from here. Its name implies that. There must be many people there who've heard of Calde Silk, and some who saw him at one time or another. Did they mistake you for Silk, Horn? Did that ever happen?"

"No," he said. And then, when no one else spoke, added, "I know what you're going to say."

"Do you? Then why don't you say it yourself and save me the trouble."

Oreb took up the word. "Say Silk!"

He ate instead, hoping that someone else would speak.

"Pig and Hound know. Are you aware of that? They have from the beginning. I asked Pig to push my chair, and as soon as we were out of earshot I explained to him that I had taught Horn, and seen him in my classroom every day."

"No see!" Oreb commented. "No boy."

"My husband told me you were calling yourself Horn when we talked on our glasses, but he thought it was to deceive the men with you. He had fallen in with the imposition, and suggested I fall in with it, too. I did, but soon came to suspect that you believed it yourself. I asked Pig, and he confirmed it. You had never been trying to deceive him, Silk. Neither had you tried to deceive Hound. You have only been trying to deceive yourself, and now even that is at an end."

"You've never had any of the pickled pilchards," he told Pig. "Would you like a couple? I'm going to try them myself."

"Horn went." Mint's face was grim. "He carried out the Plan of Pas, as we did not. It has cost me sleepless nights, Calde. It has cost you a great deal more, I'm afraid. Horn incurred no guilt. You would be rid of yours, if you could, just as I would prefer to be rid of mine. But you cannot rid yourself of it like this."

"Thank yer, bucky. Thank yer kin'ly."

Having added three pickled pilchards to Pig's plate, he forked two more onto his own. "I know I look like Patera Silk, but I also know who I am," he said. "No one, not even you, Maytera, can make a man who knows who he is believe that he is someone else."

Wind in the west, but it is not much of a wind and we are on the lee side of Mucor's Rock. We could have anchored in the little bay. Perhaps we should have.

Shadow for us, while all around us the blue water dances in the last light.

We set out from New Viron at first light-Hide, Vadsig, Jahlee, and I. Hide and I would be crew enough for this yawl, and I honestly believe I could manage it alone if I had to, but Vadsig is as good as a third man (far better than some men I have seen) and even Jahlee helped. This west wind was just what we wanted for our south-southwest course; we set both jibs and spread a three-cornered main topsail between the gaff and the maintop-all this over and above the mainsail and the jigger-and fairly flew. I believe I wrote earlier that the yawl was not as fast as my old sloop. I may not have allowed sufficiently for its ability to carry sail.

Here I should say that Hide has found a bonnet for one of the jibs. He is anxious to try it; so I suppose we will on the trip home, if the weather is still good.

"Hus back!" announced Oreb. I looked around the yawl, then saw Babbie swimming from the island. He had gone ashore, and Mucor asked to keep him for a while. She is finished with him, I suppose. I wish I knew what she did.

We poled through the cleft about midafternoon, the sides scraping rock. No doubt there have been other boats in the tiny harbor since I sailed out of it in the sloop, but they left no evidence of their visits-it seemed precisely as I left it, with a few scales still on the flat stone where the fish jumped for Mucor. Hide wanted Vadsig to stay behind to watch the yawl; she wanted to go ashore, and both appealed to me.

"The women's hut is at the top," I explained to them. "I've made the climb before and have no wish to make it again. You may all go. I'll take care of the boat."

There was a flurry of expostulations.

"You're mistaken," I told them, "when you say Mucor does not know you. Believe me, she knows all of you almost as well as she knows me. You'll have to introduce yourselves to Maytera Marble, and explain who you are, but there should be no difficulty about that. Tell her I'm in the boat and eager to speak with her, and ask her come down if that is convenient."

Hide wanted to know whether to take his slug gun. I told him to take it if made him feel more secure, but that I doubted he would need it. He took it; and Vadsig had her needler in the pocket of her skirt. Babbie, who has been guarding the yawl for us while it was tied to the pier in New Viron, seemed to believe I would not allow him ashore. When I told him it was all right, that he could go with the young people if he wanted, he was overjoyed.

It was just after we left that I thought I saw her among the sunlit waves. I have said nothing to the others, and it was only for a moment. Very likely I was mistaken.

Maytera Marble came down. Oreb saw her before I did, and flew up to guide her, perching upon her shoulder and exclaiming, "Silk here!" or "In boat!" every step or two. It seemed terrible to disappoint her as I knew I must, so I postponed identifying myself as long as possible.

"Patera?" Groping, Maytera found our mooring line.

I was already poling the yawl nearer. "You don't have to climb aboard," I told her. "I'm getting off."

"You-you… Oh! Oh, Patera. I… It would be so good, so very, very good to see you, Patera."

I stepped to shore, getting only a little wet, and caught her by the shoulders. I made her look up, and turn so sunlight fell upon the thousand minute mechanisms of her face, thinking that it would be difficult to insert the new eye, readying myself and her. By that time, she must surely have guessed what I was about. "Horn? I asked Horn. Such a good boy! Did he… Did he tell you… Did Horn happen to mention, Patera, I mean it wasn't important, but… Oh! Oh, oh! Oh, Scylla!"

That last sticks in my mind. I remember everything vividly, and the joy in her voice most vividly of all. I won't describe the way her hands-her whole spare frame-shook, or the way she hugged me, or the dance she did there on the rocks, a dance so wild it frightened Oreb, or the way she hugged me again and even picked me up like a child when her dance was done. I would describe my own joy, if I could. I cannot.

But, "Oh, Scylla!"

It resonates in a way that nothing else does. It is no more vivid, yet it is colored as the other memories are not. They are wonderful and warm, and I shall treasure them always; but if ever a time comes when I must justify my existence-when I must account for the space I have occupied, the food I have eaten, and the air I have breathedI will tell about Maytera's eye first of all. I doubt that I will have to tell anything else.

Supper cooked by Vadsig and very good indeed, considering what she has to work with. Hide is fishing and promises fresh fish for breakfast, though he has caught nothing so far.

"Going tomorrow we are, mysire?" asked Vadsig.

"Tomorrow I must talk with Maytera Marble alone," I told her. "I don't think that will be difficult, and it shouldn't take long. After that we'll leave, weather permitting."

Jahlee joined us. "You talked to her alone today. You didn't think that business about staying behind to watch the boat fooled me, did you?"

I protested that I had not been trying to fool anyone.

"You made me climb way up there, and you know my legs aren't strong."

Vadsig was surprised. "The witch to see you did not wish?"

Jahlee shook her head vehemently.

"Behind she stayed, mysire. More she cannot go, she said. All right, we said, and up the steep path we climbed. To the top we got, and there she is."