'Nevertheless ... just before the east grew pale, shrieks were heard, the watchpelted to the stair and up it. They must break down the inner door, which wasbolted. I suppose that was merely against chance interruptions, for nobody hadfelt threatened. The solarium was in disarray; vases and things were broken;shreds torn off a robe and slight traces of blood lay about. Aye, Danlis, atleast, would have resisted. But she and her mistress were gone.

'A couple of sentries on the garden wall reported hearing a loud sound as ofwings. The night was cloudy-dark and they saw nothing for certain. Perhaps theyimagined the noise. Suggestive is that the leopards were found cowering in acorner and welcomed their keeper when he would take them back to their cages.

'And this is the whole of anyone's knowledge, Illyra,' Cappen ended. 'Help me. Ipray you, help me get back my love!'

She was long quiet. Finally she said, in a near whisper, 'It could be a worsematter than I'd care to peer into, let alone enter.'

'Or it could not,' Cappen urged.

She gave him a quasi-defiant stare. 'My mother's people reckon it unlucky to doany service for a Shavakh - a person not of their tribe - without recompense.Pledges don't count.'

Cappen scowled. 'Well, I could go to a pawnshop and - But no, time may be worthmore than rubies. From the depths of unhappiness, his grin broke forth. 'Poemsalso are valuable, right? You S'danzo have your ballads and love ditties. Let meindite a poem, Illyra, that shall be yours alone.' Her expression quickened.'Truly?'

'Truly. Let me think ... Aye, we'll begin thus.' And, venturing to take herhands in his, Cappen murmured:

'My lady comes to me like break of day. I dream in darkness if it chance she tarries, Until the banner other brightness harries The hosts of Shadowland from off the way-'

She jerked free and cried, 'No! You scoundrel, that has to be something you didfor Danlis - or for some earlier woman you wanted in your bed -'

'But it isn't finished,' he argued. 'I'll complete it for you, Illyra.'

Anger left her. She shook her head, clicked her tongue, and sighed. 'No matter.You're incurably yourself. And I ... am only halfS'danzo. I'll attempt yourspell.'

'By every love goddess I ever heard of,' he promised unsteadily, 'you shallindeed have your own poem after this is over.'

'Be still,' she ordered. 'Fend off anybody who comes near.'

He faced about and drew his sword. The slim, straight blade was hardly needed,for no other enterprise had site within several yards of hei-s, and as wide astretch of paving lay between him and the fringes of the crowd. Still, to graspthe hilt gave him a sense of finally making progress. He had felt helpless forthe first' hours, hopeless, as if his dear had actually died instead of - ofwhat? Behind him he heard cards riffled, dice cast, words softly wailed.

All at once Illyra strangled a shriek. He whirled about and saw how the bloodhad left her olive countenance, turning it grey. She hugged herself andshuddered.

'What's wrong?' he blurted in fresh terror.

She did not look at him. 'Go away,' she said in a thin voice. 'Forget you everknew that woman.'

'But - but what -'

'Go away, I told you! Leave me alone!'

Then somehow she relented enough to let forth: 'I don't know. I dare not know.I'm just a little half-breed girl who has a few cantrips and a tricksy secondsight, and - and I saw that this business goes outside of space and time, and apower beyond any magic is there - Enas Yorl could tell more, but he himself -'Her courage broke. 'Go away!' she screamed. 'Before I shout for Dubro and hishammer!'

'I beg your pardon,' Cappen Varra said, and made haste to obey.

He retreated into the twisting streets of the Maze. They were narrow; most ofthe mean buildings around him were high; gloom already filled the quarter. Itwas as if he had stumbled into the same night where Danlis had gone ... Danlis,creature of sun and horizons... If she lived, did she remember their last timetogether as he remembered it, a dream dreamed centuries ago?

Having the day free, she had wanted to explore the countryside north of town.Cappen had objected on three counts. The first he did not mention; that it wouldrequire a good deal of effort, and he would get dusty and sweaty and saddlesore. She despised men who were not at least as vigorous as she was, unless theycompensated by being venerable and learned.

The second he hinted at. Sleazy though most of Sanctuary was, he knew placeswithin it where a man and a woman could enjoy themselves, comfortably, privately- his apartment, for instance. She smiled her negation. Her family belonged tothe old aristocracy ofRanke, not the newly rich, and she had been raised in itsaustere tradition. Albeit her father had fallen on evil times and she had beenforced to take service, she kept her pride, and proudly would she yield hermaidenhead to her bridegroom. Thus far she had answered Cappen's ardentdeclarations with the admission that she liked him and enjoyed his company andwished he would change the subject. (Buxom Lady Rosanda seemed as if she mightbe more approachable, but there he was careful to maintain a cheerfulcorrectness.) He did believe she was getting beyond simple enjoyment, for herpatrician reserve seemed less each time they saw each other. Yet she could notaltogether have forgotten that he was merely the bastard of a minor nobleman ina remote country, himself disinherited and a footloose minstrel.

His third objection he dared say forth. While the hinterland was comparativelysafe, Molin Torchholder would be furious did he learn that a woman of hishousehold had gone escorted by a single armed man, and he no professionalfighter. Molin would probably have been justified, too. Danlis smiled again andsaid, 'I could ask a guardsman off duty to come along. But you have interestingfriends, Cappen. Perhaps a warrior is among them?'

As a matter of fact, he knew any number, but doubted she would care to meet them- with a single exception. Luckily, Jamie the Red had no prior commitment, andagreed to join the party. Cappen told the kitchen staff to pack a picnic hamperfor four.

Jamie's girls stayed behind; this was not their sort of outing, and sun mightharm their complexions. Cappen thought it a bit ungracious of the Northernernever to share them. That put him, Cappen, to considerable expense in the Streetof Red Lanterns, since he could scarcely keep a paramour of his own while wooingDanlis. Otherwise he was fond of Jamie. They had met after Rosanda, chancing tohear the minstrel sing, had invited him to perform at the mansion, and theninvited him back, and presently Cappen was living in the Jeweller's Quarter.Jamie had an apartment near by.

Three horses and a pack mule clopped out of Sanctuary in the new-born morning,to a jingle of harness bells. That merriment found no echo in Cappen's head; hehad been drinking past midnight, and in no case enjoyed rising before noon.Passive, he listened to Jamie: '- Aye, milady, they're mountaineers where I hailfrom, poor folk but free folk. Some might call us barbarians, but that mightbe unwise in our hearing. For we've tales, songs, laws, ways, gods as old asany in the world, and as good. We lack much of your Southern lore, but howmuch of ours do you ken? Not that I boast, please understand. I've seenwonders in my wanderings. But I do say we've a few wonders of our own at home.'

'I'd like to hear of them,' Danlis responded. 'We know almost nothing about yourcountry in the Empire - hardly more than mentions in the chronicles of Venaferand Mattathan, or the Natural History of Kahayavesh. How do you happen to comehere?'