Lythande turned and lifted the girl. She stared in disbelief at the burlysorcerer grinding his black beard frantically into the dirt.

'What did you -'

'Never mind - let's get out of here. The spell will not hold him long, and whenhe wakes from it he will be angry.' Neutral mockery edged. Lythande's voice, andthe girl could see it, too, Rabben with beard and eyes and blue star coveredwith the dirt and dust -

She scurried along in the wake of the magician's robe; when they were well awayfrom the Promise of Heaven, Lythande halted, so abruptly that the girl stumbled.

'Who are you, girl?'

'My name is Bercy. And yours?'

'A magician's name is not lightly given. In Sanctuary they call me Lythande.'Looking down at the girl, the magician noted, with a pang, that beneath the dirtand dishevelment she was very beautiful and very young. 'You can go, Bercy. Hewill not touch you again; I have bested him fairly upon challenge.'

She flung herself on to Lythande's shoulder, clinging. 'Don't send me away!' shebegged, clutching, eyes filled with adoration. Lythande scowled.

Predictable, of course, Bercy believed, and who in Sanctuary would havedisbelieved, that the duel had been fought for the girl as prize, and she wasready to give herself to the winner. Lythande made a gesture of protest.

'No -'

The girl narrowed her eyes in pity. 'Is it then with you as Rabben said - thatyour secret is that you have been deprived of manhood?' But beyond the pity wasa delicious flicker of amusement - what a tidbit of gossip! A juicy bit for theStreet of Women.

'Silence!' Lythande's glance was imperative. 'Come.'

She followed, along the twisting streets that led into the Street of RedLanterns. Lythande strode with confidence, now, past the House of Mermaids,where, it was said, delights as exotic as the name promised were to be found;past the House of Whips, shunned by all except those who refused to goelsewhere; and at last, beneath the face of the Green Lady as she was worshippedfar away and beyond Ranke, the Aphrodisia House.

Bercy looked around, eyes wide, at the pillared lobby, the brilliance of ahundred lanterns, the exquisitely dressed women lounging on cushions till theywere summoned. They were finely dressed and bejewelled - Myrtis knew her trade,and how to present her wares - and Lythande guessed that the ragged Bercy'sglance was one of envy; she had probably sold herself in the bazaars for a fewcoppers or for a loaf of bread, since she was old enough. Yet somehow, likeflowers covering a dungheap, she had kept an exquisite fresh beauty, all goldand white, flowerlike. Even ragged and half-starved, she touched Lythande'sheart.

'Bercy, have you eaten today?'

'No, master.'

Lythande summoned the huge eunuch Jiro, whose business it was to conduct thefavoured customers to the chambers of their chosen women, and throw out thedrunks and abusive customers into the street. He came - huge-bellied, nakedexcept for a skimpy loincloth and a dozen rings in his ear - he had once had alover who was an earring-seller and had used him to display her wares.

'How may we serve the magician Lythande?'

The women on the couches and cushions were twittering at one another in surpriseand dismay, and Lythande could almost hear their thoughts; None of us has beenable to attract or seduce the great magician, and this ragged street wenchhas caught his eyes? And, being women, Lythande knew they could see theunclouded beauty that shone through the girl's rags.

'Is Madame Myrtis available, Jiro?'

'She's sleeping, 0 great wizard, but for you she's given orders she's to bewaked at any hour. Is this -' no one alive can be quite so supercilious as thechief eunuch of a fashionable brothel - 'yours, Lythande, or a gift for mymadame?'

'Both, perhaps. Give her something to eat and find her a place to spend thenight.'

'And a bath, magician? She has fleas enough to louse a floorful of cushions!'

'A bath, certainly, and a bath-woman with scents and oih,' Lythande said, 'andsomething in the nature of a whole garment.'

'Leave it to me,' said Jiro expansively, and Bercy looked at Lythande in dread,but went when the magician gestured to her to go. As Jiro took her away,Lythande saw Myrtis standing in the doorway; a heavy woman, no longer young, butwith the frozen beauty of a spell. Through the perfect spelled features, hereyes were warm and welcoming as she smiled at Lythande.

'My dear, I had not expected to see you here. !s that yours?' She moved her headtowards the door through which Jiro had conducted the frightened Bercy. 'She'llprobably run away, you know, once you take your eyes off her.'

'I wish I thought so, Myrtis. But no such luck, I fear.'

'You had better tell me the whole story,' Myrtis said, and listened toLythande's brief, succinct account of the affair.

'And if you laugh, Myrtis, I take back my spell and leave your grey hairs andwrinkles open to the mockery of everyone in Sanctuary!' .. -

But Myrtis had known Lythande too long to take that threat very seriously. 'Sothe maiden you rescued is all maddened with desire for the love of Lythande!'She chuckled. 'It is like an old ballad, indeed!'

'But what am I to do, Myrtis? By the.paps of Shipri the All-Mother, this is adilemma!' . ^

'Take her into your confidence and tell her why your love cannot be hers,'Myrtis said.

Lythande frowned. 'You hold my Secret, since I had no choice; you knew me beforeI was made magician, or bore the blue star -'

'And before I was a harlot,' Myrtis agreed.

'But if I make this girl feel like a fool for loving me, she" will hate me asmuch as sheJeves; and I cannot confide in anyone I cannot trust with my life andmy power. All I have is yours, Myrtis, because of that past we shared. And thatincludes my power, if you ever should need it. But I cannot entrust it to thisgirl.'

'Still she owes you something, for delivering her out of the hands ofRabben.'.

Lythande said, 'I will think about it; and now make haste to bring me food, forI am hungry and athirst.' Taken to a private room, Lythande ate and drank,served by Myrtis's own hands. And Myrtis said, 'I could never have sworn yourvow - to eat and drink in the sight of no man!'

'If you sought the power of a magician, you would keep it well enough,' saidLythande. 'I am seldom tempted now to break it; I fear only lest I break itunawares; I cannot drink in a tavern lest among the women there might be someone of those strange men who find diversion in putting on the garments of afemale; even here I will not eat or drink among your women, for that reason.All power depends on the vows and the secret.'

'Then I cannot aid you,' Myrtis said, 'but you are not bound to speak truth toher; tell her you have vowed to live without women.'

'I may do that,' Lythande said, and finished the food, scowling.

Later Bercy was brought in, wide-eyed, enthralled by her fine gown and herfreshly washed hair, softly curling about her pink-and-white face and the sweetscent of bath oils and perfumes that hung about her.

'The girls here wear such pretty clothes, and one of them told me they could eattwice a day if they wished! Am I pretty enough, do you think, that Madame Myrtiswould have me here?'

'If that is what you wish. You are more than beautiful.'

Bercy said boldly, 'I would rather belong to you, magician,' and flung herselfagain on Lythande, her hands clutching and clinging, dragging the lean face downto hers. Lythande, who rarely touched anything living, held her gently, tryingnot to reveal consternation.