'Thank you," he said, and to the dog: "What is yourname?"

"Bismark," it growled.

Render smiled.

"You remind me of another of your kind," he told thedog. "One Sigmund, by name, a companion and guide toa blind friend of mine, in America."

"My Bismark is a hunter," said the young man. 'Thereis no quarry that can outthink him, neither the deer northe big cats."

The dog's ears pricked forward and be stared up atRender with proud, blazing eyes.

"We have hunted in Africa and the northern andsouthwestern parts of America. Central America, too.He never loses the trail. He never gives up. He is a beautiful brute, and his teeth could have been made inSolingen."

"You are indeed fortunate to have such a bunting companion."

"I hunt," growled the dog. "I follow ... Sometimes,I have, the kill..,"

"You would not know of the one called Sigmund then,or the woman he guides—Miss Eileen Shallot?" askedRender.

The man shook his head.

"No, Bismark came to me from Massachusetts, but Iwas never to the Center personally. I am not acquaintedwith other mutie handlers.""I see. Well, thank you for the light. Good afternoon."

"Good afternoon ..."

"Good, after, noon . .."

Render strolled on up the narrow street, hands in hispockets. He had excused himself and not said where hewas going. This was because he had had no destinationin mind. Bartelmetz* second essay at counseling had almost led him to say things he would later regret. It waseasier to take a walk than to continue the conversation.

On a sudden impulse he entered a small shop andbought a cuckoo clock which had caught his eye. He feltcertain that Bartelmetz would accept the gift in the properspirit. He smiled and walked on. And what was that letter to JUl which the desk clerk had made a special tripto their table to deliver at dinnertime? he wondered. Ithad been forwarded three times, and its return addresswas that of a law firm. JUl had not even opened it, buthad smiled, overtipped the old man, and tucked it intoher purse. He would have to hint subtly as to its contents.His curiosity so aroused, she would be sure to tell himout of pity.

The icy pillars of the sky suddenly seemed to swaybefore him as a cold wind leaped down out of the north.Render hunched his shoulders and drew his head furtherbelow his collar. Clutching the cuckoo clock, he hurriedback up the street.

That night the serpent which holds its tail in its mouthbelched, the Fenris Wolf made a pass at the moon, thelittle clock said "cuckoo" and tomorrow came on likeManolete's last bull, shaking the gate of horn with thebellowed promise to tread a river of lions to sand.

Render promised himself he would lay off the gooeyfondue.

Later, much later, when they skipped through the skiesin a kite-shaped cruiser. Render looked down upon thedarkened Earth dreaming its cities full of stars, lookedup at the sky where they were all reflected, looked abouthim at the tape-screens watching all the people whoblinked into them, and at the coffee, tea and mixed drinkdispensers who sent their fluids forth to explore the insides of the people they required to push their buttons,then looked across at Jill, whom the old buildings hadcompelled to walk among their walls—because he knewshe felt he should be looking at her then- felt his seat'sdemand that he convert it into a couch, did so, and slept.

IV

Her office was full of flowers, and she liked exoticperfumes. Sometimes she burned incense.

She liked soaking in overheated pools, walking throughfalling snow, listening to too much music, played perhapstoo loudly, drinking five or six varieties of liqueurs (usually reeking of anise, sometimes touched with wormwood)every evening. Her hands were soft and lightly freckled.Her fingers were long and tapered. She wore no rings.

Her fingers traced and retraced the floral swellings onthe side of her chair as she spoke into the recording unit.

"... Patient's chief complaints on admission werenervousness, insomnia, stomach pains and a period ofdepression. Patient has had a record of previous admissions for short periods of time. He had been in this hospital in 1995 for a manic depressive psychosis, depressedtype, and he returned here again, 2-3-96. He was in another hospital, 9-20-97. Physical examination revealed aBP of 170/100. He was normally developed and wellnourished on the date of examination, 12-11-98- On thisdate patient complained of chronic backache, and therewas noted some moderate symptoms of alcohol withdrawal. Physical examination further revealed no pathology except that the patient's tendon reflexes wereexaggerated but equal. These symptoms were the resultof alcohol withdrawal. Upon admission he was shown tobe not psychotic, neither delusional nor hallucinated. Hewas well-oriented as to place, time and person. Hispsychological condition was evaluated and he was foundto be somewhat grandiose and expansive and more thana little hostile. He was considered a potential troublemaker. Because of his experience as a cook, he was as- ^signed to work in the kitchen. His general condition thenshowed definite improvement. He is less tense and iscooperative. Diagnosis: Manic depressive reaction (external precipitating stress unknown). The degree of psychiatric impairment is mild. He is considered competent.To be continued on therapy and hospitalization."

She turned off the recorder then and laughed. Thesound frightened her. Laughter is a social phenomenonand she was alone. She played back the recording then.chewing on the corner of her handkerchief while thesoft, clipped words were returned to her. She ceased tohear them after the first dozen or so.

When the recorder stopped talking she turned it off.She was alone. She was very alone. She was so damnedalone that the little pool of brightness which occurred whenshe stroked her forehead and faced the window—thatlittle pool of brightness suddenly became the most important thing in the world. She wanted it to be immense.She wanted it to be an ocean of light. Or else she wantedto grow so small herself that the effect would be thesame: she wanted to drown is it.

It had been three weeks, yesterday ...

loo long, she decided, I should have waited. No!Impossible! But what if he goes as Riscomb went? NolHe won't. He would not. Nothing can hurt him. Never.He is all strength and armor. But—but we should havewaited till next month to start. Three weeks ... Sightwithdrawal—that's what it is. Are she memories fading?Are they weaker? (What does a tree look like? Or acloud—I can't remember! What is red? What is green?God! It's hysterical! I'm watching and I can't stop it!—Take a pill! A pill!

Her shoulders began to shake. She did not take a pillthough, but bit down harder on the handkerchief untilher sharp teeth tore through its fabric.

"Beware," she recited a personal beatitude, "those whohunger and thirst after justice, for we wi7/ be satisfied. -

"And beware the meek," she continued, "for we shallattempt to inherit the Earth.

"And beware ..."

There was a brief buzz from the phone-box. She putaway her handkerchief, composed her face, turned theunit on.

"Hello ... ?"

"Eileen, I'm back. How've you been?"

"Good, quite well in fact. How was your vacation?"

"Oh, I can't complain. I had it coming for a long time.I guess I deserve it. Listen, I brought some things back toshow you—like Winchester Cathedral. You want tocome in this week? I can make it any evening.'*Tonight. No. I want it too badly. It will set me back ifhe sees . ..

"How about tomorrow night?" she asked. "Or the oneafter?"

"Tomorrow will be fine," he said. "Meet you at theP & S, around seven?"

"Yes. that would be pleasant. Same table?"

"Why not?—I'll reserve it."