"Now, you go lie down on your bed and stay there until Vanda brings your sisterLatilla home." She gripped his small shoulder, propelled him into the children'sroom, and shut the door behind him with a bang that shook the floor.

Wedemir slowly set his last basket on the kitchen table, watching his motherwith an apprehension that belied the broad shoulders and sturdily muscled armshe had gotten working the caravans.

Lalo's own gaze went back to his wife, and his stomach knotted as he recognizedSabellia the Sharp-Tongued in full incarnation standing there.

"Perhaps that will keep him earthbound another time," said Gilla, settling herfists on her broad hips and glaring at Lalo. "I wish I could fan your arse aswell! What were you thinking of?" Her voice rose as she warmed to her subject."When you said you'd look after the baby, I thought I could trust you to watchhim! You know what they are at that age! There are live coals in that stovewould you have noticed when Alfi started screaming? Lalo the Limner- Lalo theLack-Wit they should call you! Pah!"

Wedemir eased silently backward toward the chair in the comer, but Lalo couldnot return his commiserating smile. His tight lips quivered with words thattwenty-seven years with this woman had taught him not to say; and it was truethat... his vivid imagination limned a vision of his small son writhing inflames. But he had only looked out the window for a moment! In another minute hewould have seen and pulled the child down!

"The gods know I've been patient," raged Gilla, "scrimping and striving to keepthis family together while the Ran-kans or the Bey sin, or hell knows who, camemarching through the town. The least you could do-"

"In the name of Ils, woman-let be!" Lalo found his voice at last. "We've a roofabove us, and whose earnings paid-"

"Does that give you the right to burn it down again?" she interrupted him. "Notto mention that if we don't pay the taxes we will not have it long, thoughShalpa knows to whom we'll be paying them this year. What have you paintedlately. Limner?"

"By the gods!" Lalo's fingers twitched impotently. "I have painted-" a_scarletSikkintair that soared through azure skies, a bird with eyes of fire and crystalwings-his throat closed on the words. He had not told her-he would show her therainbow-hued flies he had drawn for Alfi, and then she would know. He had thepowers of a god-what right had she to speak to him this way? Lalo looked wildlyabout him, then remembered that he had opened the shutters and the insects hadflown away.

"I saved your life, and this is all the thanks you have for me?" Gilla shouted."You'd burn the last babe I will ever bear?"

"Saved my life?" Abruptly the end of his vision replayed in memory-he had beenpainting a goddess who had wrenched him away from heaven, a goddess who hadGilla's face! "Then it was you who brought me back to this dung-heap, and youwant me to thank you?" Now he was shrieking as loudly as she. "Wretched woman,do you know what you have done? Look at you, standing there like a tub of lard!Why should I want to return, when Eshi herself was my handmaiden?"

For one astounding moment struck speechless, Gilla stared at him. Then shesnatched and threw a wooden spoon from the pot on the stove. "No, don't thankme, for I'm sorry I did it now!" A colander followed the spoon. She reached forthe copper kettle and Lalo ducked as Wedemir got to his feet, protesting.

"You've a goddess to sleep with? Worm! Then go to her-we'll do fine without youhere!" Gilla exclaimed.

The copper pot hurtled toward Lalo like a sunwheel, struck, and clattered to thefloor. He straightened, holding his arm.

"I will go-" He fought his voice steady. "I should have left long ago. I couldhave been the greatest artist in the Empire if you hadn't tied me here-I stillcould-by the Thousand Eyes of Ils you do not know what I can do!" he went on.Gilla was gasping, her work-roughened hands clenching and unclenching as shelooked for something else to throw. "When you hear of me again you'll know who Ireally am, and you'll regret what you said this day!"

Lalo drew himself up stiffly. Gilla watched him with a face like stone andsomething he could not trouble to interpret in her eyes. A whisper of memorytold him that if he let go of his anger he would see the truth of her as he hadbefore. He swatted the thought away. The anger burned in his belly, a furnace ofpower. He had not felt like this since he outwitted the assassin Zanderei.

Silent, he stalked to the door, belted on his pouch, and flung across hisshoulder the short cape that hung there.

"Papa-what do you think you're doing?" Wedemir found his voice at last. "It'salmost sunset. The curfew will close the streets soon. You can't go out there!"

"Can't I? You'll see what I can do!" Lalo opened the door.

"Turd, slime-dauber, betrayer!" shouted Gilla. "If you leave now, don't thinkyou'll find a welcome home here!"

Lalo did not answer, but as he hurried down the creaking staircase the lastthing he heard was the bone-shaking thud as the cast-iron pot hit the closingdoor.

A rat-patter of feet behind him sent fear sparking along every nerve to clashpainfully with the dull anger that had fueled Lalo's swift stride. Fool! thelessons of a lifetime dinned in his memory- Your back is your betrayer. Watchit! Alert is alive!

In the old days, everyone knew Lalo was not worth robbing, but in the currentconfusion, running footsteps could mean anyone. Frantically Lalo tried toremember if this block belonged to the PFLS or Nisibisi death squads; to thereturning Stepsons or the 3rd Commando; or to Jubal's renascent hordes; ormaybe it was to someone else he hadn't heard of yet.

His little dagger glinted in his hand-not much use against anyone with training,but enough perhaps to discourage a man looking for easy pickings before thedaylight was gone.

"Papa-it's me!" The shadow behind him came to a halt a safe man's length away.Lalo blinked and recognized Wedemir, flushed a little from his run, butbreathing easily.

The lad's in good shape, Lalo thought with a fugitive pride, then unclenchedtense muscles from his defensive crouch and jammed the knife back into itssheath.

"If your mother sent you, you might as well go home again."

Wedemir shook his head. "I can't. She cursed me too, when I said I was comingafter you. Where were you going, anyway?"

Lalo stared at him, taken aback by his unconcern. Didn't the boy understand? Heand Gilla had quarreled finally. His future loomed before him like a splendid,lightning-laden cloud.

"Go back, Wedemir-" he repeated. "I'm on my way to the Vulgar Unicorn."

Wedemir laughed, white teeth bright against his bronzed skin. "Papa, I've spenttwo years with the caravans, remember? Do you think I haven't seen the inside ofa tavern before?"

"Not one like the Unicorn...." Lalo said darkly.

"Then it's time you completed my education-" the boy said cheerfully. "If you'retougher than I am, then knock me down. If not, surely two will walk safer thanone through this part of town!"

A new kind of anger tickled Lalo's belly as he stared at his son, noting thebalanced stance, the measuring eyes. He's grown up, he thought bitterly,remembering the last time he had thrashed the boy-it didn't seem so long ago.Wedemir is a man. But gods! Did I ever have such innocent eyes? Aman, and astrong one... .Even when Lalo had been that age he had not been much of afighter, and now-the taste of the knowledge that his son could beat him was likebile.