They spoke for more than an hour on matters of policy; then the talk turned to more prosaic items, and Gaby was invited to join in. Much of it was again meaningless, but at one point they discussed a malfunction in a particle accelerator that was part of Crius, deep beneath his surface. What Crius would do with a particle accelerator was a mystery to Chris.

A preliminary contract was made, Gaby agreeing to look into the matter in less than a myriarev, provided Gaea offered acceptable payment. She mentioned contacting a race in Phoebe that was good at subterranean work.

Chris could tell Robin was bored after the first ten minutes. He held out a little longer than that but soon was yawning himself. It was not that he felt the trip was wasted-it was interesting to see what the regional brains looked like and educational to see Cirocco do something more than drink-but it had been a very long stairway. He dreaded the climb to the top. The audience was ended without ceremony. Cirocco simply turned, gestured to Robin and Chris, and the four of them entered the stairs again. It was five minutes before the gentle curve of the corridor put them out of sight of the grotto.

Cirocco glanced behind her, then let her shoulders sag. She sat and put her head in her hands, then threw it back with a deep sigh.

Gaby sat behind her and began massaging the Wizard's shoulders. "You did real well, Rocky," she said.

"Thanks. Gaby, I could use a drink." She said it without emphasis. Gaby hesitated, then reached into her pack and took out a small flask. She poured a capful and handed it to Cirocco, who quickly drained it. She gave it back without requesting another, though Chris could see Gaby was ready to give her one.

Gaby gave Chris and Robin an annoyed look.

"You might say something nice," she suggested.

"I would if I knew what you're talking about," Robin said.

"I was impressed," Chris said. "But I thought it was routine."

Gaby sighed.

"Sorry. I guess it was, now that you mention it. I just never get used to it. Even with a relatively sane one like Crius you never know what it's going to be like from one visit to the next. He could squash us like flies, you know. He's not in the least happy about having to take orders from an alien. The only thing that keeps him in line is his fear of Gaea. Or love of her. Frankly, with a relationship like that there's not much distinction."

Chris frowned. "Are you saying we were in danger?"

"What's danger?" Gaby looked at him and laughed. "Ten minutes before we got there that chamber was flooded with acid. By now it's probably full again. It wouldn't have been hard to arrange an accident. He might even have convinced Gaea it was an accident."

"He'd never do that," Cirocco said firmly. "I know him."

"Maybe not. But Oceanus has been talking to him. You know that. I had a bad moment there when he started off with his 'complaint'. Coming from Crius, that's like a billionaire starting to quote Karl Marx."

"I took care of it," Cirocco said contentedly. "Rub a little lower, will you? There, there, that's it."

Chris suddenly felt like sitting down. He wondered what he was doing here. It was obvious he knew little of what had really gone on, what was still going on. These women dealt in things that often seemed less than real to him, but that crystalline brain had been as solidly real as a pair of pliers. Somewhere far away there existed another brain much like it, but malevolent, bent on death and warfare. And above all of them was a deity who collected cathedrals like the poker chips in a game played by megalomaniacs.

It was a forbidding idea. He could not help observing that when mortals stepped into the affairs of Gods, the smart money would pick the Gods to get the better of it.

"What do you think, Rocky?"

Cirocco had been sunk in the mindless rhythms of the near-infinite climb. She looked up in surprise.

"About Crius? Forget it. There might be some way to involve him in an ad hoc grouping. You know, afterward. But for now, forget it."

"You didn't think it was a hopeful sign?" Gaby persisted. "The fact that he was talking about complaining to Gaea about you? What did you make of that?"

Cirocco snorted. "Damn little."

"Don't you think you could fan that spark?"

"Don't get so eager, Gaby. I don't know how the ice could be any thinner, but the way you keep heating things up... ."

"I'm sorry. You know how I feel about this."

"I sure do. But I'd appreciate it if you'd be a little less forthcoming with those two children. I'm talking about 'need to know'. The less they know, the better for them if things go wrong. You aren't doing them any favors by talking about Crius and his loyalty or lack of it. If that got to the wrong ears, if one of them made an innocent remark, it could start certain thoughts that I'd just as soon were not thought. I wish I hadn't brought them down here."

"You're right, I guess," Gaby said. "I'll be more careful."

Cirocco sighed and touched Gaby's shoulder.

"Just keep on doing what you've been doing. Be a tour guide. Point out the marvels. Tell them funny stories, and keep them entertained, and remember they're along to learn things that will keep them out of trouble, not to get them into anything we're doing."

"Do you think you might be able to open up a little more? There are a lot of things you could teach them."

Cirocco looked thoughtful. "I could tell them a thing or two about drinking."

"Don't be so hard on yourself."

"I don't know, Gaby. I thought I was doing better. But now there's Inglesina."

Gaby winced. She took Cirocco's hand and squeezed it.

Just beyond the line of vertical cables Ophion began a series of wide loops. The land was flat and so nearly level that the river slowed to a crawl.

Robin used the time to improve her skills with the oar. She rowed all day, with Hautbois instructing her in the finer points of boat handling. She would set Robin the task of turning the craft by herself, guiding it through tight circles or figure eights in the shortest possible time. Then the two of them would put their backs into it to catch up with the others. Her shoulders grew strong, and she developed blisters and then calluses on the palms of her hands. At the end of the day she was exhausted, but a little less so each morning.

They were in no hurry. Groups of Titanides appeared on the shore, singing for the Wizard. Gaby or Cirocco would shout one word at them, and they would gallop away in high excitement. The word was "Inglesina." Robin learned it was the name of a large island in Ophion. Like Grandioso, it was named for one of the Titanides' beloved marches and was the site of the Crian Purple Carnival.

The Carnival was to be held 120 revs from the time of the first meeting with the Crians. It had to be so to give the local Titanides time to gather. They camped early and arose late. Robin began to feel more comfortable in the sleeping bag, to listen less to the thousand sounds of Gaea. She even came to enjoy the murmuring river as she relaxed and waited for sleep to come. It was not so very different from the purring of the air system she had heard all her life.

There were no further mishaps with the food, nor did they have any visits from unknown creatures. But at one camp, when Robin was feeling particularly bored, she took Chris on a snipe hunt. She judged, correctly, that he would not question her assertion that the Titanides wanted a brace of snipe for the evening meal, nor would he think the approved method of catching them in the least odd. After all, what in Gaea was not odd?

So she took him a good distance from the camp and showed him how to hold the sack, cautioned him to tie it tightly when the little creatures had run inside, and went off over a low hill to drive them from the underbrush and into his waiting arms. Then she went back to camp and waited for him.