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  He faced about again. "Now, Oreb, I want to keep going the way I was before I turned around. Am I headed right?" He tapped the ground before him with the staff as he spoke.

  "Good. Good. "

  "There isnt a pit at my feet, by any chance? Or a tree that Im about to knock my head against?"

  "Road go. "

  "And so will I. " He stepped forward confidently, cutting and thrusting as he walked-and seemed to hear the staff that slashed the air tapping the roadway still. Stopping, he called, "Hello!"

  A distant voice answered, "Heard me, did yer?"

  "Yes. Yes, I did. I heard your stick. "

  The methodical tapping continued, but there was no further reply.

  Under his breath he asked, "Can you see him, Oreb?"

  "Bird see. "

  "Thats the way. Keep your voice down. One man alone?"

  "Big man. No men. "

  "Does he have a slug gun, or anything of that nature?"

  "No see. "

  Deep and rough and somewhat nearer now, the distant voice said, "Dinna have such. Yer neither, bucky. "

  "Youre right," he said. There was a faint, metallic rattle, and he added, "What was that?"

  "Yer got gude hears. "

  "Tolerably so. "

  Nearer still. "Hows yer een, bucky?"

  "My eyes?"

  Oreb muttered, "Man big. Watch out. "

  "Ho! Wont hurt him. " The roughness of the approaching voice suggested a second night chough hopping along the road, its depth a huge bird as tall as a man.

  "I heard something that sounded almost like the sling swivels of slug gun. "

  "Did yet, bucky?" A second rattle followed the final word.

  "Yes," he said. "What is it?"

  "Hows yer een?"

  "My vision, is that what you mean? Good enough. " Recalling the spectacles he had found in his pocket, he added, "A little worse than most, perhaps, for reading. "

  "For readin, bucky?" The rough voice was close now. "Yer can read. " A deep chuckle. "Honly ther winds blowed yer candle hout. " Wind rhymed with fiend in the strangers mouth.

  "Youre not from Viron, I take it. "

  "Nae from naewhere. " The chuckle came again, followed by the rattle.

  "I believe I recognized that sound this time-a sword blade in a brass scabbard. Am I correct?"

  "Smack hon, bucky. "

  Something-hard leather-touched his fingers, and he was reminded again of Xiphiass pressing the sword upon him, although the hand that gripped his arm was far larger than Xiphiass had been.

  "Want ter feel a her?"

  "Yes, I do. May I draw it?" His hands had found the throat of the scabbard, a throat that was covered with leather too, like the rudimentary guard and the rest of the hilt.

  "Canna see me whin, can yet, bucky?"

  "No. But Ill be able to-to weigh it in my hand, without the scabbard. I neednt, if youd prefer I wouldnt. "

  "Yer a hofficer, bucky?"

  "A military officer, you mean? No. Nothing of the sort. "

  "Yer talks like such. Aye, pluck. "

  The blade hissed from the scabbard, heavier than the knobbed staff and nearly as long. He made a few cuts, ran his fingers gingerly over the flat, then wiped it on the sleeve of his tunic.

  "Got hit hoff a dead coof," the rough voice confided. "He dinna want hit nae mair. "

  "But you do, Im sure. " He sheathed it again and held it out, touching something large and solid: leather again, soft old canvas, and cool metal that seemed to be a belt buckle nearly as high as his chin.

  " Tis me. " Taking back the sword, the strangers outsized hands brushed his. "Want ter feel a me clock?"

  "Watch out!" Oreb fidgeted apprehensively on his shoulder.

  "No," he told the stranger. "Certainly not. "

  "Craw, aint hit? Thought twas a man. Hon me hunkers sae yer can reach. Have yer feel, bucky. " His left wrist was caught between fingers as thick and hard as the staff, and guided toward a mat of coarse hair. He was conscious of a faint reek of sour sweat.

  "You have a beard," he said. "So do I. " The nose was wide and prominent, the cheekbones high and gaunt, framed in shaggy hair that fell to the strangers shoulders.

  "Took me rag hoff. " His hand was freed, then caught again. "Heres me ee. Stick in yer finger. "

  "Id rather not," he said; two fingers were forced into the empty socket nevertheless.

  "Hothers ther same. Feel a her?"

  He was forced to. "Youre blind," he said. "I-I know how banal it sounds, but Im sorry. "

  "Wait till me rags back hon," the stranger rumbled. "Want ter feel a yern. Got ter, an yer ken why. Yer get a notion a me clock?"

  "Yes," he said, afraid that he would be forced to touch the strangers face again. "I should warn you, though, that Oreb doesnt like being held. Hell probably fly if you attempt it. "

  Oreb contradicted him. "Touch bird!"

  "Dinna think he never did, not nae live un. "

  "Touch bird!"

  "Seen lots, fore me een was took. Horebs his name?"

  "Its what I call him, at least. A friend I had long ago-the friend for whom Im searching-had a pet night chough he called that. Im afraid Ive given this one the same name to save the trouble of thinking of a new one. " He felt Oreb leave his shoulder and added, "Hes going to you, I think. "

  "Lit hon me whin. A finer, Horeb, an speak hup hif hit pains yer. "

  "No hurt. "

  He felt a pang of jealousy that he quickly suppressed. "Ive already introduced Oreb, so I ought to introduce myself as well. My name is Horn. "

  "Horn. An Horeb. "

  "Yes," he said, and felt Oreb return to his shoulder.

  "What would yer say me hown name might be, bucky?"

  "Your name? I just met you. I have no idea. "

  The tapping resumed. "We mights well walk Was talk. Never heard nae name like Horn. Nor Horeb neither. "

  "It means raven," he explained as he strode after the steady tapping of the strangers sword. "Its from the Chrasmologic Writings. Calde Silk, the friend I spoke of, was an augur. "

  "Horeb. Horn. Silk. Common names, like? Maybe me hown might be Cotton, here. "

  "Why no, thats a womans name. " He felt vague frustration. "Surely it would be better if we called you as your mother did. "

  " Twas Freak, mostly. "

  "I see-understand, I mean. No doubt youre right; it would be better if you had a new name among us. "

  "Aye. "

  "You asked whether Oreb, Horn, and Silk were common names. Oreb is very unusual-Ive never known a man with that name. Silk is fairly unusual, too, although certainly not unheard-of. Horn is common enough. "

  "Huh!"

  "Here in Viron, men are named after animals or parts of animals. Silk is a male name, just as Milk is, because Silk comes from an animal, the silkworm. Addax, Alpaca, and Antbear are all common names. Do you like any of those?"

  "Hox fer me, maybe. Might do. Hor Bull. What habout em, bucky?"

  He smiled. "People would think we were related, but Ive no objection to that. "

  "Gie me some mair. "

  "Well, let me see. Silk had a friend named Auk. An auk is a kind of water bird, as you probably know. "

  "Me hown could be Howl, maybe. Blind Was a howl by daylight, dinna they say?"

  "Yes, it could, if you wish it; also there are the various kinds of owls-Hawkowl, for example. I was about to say that Auk had a friend named Gib. A gib is a tomcat, so thats a male name, too. Gib was a large and powerful man, as you are. "

  "Pig," the stranger rumbled.

  "Good name!"

  "I beg your pardon?"

  "Said me names Pig, bucky. Horeb, he likes hit. Dinna yer, Horeb?"

  "Like Pig!"

  Pig laughed deep in his chest, clearly pleased. "Never heard a nae blind pig, bucky?"

  "I dont think so, but I suppose there must be some. "

  "Have ter have a new name wh
en me eens found. Heagle, hit could be, hor Hawk. "

  "Did you say something about finding eyes?" He was startled.

  "Aye. Why Pig come, bucky, doon hout a ther light lands. Have een ter gie hin this Viron, bucky? Een fer me? Tis ther muckle place hereabouts? Yer talk like hit. "

  "Yes, Virons the city. It owns, or at least it controls, this land, and all the farms and villages for fifty leagues and more. But as to whether there is any physician in Viron skillful enough to restore your sight, I really have no way of knowing. I doubt that there was when I was here last, but that was about twenty years ago. "

  Pig seemed not to have heard. "Dinna drink nae mair. "

  "I seldom do myself. A little wine, occasionally. But I wanted to say that this is an extraordinary coincidence. Youre looking for eyes, as you put it. Because Im looking for eyes also. For one at-"

  Pig had caught his shoulder, causing Oreb to flee with a terrified squawk. "Had een, yer said. " Questing thumbs found them and pressed gently. "Read, yer said. "

  "Yes, sometimes. Not lately. "

  "Gude een, yer got. " Fingers and thumbs traversed his cheeks, found the corners of his mouth and the point of his chin under his beard. "Snog clock, bucky. Liked ther girls, dinna yer? When yer was younger?"

  "Only one, actually. "

  The tapping of the leather-covered brass scabbard resumed. "Them that can winna, an em that wad canna. Tis a hard grind fer ther haxe, bucky. "

  "A hard life, you mean. Yes, it is. "

  "Een noo. Yer lookin fer een, yer said. "

  "Eyes for a chem. I have a friend-a chem who was a co-worker when I was younger-whos gone blind. "

  "Like auld Pig. "

  "Yes, precisely, except that shes a chem. Her name is Maytera Marble, and before I left Blue I promised I would find new eyes for her if I could. She gave me one of her old ones to use as a pattern, but I no longer have it. "

  "Yer lost it?"

  "Not exactly. I was forced to leave it behind. I remember how it looked, however, or at least I believe I do; and Id like very much to find replacements, if I can. Maytera was my teacher when I was a child, you see. I mean-"

  "No talk!"

  "Dinna fash auld Pig, Horeb. Bucky, would yer make mock a me fer hofferin me finers ter help yer look?"

  "Certainly not. "

  "Dinna think hit. Yer nae ther kind. Yer lookin fer a mon, yer said. Silks ther name?"

  "Yes, Calde Silk. Or Patera Silk. I intend to find him, and to bring him to Blue. Thats what I swore to accomplish, and I will not break my oath. "

  "Ho, aye. An Silks cauld?"

  "Dead? Then Ill find new eyes for Maytera Marble and return home, if I can. "

  There was a silence.

  "Pig? Is that what you want me to call you?"

  "Aye. "

  "Pig, would you mind if I walked closer to you? If-if I touched you, sometimes, as I walked?"

  "Shuttin yer hin, his hit? Touch Nall yer want. "

  "The darkness. This dark. Yes. Yes it is. "

  "Like dark!"

  "I know you do, Oreb. But I dont. Not this, particularly. At home-on Blue, I mean. May I talk about the way it feels, Pig? I certainly dont mean to be offensive, but I believe it might make me feel better. "

  "Blues houtside, bucky?"

  "Yes. Yes, it is. It has a-the Short Sun. A round gold sun that walks across the sky during the course of the day, and vanishes into the sea at shadelow. At shadeup it reappears in the mountains and climbs up the sky like a man climbing a hill of blue glass. But before it begins to climb, theres a silent shout-"

  Pig chuckled, the good-humored rumble of men rolling empty barrels.

  "Its a silly phrase, I realize; but I dont know another way to express it. Its as though the whole whorl, the whorl that we call Blue and say we own, were welcoming the Short Sun with tumultuous joy. Im making myself ridiculous, I know. "

  Pigs hand, twice the size of his own, found his shoulder. "Dinna naebody but yer hear what dinna make nae noise, bucky?"

  He did not answer.

  "Partners?"

  "Surely. Partners, if you dont object to having a fool for a partner. "

  "Yer misses yer Short Sun. "

  "I do. It would be a relief, a very great relief to me, to see a light of any kind. A lantern, say. Or a candle. But most of all, the sun. Daylight. "

  "Aye. "

  "You must feel the same way. I should have realized it sooner. And if we were to encounter someone with a lantern, I would see it and see him. Even now, even in this terrible darkness, I remain singularly blessed. I should pray, Pig, and I should have thought of that much sooner. "

  Far away, a wolf howled.

  "Yer got em hon yer whorl?" Pig inquired.

  "Yes, we do. Ordinary wolves, such as you have here, and fel- wolves, too, which have eight legs and are much larger and more dangerous. But, Pig. . . "

  "Hout wi hit. "

  "That whorl, Blue, had people living upon it long before we came-people who may still be there, some of them at least. One seldom sees them. Most of us never have, and we call them the Vanished People, or the Neighbors, and children are taught that theyre wholly legendary; but Ive seen them more than once, and even spoken with them. I dont believe I will again, because Ive lost something-a silver ring with a white stone-that was left behind with Maytera Marbles eye. "

  "Huh! "

  "But once when I did-when I spoke with the Neighbors-I asked what they had called the whorl we call Blue, what their name for it had been. And they said, `Ours. "

  "No cry!"

  "Im sorry, Oreb. " He tried to dry his eyes on the sleeve of his tunic, then clamped the knobbed staff beneath his arm to search himself for a handkerchief. Pigs elbow brushed his ear, and he cor rected his position slightly and began to tap the roadway before him as Pig was.