Silk’s forefinger drew small circles on his cheek. “Do you think he knew enough about you to search for you here?”

“I don’t know. I’ve tried to remember everything Blood said, and I don’t remember anything about that. Only he might have said something before or after or maybe even something I’ve forgotten. He’d seen me, and knew who I was.”

“In that case,” Silk said slowly, “I’m surprised that you came back here.”

Orchid poured a pony of brandy. “It isn’t as dumb as you think, Calde. If somebody came around, we’d tell her so she’d have time to hide. We did with the hoppy, didn’t we, Chen?”

“That’s right, Patera. Anyhow I pretty much had to. I didn’t have any money—”

“I must speak to you about that; remind me after we leave.”

“Except a little here, and my jewelry’s here, except for this ring.” She held up her hand to display it, and the ruby glowed like a coal from the forge. “I think it’s worth a deck, and so does Orchid.”

Orchid nodded emphatically.

“Only Auk gave it to me, and I told him I’d never sell it. I won’t, either. Remember when you and me talked in the front room of your little house, Patera?”

“Yes, I do. I’m surprised that you do, however.”

“I didn’t to start, but after a while it came back. What I was going to say is I had my best pieces on, my jade earrings and the necklace, only it got lost when my good wool gown did.”

Silk nodded. “Patera Incus said Maytera Marble had made Blood give you the chenille one you had on there.”

“Uh-huh. I’ll tell you about losing the other one and my necklace some other time. What I was going to say is they hurt my ears, down in the tunnel. I took them off and gave them to Auk, and he put them in his pocket.” She fell silent, her chest heaving dramatically.

“When I find Auk, I’ll remind him to return them to you.”

“There’s something I’ve got to tell you about him, too. You won’t believe me, but I’ve got to tell you just the same. Only not now.”

“All right. Tell me when you feel ready to do so.” Silk turned back to Orchid. “Permit me to ask again. Do you know where Hyacinth is? Do you have any idea at all?”

Shaking her head, Orchid passed her brandy to Chenille. “Drink it, you’ll feel better.” Freed of the stem, Orchid’s beringed fingers clenched. “Patera, I need a favor and I need it bad. Ever since I saw you in the hall I’ve been trying to think of a good way to ask. If I knew anything that would help you find Hy, I’d tell you and ask for my favor. I don’t, but I got connections and they know places the hoppies never heard of I’ll get them on it as quick as I can.”

Oreb flew from Silk’s shoulder to Chenille’s. “Where Auk?”

“My question exactly,” Silk said. “You told the Guardsman you didn’t know where Hyacinth was, and you were telling him the truth. You lied when you told him that you didn’t know where Chenille was. What about Auk?”

Orchid shook her head. “I’ve got a couple culls asking. He’s got Chen’s bobbers, like she says. We know he’s around. We’ve talked to bucks that saw him. Isn’t that right?”

Chenille nodded.

“But nobody seems to know where he dosses. A friend of mine told him I wanted to see him, and he said maybe he’d come later, but he hasn’t.” Orchid tapped her forehead. “He’s cank, they say. Talking clutter.”

“Let me know if he comes, will you please? Immediately.”

“Absolutely, Calde. You can count on it. Want me to keep him here until you get here?”

“He’ll stay,” Chenille interposed. “He’ll be in my room.”

“Yes, I do,” Silk told Orchid. “You’ve offered me several favors, and I want them all. I want very much to learn where Hyacinth is. I want to learn where Auk is, too, and I want you to keep him here if he comes. He used to come here often, I know. You said you required a favor from me. I’ll help you if I can. What is it?”

“Blood’s dead. That’s what Chen says, and it’s all over town anyhow. They say — am I stepping in it?”

Chenille swallowed a sip of brandy. “They say you killed him, Patera. Thats what some people told me out at his house before the fighting was over.”

Orchid took a step toward Silk. “I own this.” Her voice was husky with emotion. “This house of mine. But I bought it with money Blood gave me, and I had to sign a paper.”

Belatedly, Silk rose too. “What did it say?”

“I don’t know. It was at his place in the country. Once in a while he’d come to town and see people, but mostly he sent word and you went out there to see him. If he liked you, he’d send his floater for you. That was the first time in my life I got to ride in one.”

Recalling his trip from Blood’s villa to the manteion on Sun Street, Silk nodded. “Go on.”

“We talked about, you know, what sort of house I’d found, where it was and how big and the girls I’d got lined up. Then he pulled out a paper and said sign this. I did, and he stuck it away again and gave me the money. I got the deed, and it’s in my name, but now he’s dead and I don’t know about the paper. I want to keep my house. It would kill me to lose it. That’s lily. With him gone, I don’t know where I stand, but I’d feel a lot better knowing I had the calde in my corner.”

“He is.” Silk started toward the door. “You have my word, Orchid; but I must go — we must, if Chenille’s coming.”

“I’ve got to get my coat.” She was already on her feet. “Your litter’s around back? On Music? I’ll meet you.”

As he rattled down the wooden steps, Silk could not be sure he had told her it was, or that he had replied at all.

“If you don’t want to, they won’t make you,” Auk told his listeners. “You think the gods are a bunch of hoppies? They don’t push anybody around. Why should they? When they want to do you a good turn, they say do this and this, ’cause it’s going to be good, you’re going to like it. Only if you say it’s a queer lay, they say dimber by us, we’ll give it to somebody else. Remember Kypris? She didn’t say go uphill and solve all those kens. She said if you want to, go to it and I’ll keep the street. This is like that. I’m not here to make anybody do anything. Neither’s Tartaros.”

One of his listeners asked, “What’ve we got to do now?”

The blind god whose hand was upon Auk’s shoulder whispered, “Tell him to make ready.”

“To start with, you got to get yourself set,” Auk said. “Get used to it. You’ll be going to a new place. It’ll be better, real nice, but all the stuff you’re used to will be down the chute. Even the sun’ll be different, a short sun that won’t ever go out. You got to think about it, and that’s why I’m here, to start you culls thinking. You want to think about what to take, and who to take with you, and talk to ’em. If you’re like me, you’re going to want pals. Tell ’em. Every man’s got to have a woman, too, and every woman’s got to take a man. Just sprats don’t have to have anybody.”

A big-nosed woman shouted, “Over here!” and Auk’s listeners drifted away, forming two long lines, slug guns at the ready.

“That went well,” Tartaros whispered.

“They didn’t believe me.” Wearily, Auk started back down the tunnel; this one was open to the sky, as most were on this level. The walls were walls, but had doors and windows in them. He was still trying to make up his mind whether that made things better or worse.

“Men come slowly to belief,” the god whispered, “nor is that to be deplored. Some have taken the first step already, because you urged it.”

Auk felt a glow of satisfaction. “If you figure that was enough, what we did back there, dimber with me. Think I ought to steal something for her to eat? I said I would.”

“You must steal more cards, as well.”

Auk steered the blind god around a hoppy’s corpse, its eyes and mouth black with cold-numbed flies. “You won’t let me spend ’em, Terrible Tartaros.”

“We will have need of many cards, and quickly. Have I not made it clear to you?”