I left with Basias then, and so I did not hear what else was said. When we returned, Io had a little bundle at her feet and a wooden doll under her arm. Basias looked inquiringly at Eutaktos and pointed to my sword.

Kalleos explained, "He was my watchman, Lochagos. Latro, I'll keep that for you, if you like."

"No," Eutaktos told her, "Basias will keep it. Pausanias may return it to him."

The street was hot after the shade of Kalleos's courtyard. I held my belongings at my shoulder with one hand and held Io's hand with the other; she held mine and did the same. Eutaktos marched in front of us, staring every man he saw out of countenance and spitting every time some new city stink offended his nostrils. The Milesian stumped sour-faced after us, muttering to himself.

Basias was on my right, and on my left and behind us tramped the rest of the shieldmen, all with long spears, red cloaks, and big hoplons painted with the wedge-shaped letter that the Crimson Men call the Stylus, which seems to me a most fit insignia for their Silent Country. They might have been the vanguard of an army of occupation, and the archers posted where the road left the city looked relieved when we marched past.

Among the Rope Makers each shieldman has several slaves to carry his belongings, pitch his tent, and prepare his food. These slaves had bought wine in the city, so we had a little to stir into our water (for the shieldmen had not yet eaten the first meal), as well as raw onions, boiled barley, salt olives, and cheese. Io says I forget, and I know I do; but I remembered then how much wine there had been on Kalleos's table when we left, and her melons and figs.

Before we ate, Eutaktos sent slaves into Thought to recall the other enomotia of his lochos. When the meal was over (which it soon was) he ordered the rest to break camp. I asked Basias where we were going.

"Back to Redface Island," he told me, "if that's where the prince is. He wants to see you."

I asked why, but he only shook his head.

Io said, "You don't remember, but we sailed around Redface Island with Hypereides. It looked wild-just a few little villages along the shore."

Basias nodded. "Too many pirates. Tower Hill trades for us."

The Milesian had come over to listen. He remarked, "And gets rich from it."

"That's their problem." Basias turned and stalked away.

"Odd people, aren't they?" the Milesian said. "I know you don't recognize me, Latro, but I'm Eurykles the Necromancer. You held a light for me not long ago, when I performed one of my greatest wonders."

Io said, "You came to Kalleos's and joined Hypereides's party. Rhoda told me."

Eurykles nodded. "That's right, and from it you must know I'm a good friend of Kalleos's; and Kalleos is Latro's rightful owner."

"She is not!"

He looked at her askance. He is one of those people who can raise one eyebrow a great deal higher than the other.

"Latro's a free man, and I'm his slave. Kalleos said I was hers, but she didn't even have a bill for me."

"Nor does Latro, I imagine. Not that it matters now. Don't talk of buying and selling to these Rope Makers, by the way. Among every other people in the world, trading's honorable and stealing dishonorable; but among the Rope Makers it's just the reverse. Stealing's glorious if you don't get caught, but trading blackens a man's name as much as keeping a stall in the market."

I said, "You don't like them."

"Nobody does. Some people admire them, and some people nearly worship them; but nobody likes them, and from what I've seen of them today, they don't even like each other."

Io asked whether he had been to Redface Island.

He shook his head. "There's no money past Tower Hill on the isthmus, not a scrap. Nothing but barley, blood, and beans. You saw how Eutaktos treated me when I came to him with valuable information, didn't you? Made me a prisoner! An officer from any decent city would have filled my mouth with silver."

I said, "You came to tell the Rope Makers about me."

"Yes, I did. It was quite clever of me, I think. You see, I had heard the Rope Makers were going through the city asking all sorts of foolish questions and paying no attention to the answers. They'd ask someone where he'd eaten dinner, and most would say in their own houses, and a few at some friend's house, and one or two at an inn or a cookshop; but it didn't seem to matter, no matter what they said. And after I'd listened to half a dozen stories like that, it dawned on me that they were looking for a man who didn't know. That had to be you."

Io asked, "What's my master ever done to you, fellow?"

Eurykles grinned. "Why, nothing. But I didn't think they were going to harm him, and I still don't. Judging from what Eutaktos says, Pausanias is just as apt to honor him. Besides, they would have found him sooner or later anyway-I was too late, actually-and I may still get something out of it."

"I thought you didn't want to be their prisoner."

"Yes, but it's their ingratitude that rankles. Anytime I really want to leave, I'll just render my person invisible and stroll away."

Then the last of the Rope Makers came out of the city and we left, each shieldman with his slaves marching behind him and carrying his hoplon, helmet, and spear, as well as the other things, and Io, Eurykles, and I behind Eutaktos as before. Now we are camped by a spring, and Io has reminded me that before I sleep I should write down what happened today. A woman with two torches and two hounds is beckoning from the crossroads, and when I have finished writing this I will go to see what it is she wants. CHAPTER XXII-The Woman at the Crossroads

The Dark Mother frightened me. She is gone, but I am still afraid. I would not have thought I could be frightened by a woman even if she held a knife to my throat; but the Dark Mother is no common woman.

When I left the fire and went to speak to her, she seemed nothing more, a woman such as anyone might see in any village. Her eyes were dark, her hair black and bound with a fillet. The top of her head came only to my shoulder. She held a torch in each hand, torches that smoked, sending up black columns to the night sky.

Her dogs were black too, and very large-I think of the kind kings use to hunt lions, though I cannot remember ever having seen such a hunt. Their muzzles came to her elbows, and sometimes their ears stood erect like the ears of wolves. Their spittle was white and shone, even when it had dropped from their flews to the ground.

"You do not know me," the Dark Mother said, "though you have seen me each night."

When I heard her voice I knew she was a queen, and I bowed.

"These dogs of mine could tear you to bits, do you know that? Do you think you could resist them?"

"No, great mistress," I said. "Because they are yours."

She laughed, and at the sound of her laughter, things stirred among the trees. "That is a good answer. But do not call me mistress [The word Latro used was probably despoina (Gk.?????????). -G. W]; that word means an owner of the earth, and she is my enemy. I am Enodia, the Dark Mother."

"Yes, Dark Mother."

"Will you forget me, when you see me no longer?"

"I will strive not to forget, Dark Mother."

She laughed again, and the stirring told me the things waiting among the trees were so near they could almost be seen.

"I am the woman of poisons, Latro. Of murder, ghosts, and the spells that bring death. I am the Queen of the Neurians; and I am three. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Dark Mother," I said. "No, Dark Mother."

"Today you passed many farms. There you must have seen my image, cut in wood or stone-three women, standing back to back."

"Yes, Dark Mother, I saw the image. I did not know what it meant." My teeth warred in my mouth, the teeth above against the teeth below.