"Others, of course, could take command," I said.

"Of course," said Scormus.

"I think those of Ar have little to fear," I said.

"The war of Cos with Ar has been long," said Scormus. "Now, Tyros, a traditional naval ally of Cos, is prepared to support her ambitions openly on the land. The unified forces of these two ubarates are not to be taken lightly."

"But you have no clear idea of the numbers involved?" I asked.

"No," he said. "That is not indicated in the documents I have examined. ON the other hand I conjecture they will be considerable."

"You must take action," I said. "you must travel swiftly to Ar, to warn them of the treachery of Brundisium, to ready them to resist the invasion."

"I think they will learn soon enough," he said.

"I do not understand," I said.

"We are too late," he said.

"What?" I asked.

"I today not the Seventeenth of Se'Kara?" he asked.

"Yes," I said.

"Look out to sea," he said.

Rowena cried out in amazement. So, too, did others. Even Petrucchio climbed to his feet.

In the distance, at the horizon, there were sails, the sails of lateen-rigged vessels. We stood for a long time, all of us, on he summit of that hill, near its clifflike edge, the water below striking at its foot, overlooking Thassa, with Brundisium in the distance.

"There is no end of them!" said Boots.

The ships, in line after line, continued to appear over the horizon. The tiny dots of white sails, slowly, in the placid hundreds, made their way toward Brundisium.

"It has begun," said Scormus.

"Were there names in the papers?" I asked.

"Yes," he said. "Members of the high council of Brundisium, other than Belnar, are involved. His removal will not affect the business."

"Surely, too, there re contacts in Ar," I said.

"Yes," he said. "There are contacts in Ar."

"That was to have been expected," I said. "Lurius is a cautious fellow. He would not embark upon an enterprise as hazardous as this without the assurance of significant internal support."

"No," said Scormus. "And worse, it seems this bold, dark business may have actually been begun at the instigation or, and upon the invitation of, certain parties in Ar."

"There are traitors, then, in Ar," I said.

"Yes," said Scormus.

"Who are these traitors?" I asked.

"On the whole it is difficult to tell," said Scormus. "Few of their names occur explicitly in the papers. ON the other hand, they are apparently numerous, and some of them, I gather, are highly place."

"Some names of traitors do occur in the documents?" I said.

"Yes," he said. "The names of two traitors occur there."

"Who are they?" I asked.

"Flaminius," he said.

"He with whom we have had dealings?" I asked.

"Yes," said Scormus.

"Yes," I said. "He is a traitor to Ar. I left him bound in Brundisium. He is doubtless free by now."

Scormus nodded.

"Who is the other one?" I asked.

"It is a woman," he said.

"That is interesting," I said.

"I do not think you would know her," he said.

"Probably not," I said.

"She has been obscure in Ar for years," he said.

"What is her name?" I asked.

"Talena," he said.

"Talena!" I said.

"Is there anything wrong?" he asked.

"No," I said.

"Did you know a Talena once?" he asked.

"Once," I said.

"It could not be she," he said.

"No," I said. "There must be a thousand Talenas in Ar."

"Probably," said Scormus. "Too, with all due respect, it is unlikely that one such as yourself, given the assumed lowliness of your background and origins, would know her."

"Oh?" I asked.

"Yes," he said, "this one once stood high in Ar. She was of high caste and noble blood. She was of gentle birth, of delicate breeding, a creature of the most refined upbringing and careful nurture, and of acknowledged and established station. She was among the loftiest of the free women of the city. On such festivals as the Planting Feast it was even she who was sometimes permitted to honor the Home Stone, sprinkling upon it the richest Ka-la-na, and the finest of Sa-Tarna grains. She was the daughter of Marlenus, ubar of Ar."

"I have heard of her," I said.

Then she fell into disgrace, having been enslaved, thereby no longer having a Home Stone. Then, for having begged to be purchased, an act confessing the propriety of her bondage, sworn she was from her father's blood."

"I have heard something of it," I said.

"In recent years, freed, but with no Home Stone, in disgrace and seclusion, she has lived in Ar."

I nodded.

"Now, it seems," said he, "she is somehow implicated in a plot to overthrow Marlenus, that she is among the ring leaders in an insidious betrayal and projected revolt, that she is a prominent figure in a treason that could open the very gates of Ar to its enemies. It is intended, it seems, that it should then be she who sits upon the throne of Ar, attentive to the counsels of Cos and Tyros."

"The armies of Ar," I said, "will destroy the forces of Cos and Tyros."

"I do not think that is so clear," said Scormus. Again we looked out to sea. It seemed covered with ships. I had never before, anywhere, seen the marshaling of so many ships. Sails, even now, continued to appear over the horizon.

"No," I said. "The armies of Ar will destroy those of Cos and Tyros."

"Your confidence exceeds mine, particularly in the present circumstances," said Scormus.

I shrugged.

"Should that occur, however, and the traitors be found out, doubtless they would be dealt with most harshly."

I stepped away from the grassy height from which we surveyed the vast, distant fleet. I took the papers from my tunic. I went to the small fire in the camp, among the wagons. With stick I stirred it. I threw the papers on the fire. I watched them burn.

"Did you make a copy of the papers?" I asked Scormus.

"No," he said. "But I have seen them. I am familiar with their contents. Am I now to be killed, or something?"

"No," I said. "Of course not."

"What am I to do?" he asked.

"Do whatever you think best," I said.

"Even if I had the papers," he said, "I would have no way to prove their authenticity."

I nodded, watching the last pieces of paper blacken and curl.

"Too," he said, "to whom could I, or you, report what we have found? We do not know who is privy to the plot and who is not."

"That is true," I said. With the stick I prodded the charred remains of the papers, crumbling them to black powder in the ashes.

"This is not like you," said Scormus.

"What?" I asked.

"This," he said.

"What?" I asked, angrily.

"I do not think you can so easily rid yourself of unwelcome realities, my friend," said Scormus, "whatever you might esteem them to be."

I did not respond.

"Do you think to put the torch to truth?" he asked.

I did not answer him.

"I cannot be done," he said.

"Many manage," I said. Indeed, I knew a world predicated on lies and the perversion of nature. It was called Earth.

"Perhaps," he said.

I jabbed down, angrily, at the ashes. Then I threw away the stick.

"But," he said, "I doubt that you would be very good at it."

"No," I said. "I do not think I would be very good at it."

"You cannot even walk a tightrope," observed Lecchio.

"True," I said.

"However these matters fall out," said Scormus, "they have now begun." He then walked back to the height of the clifflike side of the hill, that with the crashing waves at its foot. I joined him there, with the others, my friends, whom I must soon leave. WE all looked out to sea. IT was a vast fleet. The first ships had already come to the harbor of Brundisium.

"It has begun," said Scormus.

"Yes," I said. "It has begun."