In the morning, Glawen took Milo and Wayness down Wansey Way, past the lyceum to the Mummers' warehouse, where stage properties and costumes were stored. The building was empty;
the three walked along the wardrobe racks, inspecting costumes and holding them up to themselves. Milo finally selected a harlequin costume of black and yellow diaper with a black tricorn hat. Wayness wavered between half a dozen costumes but finally chose an overall pink garment, fitting snugly to arms, legs and torso, with black pompons down the front. A tight hood with slanting eye holes left only nose, mouth and chin exposed, with a crown of delicate silver spirals clasping her hair.
Without perceptible self-consciousness, Milo and Wayness slipped from their outer garments and tried on the costumes.
Milo said sorrowfully: "Glawen's finally got us disguised and bedizened, and now we'll probably commit all sorts of disgraceful acts. Glawen will have a great load on his conscience."
"Not unless you get caught," said Glawen.
"Be careful, and if you can't be careful, at least be furtive."
"This is a nice costume, and I intend to be very nice," said Wayness. She studied her reflection in a tall mirror.
"I
look like a scrawny pink animal."
"You look more like a pink cloud-fairy, which is how you are supposed to look."
"Shall we stay as we are or get back into our own clothes?"
"Stay as you are. I'll change into my costume, then we'll go out in search of adventure."
At Clattuc House Glawen became a black demon, then telephoned Sessily.
"We're all in costume and about ready to go out. Shall we stop by for you?"
"Hopeless. My relatives are here from Cassiopeia and I've been dragooned into walking them around town until noon."
"We'll meet you for lunch in the Old Arbor."
p "I'll try to be there. If not, we'll share a table tonight under the lanterns. What are your friends wearing?"
"Milo is a harlequin, in yellow and black. Wayness is a pink cloud-fairy. What about you?"
"I'm not sure. Miranda has decided to astound everyone as a Pierrot, and I'll probably be the same, at least for today."
The morning went by pleasantly, or so it seemed to Glawen.
At noon the three found a table in the Old Arbor: a place half restaurant, half open-air tavern under an arbor overgrown with lilac and native jelosaria. An open arcade overlooked the Quadrangle and a number of folk already costumed for Parilia.
Sessily presently appeared, costumed not as a Pierrot but as a whimsical entity she had patched together from bits of this and that. She identified herself as a Kalaki temple dancer from ancient Earth.
"So that's what they looked like," said Milo.
"Don't count on it," said Sessily.
"I make no guarantee .. What shall we have for lunch?"
Milo asked: "What do you suggest?"
"Everything is good here. I especially like the skewers of meat, with hot sauce and bread."
Glawen said: "Cold ale goes along very nicely."
"Not for me," said Sessily.
"Floreste changed his mind again and I've got to learn two new programs before Milden afternoon. It's not difficult, but it takes all my time Look! There he goes now!" Sessily pointed to a tall sharp-featured man with a great soft bush of gray hair, Striding on long lean legs across the Quadrangle.
"Everyone admits he's a genius, including Floreste himself," said Sessily.
"He wants to build a grand new Orpheum, and bring artists:
and audiences to Araminta from all over the Reach. He'd sell his^ grandmother to get funding."
Wayness asked Sessily: "What kind of music will you be playing?"
"Different kinds. On Verd evening I'll play flute and tzingal with the trio. On Milden evening I'll just have a few runs on the mellochord. On Smollen night, for the Phantasmagoria, I'll play flute in the? orchestra until my butterfly part, and then it's over!" .;
"I wish I had your competence," said Wayness.
"I'm inept.
My;
fingers won't work together." I Sessily gave a grim laugh.
"Your fingers would work well enougfcj if your mother's name was Felice."
