“And the blue prism?”

“It was taken to the Royal Treasury at Vasques Tohor, or so I suppose. And now, sir, I must be on my way. Tonight we eat squash soup with cheese and I must be nimble if I am to get my share.”

Rhialto once more went to sit on the stone fence and watched as Tiffet hobbled briskly around the mountain. Reaching into his pouch, Rhialto brought out the walnut-shell from which stepped Osherl, now, by reason of some obscure whim, wearing a fox’s mask.

The pink mouth spoke: “Well then, Rhialto! You are ready to return with the Perciplex?”

Rhialto thought to perceive a subtly mocking flavor to the question. He said coldly: “May I ask the source of your amusement?”

“It is nothing, Rhialto; I am naturally light-hearted.”

“Try as I may, I find nothing amusing in this present situation, and in fact I wish to speak with Sarsem.”

“As you wish.”

Sarsem appeared across the road, still using the guise of an epicene youth clad in lavender scales. “Rhialto, you wish to confer with me?”

“I am displeased with your work,” said Rhialto. “You missed the target date by something over thirty years.”

“Only thirty years in five aeons? Such accuracy is far better than adequate.”

“Not for my purposes. The Perciplex is not in the cave. Certain merchandisers from Canopus threw it aside. You were required to guard the Perciplex and it is now lost.”

Sarsem thought a moment, then said: “I failed in my duty. No more need be said.”

“Except this: by reason of your failure, you now must help me find the Perciplex.”

Sarsem became argumentative. “Rhialto, you are illogical! I failed in my duty, true. Still, there is no linkage between this idea and the unrelated concept of my attempting to find the missing article. I hope you perceive your mistake, which is of a fundamental nature.”

“The linkage is indirect, but real. By failing in your duty, you have incurred a severe penalty. This penalty may be partially expiated by your help in recovering the prism.”

Sarsem reflected a moment, then said: “I am unconvinced; somewhere I smell sophistry at work. For instance, who will apply the penalty? You are five aeons gone and no longer even real.”

“Ildefonse is my stout ally; he will protect my interests.”

Sarsem gave that curious croak which, among creatures of his ilk, indicated amusement. “Rhialto, your innocence is droll. Have you not recognized that Ildefonse is the leader of the cabal against you?”

“Not so!” declared Rhialto. “You refer to an occasion when he jocularly availed himself of my IOUN stones.”

Sarsem looked at Osherl. “What is the truth of this?”

Osherl considered. “As of now, Ildefonse breathes fire against Hache-Moncour.”

Sarsem scratched his violet nose with a silver fingernail. “Ah well, on the slight chance that Rhialto is correct, I would not have him accusing me of falsity. Rhialto, take this pleurmalion; it will show a blue spot in the sky directly above the Perciplex. Remember, in case of any inquiry — for instance, from Hache-Moncour — it came through Osherl, and not through me. Am I clear on this?”

“Certainly. Hache-Moncour has filled your mind with foolishness. If you decide to share his destiny in the hope of gaining indenture points, you will have the Wiih to deal with.”

Sarsem gave a small squeak of consternation, then cried out with somewhat hollow bravado: “You have over-spoken yourself! Trouble me no further; I am bored with the Perciplex; the present version will serve until the sun goes out. As for you, Ildefonse will never notice when you fail to return. Already Hache-Moncour eclipses him in power.”

“And when in fact I return with the Perciplex, what then of Hache-Moncour?”

Sarsem chuckled. “Rhialto, have I not made myself clear? Find the Perciplex as you like, glory in your achievement, then settle yourself to enjoy the radiance of the Sixteenth Aeon, even though you will never revenge yourself against your enemies.”

“What of Osherl?” asked Rhialto idly. “Will he not take me back to Boumergarth?”

“Ask him yourself.”

“Well, Osherl? Are you too defiant and treasonable?”

“Rhialto, I believe that you will enjoy your life in this halcyon aeon. And so that you may start your new life free of fretful oddments and petty details, you may now finalize my indenture.”

Rhialto smiled that aloof, almost sinister, smile which so often had annoyed his adversaries. From his wallet darted a black- and red-striped object like a long thin snake. “Chug!” screamed Sarsem in horror. The chug wound itself around Osherl, darted its head into one of the fox-ears, emerged from the other and tied itself in a knot across Osherl’s head. Osherl was then dragged to a nearby tree and suspended by the rope through the ears to dangle three feet off the ground.

Rhialto turned to Sarsem: “Eventually I will deal with Osherl as he deserves. Meanwhile, he will assist me to his best abilities. Osherl, am I right in this? Or shall we take further steps?”

Osherl’s fox-mask licked its chops nervously. “Rhialto, this is a poor response to my light-hearted badinage, and unworthy threats now hang in the air.”

“I never make threats,” said Rhialto. “In all candour, I am dumbfounded by Sarsem’s recklessness. He totally misjudges the wrath of Ildefonse and myself. His treachery will cost him an awful price. That is not a threat; it is a statement of certainty.”

Sarsem, smiling a glazed and insincere smile, faded from sight. Osherl kicked and thrashed his legs to set himself swinging. He cried out: “Your allegations have been too much for poor Sarsem! It would have been far more graceful if —”

“Silence!” Rhialto took up the pleurmalion. “I am interested only in the Perciplex!” He searched around the sky through the tube, but the surrounding mountain-sides blocked most of the view.

Rhialto affected his boots with the Spell of Lightsome Striding, which allowed him to walk through the air, high or low, at his pleasure. Osherl looked on with growing disquiet. At last he called out: “What of me? How long must I dangle here for birds to roost upon?”

Rhialto feigned surprise. “I had already forgotten you … I will say this. It is not pleasant to be betrayed by one’s associates.”

“Naturally not!” cried Osherl with enthusiasm. “How could you so mistake my little joke?”

“Very well, Osherl, I accept your explanation. Perhaps you can be of some slight assistance, after all, such as facilitating our return to Boumergarth.”

“Naturally! It goes without saying!”

“Then we will resume as before.” The chug dropped Osherl to the ground and returned to Rhialto’s wallet. Osherl grimaced, but without further words returned to the walnut shell.

Rhialto jumped into the air; climbing to a height of twenty feet, he set off down the valley on long stately bounds, and Fader’s Waft was left behind.

11

The valley opened upon a plain of far distances, distinguished principally by clouds of dust and smoke lowering over the northern horizon. Closer at hand, where the hills first began to swell up from the plain, Rhialto saw a number of small farmsteads each with its small white silo, round white barn, and orchard of globular blue trees. A mile or so to the west, a village of round pink houses enjoyed the shade of a hundred tall parasol palms. Details of the landscape beyond were blurs of delicate colour, until, at the horizon, curtains of dust and smoke rose ominously high.

Rhialto alighted upon a ledge of rock and bringing out the pleurmalion scrutinized the sky. To his gratification, he discovered a dark blue spot on the sapphire vault of the northern sky, in the general direction of the smoke and dust.

Rhialto replaced the tube in his pouch, and now, a hundred yards down the slope, he noticed three young girls picking berries from a thicket. They wore black vests over striped blouses, black pantaloons tied at the knee with black ribbons, black stockings and black shoes tied with white puffs at the ankles. Their faces were round; straight black hair was cut square across their foreheads. Rhialto thought them not ill-favored, somewhat in the manner of odd little dolls.

Rhialto approached at a dignified pace, and halted at a distance of ten yards. Always disposed to create a favorable impression before members of the female sex, so long as they were of an age and degree of vitality to notice, Rhialto leaned an arm against a stump, disposed his cloak so that it hung in a casual yet dramatic style.

The girls, preoccupied with their chatter, failed to notice his presence. Rhialto spoke in melodious tones: “Young creatures, allow me to intrude upon your attention, at least for a moment. I am surprised to find so much fresh young beauty wasted upon work so dull, and among brambles so sharp.”