But they, and Jing too, would far rather have continued investigating the dark spots on the sun, and the bright nearby sparks which so far Shine alone had actually seen. Only their sworn pledge, Jing sometimes thought, made them obey his orders. How quickly they were defecting from their brief period of professed admiration!
Could it be because—?
He roused one morning from reverie with a firm and fixed dream-image in his mind, and it was shocking in its import. At once he rushed in search of Twig, and found him coming away from the Count’s chamber with a grave expression.
Not waiting for an exchange of greetings, he said in a rush, “Twig, I believe the plague is at work among us!”
Twig gazed soberly at him. He said at length, “How did you know? I thought you said the disease was new to you, and you were unacquainted with its preliminary symptoms.”
Jing tensed in horror. He said, “But I guessed it from a dream!”
“Then your weather-sense is far sharper than mine! Did you know the Count attempted to mate with the girl your friend brought here?”
“I’m not surprised, but—No, I didn’t know!”
“It was futile, of course, but … Well, today he exhibits all the signs Qat laid we should watch out for. I’m on my way to check out the other partners she and her brother have engaged with. Have you—? No, forgive me. I’m sure neither you nor Rainbow would consider the idea. But I must ask you a physician’s question. Is the Lady Rainbow successfully in bud?”
Jing nodded. “We realized yesterday. Last night we went to the observatory, but there was a bright aurora, so we talked about the future. We’re both afraid.”
“Internally she’s as sound as any woman,” Twig assured him. “All the normal pressures are there; only her stance is distorted. But given that the Count, already weakened … Your weather-sense informs you of what I mean?”
“Even more. Even worse.”
“Very likely.” Twig hesitated. “Tell me: how did you decide the plague had got a grip here?”
“Because you in particular—forgive my bluntness—seemed to forget your enthusiasm for my leadership so quickly. A pledge is given with full rationality; dreams erode the recollection of it. I don’t speak now of your duty to the Count, of course, but it was never my intention to prevent you serving him. It’s a matter of priorities.”
“You’re right,” Twig said after reflection. “In my present mood of calm, I see what you mean. Service to the whole world, which can be performed by spreading our knowledge, is more important than service to an old man whose life I can’t prolong with all my skills. We must get those reports away at once, in all possible directions. I’d have realized this truth myself but that—yes, you guessed correctly: I’m being pestered by hideously persuasive dreams such as I haven’t known since long before I came to Castle Thorn. And fever due to the onset of the plague would best explain that.”
“I think I must believe the same,” Jing muttered.
“Oh, no! You of all people! No, you must survive! It would be unbearable to think that the greatest discoverer of our age must be struck down randomly! Far better you should escape to tell the world your tale!”
But I’ve kept company with Qat,” Jing said stonily. “Out of nostalgia, I’ve spent half-days at a time talking with him and neglecting my own greater duty. Miraculously I believe Rainbow still to be unaffected. She and the child she buds must go away and take our reports. Might I beg you to attend her before you continue with other matters?”
“Yes! Yes, certainly! But I must warn you that nothing I say or do can alter an established fact. She may already—”
“I know there’s a risk. I want to diminish it. We’ll buy the steersman of the next barq, give him all my pearlseeds so he can make for the great ocean and find one of the monster barqs that legend says can ply across it to another continent.”
“Legend? You want to trust in legends now? Surely you must after all be afflicted!”