means to attend you. If you were to ask me why that was, then I would have no
choice but to admit to you that the three most mighty magicians, those whose
names cannot be spoken, came down upon the summer palace in billows of
blackest smoke and foul odours, and that the fountains ran red and the
sculptures wept and cried, and frogs jumped upon my lord in his bath, all
because the Hazards are afraid that you might move to free the slayer-of
sorcerers called Cime before she comes to trial. Although my master assured them
that you would not, that you had said nothing to him about this woman, when I
left they still were not satisfied, but were shaking walls and raising shades
and doing all manner ofwizardly things to demonstrate their concern.’
The eunuch fell quiet, awaiting leave to rise. For an instant there was total
silence, then the sound of Tempus’s slithering dismount. Then he said: ‘Let us
see your brand, pretty one,’ and with a wiggling of its upthrust rump the eunuch
hastened to obey,
It took Tempus longer than he had estimated to wrest a confession from the
Wriggly, from the Ilsig who was the last of his line and at the end of his line.
It did not make cries of pleasure or betrayal or agony, but accepted its destiny
as good Wrigglies always did, writhing soundlessly. – ‘
When he let it go, though the blood was running down its legs and it saw the
intestine like wet parchment caught in his fingernails, it wept with relief,
promising to deliver his exhortation posthaste to Kadakithis. It kissed his