encountered something soft. He leaped awkwardly aside to avoid stepping into the
contents of a honeypot which someone had emptied into the street to stink and
steam, until the rain washed it into the city’s underground maze of sewers and
it was carried off by the tide. He had been into those tunnels once, on a dare,
through an entry shaft near the Vulgar Unicorn. He wondered if it were still
there….
What am I doing, getting sentimental about Sanctuary/ thought Lalo as he
inspected the sole of his sandal to see if any ordure remained. I must have had
more wine than I thought! He had heard that in Ranke, armies of street cleaners
scoured the streets every night to rid the city of the refuse of the day. …
He remembered the flatteries of Lord Raxi-mander and that strange man, Zanderei,
and he remembered the days when his one desire had been to get out of Sanctuary.
It seemed to him that his life had consisted of cycles in which he dreamed of
escape, found new hope for life in Sanctuary, discovered that his hope was
unjustified, and began to plan flight once more.
This last time, when he had found that if he stuck to mythological subjects and
chose his models carefully he could turn Enas Yorl’s gift to a blessing, he had
been sure that his troubles were over. But now here he was, bewailing his fate
again.
I should have learned better by now … he thought morosely, but what is there
to Jearn? Wii] anything but death stop this wheel or make it take a different
path?
Houses leaned close together above him now, cutting off the sky. In some of the