“When the sun rises up hi the mouth of a certain canyon and engulfs the crimson grasses and flowers in light… well, it’s more than ‘rather pretty.’ ”
“You’ve already been there,” she said.
“Yes, I’ve already been.” He took several steps and
126
Dream Done Green
that powerful, strange face was close to hers. One eye, she noticed offhandedly, was red, the other blue.
“Come with me now to the Meadows of Blood and I’ll give you that piece of dream, that something few have had for thousands of years. I’ll bring you back tonight and you can give me your answer on the way.
“If it’s ‘no,’ then I’ll depart quietly and you’ll never see me again.”
Now, in addition to being both beautiful and intelligent, Casperdan also had her sire’s recklessness.
“All right… I’ll come.”
When her parents returned home that night from the party and found their daughter gone, they were not distressed. After all, she was quite independent and, heavens, to be married tomorrow! When they learned from Patch that she’d gone off, not with a man, but with a strange mal, they were only mildly concerned. Casperdan was quite capable of taking care of herself. Had they known where she’d gone, things would have been different.
So nothing happened till the morrow.
“Good morning, Cas,” said her father.
“Good morning, dear,” her mother added. They were eating breakfast on the balcony. “Did you sleep well last night, and where did you go?”
The voice that answered was distant with other thoughts.
“I didn’t sleep at all, and I went into the Ravaged Mountains. And there’s no need to get excited, Father” —the old man sat back in his chair—”because as you see, I’m back safely and in one piece.”