Return to the Whorl

by Gene Wolfe

Page 24

 

  "I know. In one sense youre Silk-but ultimately youre really Pig, exactly as you appear to be. A Pig to whom certain new instructions have been given. "

  "Whats that yer said, bucky?"

  "I said that I had no wish to disturb your privacy, that I was extremely grateful to you for permitting me to spend even a few minutes in this room, and that I will return to Hound now and leave you to your thoughts. "

  "Never had none, bucky. " Pig chuckled again. "Gae wi yer, hif yer dinna hobject ter me company. "

  "Id be delighted to have it, and perhaps we can find some firewood. Do you think that might be possible?" He gasped.

  "What yer catch yer breath like that fer, bucky?"

  "This room has several windows. No doubt you discovered them for yourself. "

  "Did he? He did. Seadh. "

  "Well, the clouds parted just then-just as I finished speakingand I saw a flash of skylight. It means that the sun is burning again. When we leave, it will be by daylight. I-I realize it makes no difference to you, Pig, but it will make an enormous difference to Hound and me, and even to the donkeys, I imagine. "

  "Huh! Want hit ter make a difference ter me, bucky. Gang ter help me find een, haint yer?"

  He said, "I will do everything in my power, Pig. You have my solemn promise. "

  The doorway was much too small for them to leave arm in arm, though both would have liked to. As it was he hung back, letting Pig kneel to crawl through before him. For an instant then it almost seemed to him that the bare floor and mildewing walls had been swept aside and he saw again the luxury and splendor that had been: the rich, figured carpet, the pictured women of pink and gold, and the huge bed of scented wood with its black and crimson sheets. Wine and chocolate perfumed the air, and glowing lights clearer than the one he held swarmed over the ceiling, their refulgence held in check by the discretion of the murmuring couple in the bed.

  Then Pigs boots were through the doorway, leaving behind them only silence, ruin, and himself. Sighing, he too went out, pursued by the mockery of Hyacinths soundless laughter.

  Chapter 9. BEFORE MY TRIAL

  It would be impossible for me to write down everything that has occurred since I last wrote. When I was back on the Whorl, and Silk spoke to me through my friend Pig, I was eager to hear all that had befallen him since we had gone to Mainframe. He never complied, although I was permitted a few glimpses; and now I understand why he did not. There are things that would be so long in the telling that the Whorl might go before any account was well begun. This is like that, but I will do what I can.

  Before I start, I should say that we are very comfortably situated now in the house that was Judge Hamers. At present it belongs to me, having been given to me by the town. Before we leave I hope to sell it; Nettle and I will need money, Hide and Vadsig want to build a house as well as a boat, and it is likely Hoof will marry before long. I have noticed that when one twin does something the other is not far behind.

  Speaking of Vadsig, I should say that before my trial I questioned her at length, having observed at the hearing that she was possessed. I supposed-hoped, I should say-that Jahlee was her possessor. In that I was disappointed.

  "Who are you? I know youre not really Vadsig. If you want to make us think you are, you must learn to talk as she does. "

  She gave me the defiant glance I had seen earlier when she had described her quarrel with "Cook. " "We came to help. You should thank us. "

  "I certainly need help. Thank you very much. "

  "Thats better. " She smiled.

  "You speak of yourselves as we. How many of you are there?"

  She giggled. "What does it matter?"

  Hide said, "So I can tell when youre all gone. I want Vadsig back. "

  "Shes still here. " Her voice changed tone. "Well have to go soon. Onorifica will come in and wake me up. " A return to the previous tone. (I will not continue to mark these changes; they were too frequent. ) "Thats the good thing about this. I can eat. "

  To entertain them I said, "Youre not Mucor in that case. I thought you might be; but Mucor would be alone, I believe. "

  Vadsig giggled again.

  Hide said, "We dont think its funny, do we Father? Whos Onorifica? Was that the girl who thought you could make your stick talk?"

  "He can!" More giggling from Vadsig.

  "She was a servant at General Inclitos," I told Hide, "so Vadsigs possessors are Inclitos daughter Mora-you remember her, Im sure-and her friend Fava. "

  "You said Fava was dead. You said we sat on her grave that one time, and-"

  Vadsig interrupted. "Well, I like that!"

  I told her, "I hope youll remember, Fava, that without me your body would have gone unburied, and would, I believe, have been devoured by wild animals that very night. I buried you alone, digging stony ground in the bitter cold. Would you have done as much for me?"

  Vadsig was silent.

  Hide said, "I still dont understand about Fava. Isnt she really dead?"

  "Death isnt a hard and fast line like the edge of a table. It is a process, and it can be a long time before the dead person is entirely gone-indeed, it may not end in total dissolution at all. Fava and Mora were close, so its not surprising that Fava figures in Moras dreams. The surprising thing is that both figure in yours. "

  He gawked, and I laid a hand upon his shoulder. "The three whorls are stranger places than you can imagine, my son. As you mature you will come upon less and less of that strangeness if you stay close to home, honor no god much, and busy yourself with prosaic affairs. Then you can scoff at such things. "

  Vadsig said, "Cruel to him you are, mysire. "

  "No, Vadsig. Im causing him pain. Only children believe that there is no difference between cruelty and education. "

  Hide asked, "Are they gone now?" and she giggled.

  "No, my son, they are not. Vadsig loves you so much that when she sensed that what Id said had left you confused and unhappy she broke through to protest. Suppose you were on a mare, and the mare heard her foal cry out. You might be able to get her back under control, but youd have to do it. For a moment you would have lost control, as Mora and Fava did then. "

  "I want them gone, Father!" Hides fists clenched.

  I said, "I would ask who it is you think that youre about to strike, but it would be useless, Im sure. You may strike me, if you like, but Ill restrain you-if I can-should you attempt to strike Vadsig. It will not drive out her possessors, and shes done nothing to deserve it. "

  "I wont hit you. "

  "Thank you. As for making Mora and Fava leave, I suppose we might be able to if we tried, but theres little point in trying. Theyll go when Onorifica wakes Mora for breakfast, as Mora told us. Meanwhile we must confer with them, and with Vadsig as well.

  "Will you please let Vadsig speak? It is late already, we have a lot to talk over, and if Fava wants to eat and Vadsig allows it, Ill have to arrange for food-"

  "Fish heads?"

  I looked up in surprise, and found Oreb in his accustomed place on the chimney corner.

  "Bird back!"

  Vadsig said, "Speaking to you I am, mysire. What wanting you are?"

  "First, your consent to the possession, Vadsig. Is it all right for Mora and Fava to remain with you till sunrise? It will help you and Hide in the long run, Im sure. "

  She did not reply.

  "Bird find. " Oreb announced. "Find hus. "

  "Thats right, I sent you after Babbie. Thank you. I havent time to ask where he is, but I will later. Meanwhile, please dont forget. "

  "Hus good!"

  "If helps it does, all right it is. Friends we are. "

  "Fine. Thank you, Vadsig. Youre not only helping Hide and yourself, youre helping me, too. Now I must ask one more thing of you. Fava-I believe its Fava-would like you to eat. I may be mistaken, but I think shell make you eat voraciously. Is that all right? Have you objection to a big meal?"

  "No, mysire. "
>
  "Youll have to talk more than that, Im afraid. I cant be certain after hearing only two words. "

  "Sorry I am, mysire. Stupid I feel. "

  Hide said, "That was her. They couldnt fool me. "

  "Speaking I am, kandij. Late it is and hungry we are. If eating too much I am, stop me you can. But I wont make her hurt herself or drink blood like I used to, Incanto. I wont let Fava make her sick. "

  "Good. Thank you, all three. Im hungry myself-"

  Oreb croaked, "Bird eat?" from the chimney corner.

  "Yes, Oreb. Certainly. "

  I turned back to Vadsig, wondering whose facial expression I was studying. "No doubt Hides hungry too, and we might as well eat while we talk. Hide, would you go down and arrange for food with Aanvagen, if she hasnt gone to bed?"

  "Right away, Father. " Hide blew Vadsig a kiss.

  "What do you want to talk about, Incanto?"

  "Overthrowing the judges who rule Dorp. "

  Oreb whistled sharply.

  "It seems to be the only course open to me. Nat is well connected and vindictive, and if Im tried Ill certainly be found guilty and punished severely. I may be executed, and Ill certainly be flogged. Hide, Jahlee, and I will be deprived of our property. When they discover much of it missing-Ive taken it out and sold it-Beroep and Aanvagen will be ruined, as Strik has been. "

  "A good man he is, mysire," Vadsig assured me. "This Master often says. This Parel also says. A hard trader Strik is, but as he says his goods are. Do you think we can really do it, Incanto? We overthrew the Duko, and I like to think Eco and I had something to do with that, but we had the Horde of Blanko, and they had a lot more to do with it than we did. "

  I told them, "Let me say first that if we succeed we should be able to restore Captain Striks property. He helped me when I was just set ting out, and I certainly intend to try; in fact Ill try to restore all the property thats been unjustly confiscated. The judges have been using their positions to enrich themselves; we will deprive them of both riches and position-if we can.

  "Second, these judges recall the Ayuntamiento, the council we overthrew in Viron. By `we I mean not only Maytera Mint and Patera Silk, and Seawrack and I, but several hundred others who formed the nucleus of our rebellion. There were five councilors, too-Lemur, Loris, Potto, Galago, and Tarsier-and they controlled the Army and the Guard, immense advantages that the judges here lack. The Horde of Dorp is largely made up of reservists. "

  Vadsig looked doubtful. "These names not knowing, I am, mysire. This knowing I am. Legermen there are, and slug guns they have. "

  "We have weapons, too, Vadsig. The difficulty is to find men and women wholl use them with determined courage. "

  "Shell fight if shes fighting for Hide and a house of her own, Incanto. Mora and I will too, but then it wont be so dangerous for us. "

  "Boy come!" Oreb announced; and in a few seconds we heard Hides feet on the stairs.

  "The lady here. . . Aanvagen? Is that her name?"

  We nodded.

  "She and her husband and that fellow Strik have gone to Striks to get some things so he can make himself comfortable, but I told the cook what we wanted, and she said shed do it if Id carry it up. Shell yell when its ready. "

  "Down to help her I will go," Vadsig offered.

  I shook my head. "We have a great deal to discuss. I mentioned the rebellion in Viron, in which I took part; I was one of General Mints runners, was shot in the chest, and so on and so forth-none of which I need go into. The point is that it succeeded, though it faced opposition far more serious than the rebellion we will foment here in Dorp. It was sparked by a theophany, Echidnas appearing in the Sacred Window of my manteion. I doubt that any of you have seen a Sacred Widow. "

  Hide and Vadsig shook their heads. Oreb piped tentatively, "Bird see?"

  "Thats right, you were with me in the Grand Manteion, so you did indeed. Youll have to excuse me though, Oreb, while I explain to the young people. "

  Vadsig said, "Ive heard about them. " (It was probably Mora who spoke. ) "Can you climb through them, like a real window?" That was certainly Fava.

  "An interesting point. In a sense, the gods can. They can leave the Sacred Window in the form of unnoticed flashes of light to possess us, very much as you and Mora are possessing Vadsig. You dont do it like that, do you?"

  "I dont know, Incanto. I dont think so. Into me they have walked, mysire, as one into this house might walk. Me they did not ask, but friends become we have. "

  "What I was going to say is that to anyone who hadnt been brought up to reverence the gods-and even in Viron many people had not-a god in a Sacred Window was nothing more than a large picture that spoke. Even so, that single theophany set off a rebellion that many had longed for but no one had prepared for. I believe something of the same sort might have the same effect here, with a little preparation. "

  Hide asked, "Do you, Father? Are you sure?" The simple words fail to convey his expression and voice; it was one of the few times I have felt absolutely certain that he loves me.

  "No," I told him, "but Im going to bet my life on it. I have no choice. "

  All of this took place before Hide went to Striks house in hope of reclaiming his old bed and was beaten by Strik and his wife, and before Hoof joined us and Jahlee rejoined us in the dram shop. Now I would like to pray for a few minutes, and after that I must get to court. This High Judge business is becoming very reminiscent of Gaon, save that I have no wives here and want none.

  * * *

  Rereading, I see that I promised to describe my search for Jahlee. This would be a good time to do it; but first I should say that I was puzzled for some time after I arrived. I could not imagine how I had gotten to Green from Judge Hamers sellaria when trips of the kind had previously required the presence of an inhuma. My initial feeling was that what I had experienced was impossible, and thus that I was not really on Green at all but was experiencing a dream or hallucination. This lasted for what seemed an hour or two, although it cannot really have been long.