by Gene Wolfe
close to the red-brown color of a wood-carving my mother used to
have."
"She wore _nothing_ on the boat," Incus interposed. "Then my robe.
Maytera _forced_ them to give her that gown."
Loris snapped, "Is this germane?"
"Perhaps not," Silk admitted. "It's just that Chenille has reminded
me of a childhood incident, Councillor."
Loris waved aside Chenille's sunburn, tossing the largest fragment
of the bookend onto the rosewood end table at Maytera
Marble's elbow. "Marble? Isn't that your name, Maytera? The calde
just reminded us of that."
"It is."
"That was what this knickknack was, I'd say. Real marble from
the Short Sun Whorl, precisely like you." For an instant, Loris's face
was no longer attractive. "I'll leave that chunk there so you don't
forget it."
"I shan't," Maytera Marble promised. "It would be wise for you to
keep in mind that you're surrounded by thousands of well-armed
troops, Councillor. I suppose most people in my position would be
inclined to exaggerate their numbers, but I won't. I'll tell you the
truth, so you won't be able to say that you were deceived, or even
misled, afterward. There are two companies of Trivigaunti
pterotroopers, almost the entire Third Brigade of the Civil Guard,
and elements of the Fourth. I asked Generalissimo Oosik what he
meant by 'elements' and he said four floaters and the heavy
weapons company. Besides all those, there are about five thousand
of Maytera Mint's people, with more arriving from the city all the
time. They've heard that Patera Silk's in here, and they want to
charge the house. When I left, General Saba and Generalissimo
Oosik were afraid they might not be able to prevent them without
using Guardsmen and creating more friction."
"Fight now?" Oreb inquired.
Smiling, Maytera Marble turned to Silk. "That's the bird I saw
hopping into your kitchen when Doctor Crane was treating you,
isn't? Later on my glass, and on your shoulder like that in the
garden. I knew I'd seen him before.
"No, little bird, no fighting. Not now, or not yet. But Generalissimo
Oosik told me quite frankly that if there's no way to stop
Maytera Mint's insurgents from attacking short of firing on them,
he'll stand back and let them do it. You see, I confided to the
children that your master was in here. They seem to have told a
great many other people before we left the city, so the whole thing's
my fault. I feel very badly indeed about that, and I'm trying to make
amends."
Blood added, "But she won't say who told her. Or have you
changed your mind about that, Mama?"
"Certainly not. I gave my word."
Loris, who had been leaning against the mantel, left it to stand in
front of Maytera Marble. "This little conference has already run too
long. Allow me to tell you what we want, Maytera. Then you can go
back out there and repeat it to the Trivigauntis and Mint's five
thousand rioters, if there are actually that many, which I am
ungentlemanly enough to doubt. Our position is not negotiable.
You accept our terms or we'll kill these prisoners, Silk included, and
crush the rebellion."
Incus stood again. "You have _no_ authority--"
Potto's fist striking Incus's cheek sounded almost as loud as the
breaking of the bookend.
"So, we've come to that." Maytera Marble smoothed the black
skirt covering her metal thighs. "It will be needlers and knives next,
no doubt."
Silk said, "I warn you, Councillor Potto, not to do that again."
"Or you'll break my neck?" Potto's smile was that of a fat boy
contemplating a stolen pie. "Beat little butcher, big butcher bark?
We've had some games of strength already. If you've forgotten
them, I can teach you the rules again."
Incus spat blood. "The just _gods_ avenge the wrongs of _augurs_. A
doom..."
Potto lifted his hand, and Incus fell silent.
"No hit," Oreb suggested.
"The gods may or may not," Silk murmured. "I don't know, and if
I were forced to choose, I'd probably say that they did nothing of
the sort."
Loris applauded with a sardonic smile; a half-second too late,
Potto joined him.
Abruptly Silk's voice dominated the room. "The law does,
however. Maytera told you how many troops Generalissimo Oosik
has, saying--very fairly and reasonably, I thought--that she didn't
want you to feel you'd been tricked when all this is over. You should
have listened more carefully."
"Tell 'em!" Xiphias put in.
"I'm attempting to." Silk nodded, mostly (it appeared) to himself.
"Because it will be over soon. There will be a trial, and you,
Councillor Potto, and you, Councillor Loris, will hear Maytera,
Chenille, Master Xiphias, and Patera Incus testify to what they saw
and heard--and felt, as well--to a judge who will no longer be afraid
of you."
Potto giggled and glanced at Loris. "Is this what they picked to
replace us?"
Surprising everyone, Blood said, "Yeah, I didn't get it at first, but
I'm starting to."
Maytera Marble told Potto, "All human things wear out and must
be replaced eventually, Councillor."
"Not me!"
"I'd think you'd welcome it. How long have you toiled, worrying
and planning, for our ungrateful city? Fifty years? Sixty?"
"Longer!" Potto dropped into a gilt settee.
Silk inquired, "Councillor, do you--not the authentic Potto down
in your underwater boat, but you yourself to whom I speak--recall
the Short Sun Whorl? Councillor Loris implied that marble could be
quarried there. I don't know anything about antiques, but I've
heard that it is a stone that's never found in its natural state in our
whorl."
"I'm not that old."
Loris snapped, "I was about to outline our demands. I'd like to get
on with it."
Maytera Marble left her chair to stand beside Silk. "Do, Councillor,
please."
"As I said, they're not negotiable. The following five conditions
embody them, and we're prepared to accept nothing less." Loris
fished a square of paper from an inner pocket and unfolded it with a
snap.
"First, Silk must declare publicly, without reservation, that he is
not and has never been calde, that Viron has none, and that the
Ayuntamiento alone is its sole governing body."
To bring peace I'll be happy to, Silk told him; and only when he
had completed the final word realized that he had not spoken aloud.
"Second, there must be no new election of councillors. Vacant
seats are to remain vacant, and the present members of the
Ayuntamiento are to remain in office.
"Third, the Rani of Trivigaunte must withdraw her troops from
Vironese territory and furnish us with hostages--whom we will
name--against further interference in our affairs.
"Fourth, the Civil Guard must surrender its treasonous officers to
us, the Ayuntamiento, for trial and punishment.
"Fifth and last
, the rioters must surrender their arms, which will
be collected by the Army."
Through bruised lips, Incus muttered, "I suggest you _pray_ long
and hard over this, my son, and _sacrifice_. The _wisdom_ of the gods
has not enlightened your _councils_."
"We don't need it," Potto told him.
"When _Splenetic Scylla_ learns--"
Maytera Marble interrupted. "What have you to offer the Rani,
the rioters, as you call them, and the Guard in return?"
"Peace and a general amnesty. The captives you see here,
including Silk, will be released unharmed."
"I see." Maytera Marble laid a hand on Silk's shoulder. "I'm very
disappointed. It was I who persuaded General Saba and Generalissimo
Oosik that you were reasonable men. They listened because of
the courage of my sib General Mint. And because of her victories,
of which we're all very proud, if I don't offend the good gods who
gave them to her by saying so. Now I find that by interceding for you
I've squandered all the credit she's earned us."
Loris began, "If you think us unreasonable now--"
"I do. You say Patera Silk isn't really calde. What good is his
declaration then? What do you want him to tell the people? That the
augur of the Sun Street manteion says that your Ayuntamiento is to
continue to govern the city? You'll only make yourselves ridiculous."
Potto snapped, "Why didn't you laugh?"
"Calde?" Loris smiled. "Those are our demands. The Prolocutor
hasn't freed you from your vows, you said, the implication being
that you want him to. Are you willing to resign this caldeship you've
never really had as well?"
"Yes, I'd like nothing better." Silk had been leaning on Xiphias's
silver-banded cane; he straightened up as he spoke. "I did not
choose to become involved in politics, Councillor. Politics chose
me."
"Good Silk," Oreb explained.
Loris returned his attention to Maytera Marble. "You heard that.
You'll want to tell Oosik what you heard."
"Unfortunately," Silk continued, "the remainder of your terms are
not feasible. Take the second. The people demand that government
return to our Charter, the foundation of the law; and the law
requires elections to fill the empty seat in the Ayuntamiento."
"We ought to kill you," Potto told him."I will."
"In which case you would no longer hold the calde. The people--the
rioters, as you call them--will choose a new one, no doubt a
much better and more effective one than I am, since they could
hardly do worse."
He waited for someone else to speak, but no one did; at length he
added, "I'm not an advocate, Councillors--I wish I were. If I were, I
could easily imagine myself defending you on nearly every charge
that could be brought against you thus far. You suspended the
Charter, but I believe there was some uncertainty regarding the
wishes of the old calde, and it was long ago in any case. You tried to
put down the riots, but in that you were doing your duty. You
questioned Mamelta and me when we were detained for violating a
military area, which could easily be justified."
"He _hit_ me!" Incus exclaimed. "An _augur!_"
Silk nodded. "That is an individual matter, concerning Councillor
Potto alone, and I was considering the Ayuntamiento as a whole--or
rather, what remains of that whole. But what you say, Patera, is
quite right; and it's an indication of the road along which this
Ayuntamiento is traveling. I'd like to persuade Councillor Loris, its
presiding officer, to turn back before it's too late."
Loris fixed him with a malevolent stare. "Then you won't
to our demands? I can call in the soldiers at once and get this over
with."
Silk shook his head. "I can't accede. Nor can I speak for the Rani
of Trivigaunte, obviously; but I can and do speak for Viron; and for
Viron all of your demands, except the one for my resignation, are
out of the question."
"Nevertheless," Maytera Marble put in, "General Mint and Generalissimo
Oosik may accede to them, in part at least, to save Patera
Silk. May I speak to him in private?"
"Don't be ridiculous!"
"It isn't ridiculous, I must. Don't you see that General Mint and
Generalissimo Oosik and all the rest of them are only acting on the
authority of Patera Silk? When I report that I've seen him and tell
them you've recognized him as calde, they will certainly want to
know whether he's willing to agree to your terms. They'll have to
know what he wants them to do, but they won't pay the least
attention to it unless I can say that he told me in private. Let me talk
to him, and I'll go back and talk to Generalissimo Oosik and
General Saba. Then, if we're lucky, we'll have real peace in place of
this truce."
"We have not recognized him as calde," Loris told her coldly. "I
invite you to retract that."
"But you have! You've called him Calde several times in my
presence, and I could see you congratulating yourselves on having
the calde. You even called him the key to the crisis. You're
threatening to shoot him because he won't agree to your precious
five demands. If he's the calde, that's only cruel. If he isn't, it's
idiotic."
She raised her hands and time-smoothed face to Loris in supplication.
"He's terribly weak. I've been watching him while the rest of us
were talking, and if it weren't for his stick I think he would have
fallen. Can't you let him sit down? And tell everyone else to leave?
A quarter of an hour should be enough."
Blood rose, swaying a little. "Over here, Patera. Take my seat.
This's a good chair, better than the one you had in here that other
time."
"Thank you," Silk said. "Thank you very much. I owe you a great
deal, Blood." Chenille, next to him, took his arm; he wanted to
assure her he did not need her help, but stumbled on the carpet
before he could speak, eliciting an unhappy squawk from Oreb.
"Get the rest of them out," Loris told Potto.
Xiphias paused in the doorway, showing Silk both his hands, then
twisting one slightly and separating them.
Chenille kissed his forehead, the brush of her lips the silken touch
of a butterfly's wing--and was gone, violently pulled away by Potto,
who left with her and shut the door.
Maytera Marble reoccupied the chair beside the one that had
been Blood's. "Well," she said.
Silk nodded. "Well indeed. You did very well, Maytera. Much
better than I. But before we talk about--all of the things we'll have
to talk about, I'd like to ask a question. One foolish question, or
perhaps two. Will you indulge me?"
"Certainly, Patera. What is it?"
Silk's forefinger traced small circles on his cheek. "I know nothing
about women's clothes. You must know a great deal more--at least,
I hope you do. You got Councillor Loris to bring Chenille her
gown?"
"She was naked under that augur's robe," Maytera Marble
explained, "and I refused to talk about anything else until they got
/>
her dressed. Bloody called in one of the maids, and she and Chenille
went with a soldier to find her some clothes. They weren't gone
long."
Silk nodded, his face thoughtful.
"It's too small for her, but the maid said it was the largest in the
house, and it's only a little bit too small."
"I see. I was wondering whether it belonged to a woman I met
here."
"You and Bloody were talking about her, Patera." Maytera
Marble sounded ill at ease. "He asked you where she was, and you
said you'd gotten separated."
Silk nodded again.
"I don't want to pry into your personal affairs."
"I appreciate that. Believe me, Maytera, I appreciate it very
much." He hesitated, staring through the open window at the
wind-rippled green lawn before he spoke again. "I thought it might
be one of Hyacinth's, as I said. In fact, I rather hoped it was; but it
couldn't be. It almost fits Chenille, as you say, and Hyacinth's much
smaller." The circles, which had ceased to spin, reappeared. "What
do you call that fabric?"
"It's chen... Why, I see what you're getting at, and you're
right, Patera! That gown's chenille, exactly like her name!"
"Not silk?"
Maytera Marble snapped her fingers. "I know! She must have told
the maid her name, and it suggested the gown."
"She kissed me as she left," he remarked. "I certainly didn't invite
it, but she did. You must have seen it."
"Yes, Patera. I did."
"I suppose she wanted to signal that she was with us--that she
supported us. Master Xiphias made a gesture of the same sort,
probably something to do with swordplay. Anyway, her kiss made
me think of silk, of the fabric I mean, for some reason. It seemed
strange, but I thought perhaps her skirt had brushed my hand. You
say it's actually called chenille?"
"Chenille _is_ silk, Patera. Or anyway the best chenille is, and the
other is something else that's supposed to look like silk. Chenille
is a kind of yarn, made of silk, that's furry-looking like a
caterpillar. If they weave cloth of it, that's called chenille too. It's
a foreign word that means caterpillar, and silk threads are spun
by silkworms, which are a kind of caterpillar. But I'm sure you
know that."
"I must speak to her!" he said. "Not now, but when we're alone,
and as soon as I can."
"Good girl!"
"Yes, Oreb. Indeed she is." Silk returned his attention to Maytera