He wishes you to come to him with your wings open, as well."
Avluela nodded. The Servitor led her away.
We remained on the ramp a while longer; the Rememberer Basil talked of the old days of Roum, and I listened, and Gormon peered into the gathering darkness. Eventually, his throat dry, the Rememberer excused himself and moved solemnly away. A few moments later, in the courtyard below us, a door opened and Avluela emerged, walking as though she were of the guild of Somnambulists, not of Fliers. She was nude under transparent draperies, and her fragile body gleamed ghostly white in the starbeams. Her wings were spread and fluttered slowly in a somber systole and diastole. One Servi-
tor grasped each of her elbows: they seemed to be propelling her toward the palace as though she were but a dreamed facsimile of herself and not a real woman.
"Fly, Avluela, fly," Gormon growled. "Escape while you can!"
She disappeared into a side entrance of the palace.
The Changeling looked at me. "She has sold herself to the Prince to provide lodging for us."
"So it seems."
"I could smash down that palace!"
"You love her?"
"It should be obvious."
"Cure yourself," I advised. "You are an unusual man, but still a Flier is not for you. Particularly a Flier who has shared the bed of the Prince of Roum."
"She goes from my arms to his."
I was staggered. "YouVe known her?"
"More than once," he said, smiling sadly. "At the moment of ecstasy her wings thrash like leaves in a storm."
I gripped the railing of the ramp so that I would not tumble into the courtyard. The stars whirled overhead; the old moon and its two blank-faced consorts leaped and bobbed. I was shaken without fully understanding the cause of my emotion. Was it wrath that Gormon had dared to violate a canon of the law? Was it a manifestation of those pseudo-parental feelings I had toward Avluela? Or was it mere envy of Gormon for daring to commit a sin beyond my capacity, though not beyond my desires?
I said, "They could burn your brain for that. They could mince your soul. And now you make me an accessory."
"What of it? That Prince commands, and he gets-but others have been there before him. I had to tell some-one.
"Enough. Enough."
"Will we see her again?"
"Princes tire quickly of their women. A few days, perhaps a single night—then he will throw her back to us. And perhaps then we shall have to leave this hostelry." I
36
wmm
sighed. "At least we'll have known it a few nights more than we deserved."
"Where will you go then?" Gorman asked.
"I will stay in Roum awhile."
"Even if you sleep in the streets? There does not seem to be much demand for Watchers here."
Til manage," I said. 'Then I may go toward Perris."
'To learn from the Rememberers?"
"To see Perris. What of you? What do you want in Roum?"
"Avluela."
"Stop that talk!"
"Very well," he said, and his smile was bitter. "But I will stay here until the Prince is through with her. Then she will be mine, and well find ways to survive. The guildless are resourceful. They have to be. Maybe well scrounge lodgings in Roum awhile, and then follow you to Perris. If you're willing to travel with monsters and faithless Fliers."
I shrugged. "We'll see about that when the time comes."
"Have you ever been in the company of a Changeling before?"
"Not often. Not for long."
"I'm honored." He drummed on the parapet. "Don't cast me off, Watcher. I have a reason for wanting to stay with you."
"Which is?"
'To see your face on the day your machines tell you that the invasion of Earth has begun."
I let myself sag forward, shoulders drooping. "You'll stay with me a long time, then."
"Don't you believe the invasion is coming?"
"Some day. Not soon."
Gormon chuckled. "You're wrong. It's almost here."
"You don't amuse me."
"What is it, Watcher? Have you lost your faith? It's been known for a thousand years: another race covets Earth and owns it by treaty, and will some day come to collect. That much was decided at the
Avluela nodded. The Servitor led her away.
We remained on the ramp a while longer; the Rememberer Basil talked of the old days of Roum, and I listened, and Gormon peered into the gathering darkness. Eventually, his throat dry, the Rememberer excused himself and moved solemnly away. A few moments later, in the courtyard below us, a door opened and Avluela emerged, walking as though she were of the guild of Somnambulists, not of Fliers. She was nude under transparent draperies, and her fragile body gleamed ghostly white in the starbeams. Her wings were spread and fluttered slowly in a somber systole and diastole. One Servi-
tor grasped each of her elbows: they seemed to be propelling her toward the palace as though she were but a dreamed facsimile of herself and not a real woman.
"Fly, Avluela, fly," Gormon growled. "Escape while you can!"
She disappeared into a side entrance of the palace.
The Changeling looked at me. "She has sold herself to the Prince to provide lodging for us."
"So it seems."
"I could smash down that palace!"
"You love her?"
"It should be obvious."
"Cure yourself," I advised. "You are an unusual man, but still a Flier is not for you. Particularly a Flier who has shared the bed of the Prince of Roum."
"She goes from my arms to his."
I was staggered. "YouVe known her?"
"More than once," he said, smiling sadly. "At the moment of ecstasy her wings thrash like leaves in a storm."
I gripped the railing of the ramp so that I would not tumble into the courtyard. The stars whirled overhead; the old moon and its two blank-faced consorts leaped and bobbed. I was shaken without fully understanding the cause of my emotion. Was it wrath that Gormon had dared to violate a canon of the law? Was it a manifestation of those pseudo-parental feelings I had toward Avluela? Or was it mere envy of Gormon for daring to commit a sin beyond my capacity, though not beyond my desires?
I said, "They could burn your brain for that. They could mince your soul. And now you make me an accessory."
"What of it? That Prince commands, and he gets-but others have been there before him. I had to tell some-one.
"Enough. Enough."
"Will we see her again?"
"Princes tire quickly of their women. A few days, perhaps a single night—then he will throw her back to us. And perhaps then we shall have to leave this hostelry." I
36
wmm
sighed. "At least we'll have known it a few nights more than we deserved."
"Where will you go then?" Gorman asked.
"I will stay in Roum awhile."
"Even if you sleep in the streets? There does not seem to be much demand for Watchers here."
Til manage," I said. 'Then I may go toward Perris."
'To learn from the Rememberers?"
"To see Perris. What of you? What do you want in Roum?"
"Avluela."
"Stop that talk!"
"Very well," he said, and his smile was bitter. "But I will stay here until the Prince is through with her. Then she will be mine, and well find ways to survive. The guildless are resourceful. They have to be. Maybe well scrounge lodgings in Roum awhile, and then follow you to Perris. If you're willing to travel with monsters and faithless Fliers."
I shrugged. "We'll see about that when the time comes."
"Have you ever been in the company of a Changeling before?"
"Not often. Not for long."
"I'm honored." He drummed on the parapet. "Don't cast me off, Watcher. I have a reason for wanting to stay with you."
"Which is?"
'To see your face on the day your machines tell you that the invasion of Earth has begun."
I let myself sag forward, shoulders drooping. "You'll stay with me a long time, then."
"Don't you believe the invasion is coming?"
"Some day. Not soon."
Gormon chuckled. "You're wrong. It's almost here."
"You don't amuse me."
"What is it, Watcher? Have you lost your faith? It's been known for a thousand years: another race covets Earth and owns it by treaty, and will some day come to collect. That much was decided at the
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