EVEN BEFORE tIOUS ALBERICO FROM OVERseas in Barbadior to rule in Astibar, ty t liked to call itself "t Rules t; ain degree of asceticism. In Astibar tes i t provinces: sucoo fevered an appeal to emotion.

        to perform in tral courtyard of tcyard, and from terior rooms on te ibar, s over o pay t t portal of Morian, food in , for no one living could knoo the goddess was.

        doo tyard later, so t all tizens of y and its distrada ed outside—could file past ree in tal vase t stood on a plintyard even now.

        tizens—isans, ss, lesser mercs— er ter. tside ing into tyard in time    extraordinary colle of petty and y, and of accumulated mertile    Devin had ever seen in one place.

        Because of tival of Vines, all tibar distrada o tory estates. And being in to be present to see Sandre mourned—for all t many or most of tterly ed y years ago and more in t tes migaken place long since.

        ts and Adaons priestess s, seeming, in to be privy to a mystery t tively sals y of their repose.

        Menicos pany ed in a small room off tyard t tomasso    aside for ties     remember seeing blue o performers before. Aravagaure, t.    tempted t oo early and oo muco calm o Ego be, on a tabletop.

        Eg ;Its just a performance,"    sibilant voice. "e do w we always do. e make music. e move on.”

        Devin nodded, and forced a smile iurn.     to tables, and one of to pour er in a gold and crystal goblet    later Menico signaled and t out into tyard.

        t, backed by rings and pipes. No voices. Not yet.

        If Aldine and Nieri e last nig didnt s did, only in tration and iy of ts t m.

        Sometimes seeming to pull times follo, tened faces, tunid t-black gloves t ruly otherworldly.

        rained o be. Not inviting or alluring as some otroupes approaces, nor a merely graceful prelude to tain ot. Menicos dancers os, t iive, preening audience.

        And in t sile;Invocation" to Eanna of ts tered stars t he diamonds of her diadem.

        Rapt and atteo rivances of professional skill to s artlessness, t carried t princes of Astibar ing of sorroibar, triads mortal c tals to move on Adaos for so s a time. So s and bitter and s a season of days.

        Devin rianas voice reacoo be calling ere. , even more tatues in a frieze, norap of time— and at t t o t    for to fill, in tals lived and died.

        So Menico di Ferraut o tes long aging forty years of art and a full, mucraveled life to t t this m had bee.

        Even as o sing, Devins    sund, unassuming leader hey were shaping.

        topped, as planned, after tage, for teners. tomasso    Sandres bier ake place upstairs. After, t tes, ending on Devins "Lament," and t doside admitted al vase.

        Menico led t from tyard amid a silence so deep it    possible accolade.

        tered t    up in ted, no one spoke. Devin moved to o tcer of t-like in ted a glass of green s but deed te of food.

        not a smile —not no over truments, adjusting trings. Egic as ever, ing less and distracted. he arm.

        Devin looked for Catriana and sa for a sed, t on. Ligrangely filtered, fell from a he space where she had been.

        Devin really didnt knoerions like ripples in er from t, o say exactly why he followed her.

        Simple curiosity. Desire. A plex longing born e, floating place of stillness and sorro as if t quite as it he dancers had begun.

        triana hrough,

        oo looked back. Alessan    tregeans glance, only an i expression Devin could not uand. For t time t day he was reminded of his dream.

        And because of t, pero Morian as    on the archway.

        taircase ained-glass -floor landing. In t    a glimpse of a blue-silver goo t at top of tairs. ruggling to clear it, to slip free of tanding slid into plad tered a curse at himself.

        Sibar. Sairs as irely fit and proper to pay o t    to deny    to do so. Not after e to e upstairs room ion.

        ated, and urned back t not been for t ibar lay o t, not t, at top of tairs.

        Devin    up. ook care noill not kno. At t as Catriana . Ay room, long unused, dusty , ts, but t came to    print of o.

        Silently Devin follo trail t floor of tures and objects of glass, exquisite in t. Mucure     of ttered. A great many darkened, begrimed portraits of stern lords and ladies gazed inimically down upon him as he passed.

        and again rigrag trianas feet, careful to keep from getting too close. S straiger t ter side of t offered onto trades overlooking tyard. It riana o tate.

        At lengto be t. Sanding by telpied traits on t Devin kables laden ly ed, but tains ill dra tness and tside.

        In tered ligely letting tc.

        t in tillness.

        Catriana    Devin could see t w blazed in    fear.

        " do you t; she whispered harshly.

        ook a ant step foricism, a mild, defleg remark to ster t seemed to lie upon    find one.

        ;I dont kno; ly. "I sa ... isnt ; he finished lamely.

        " I t; so calm    of ;I ed to be alone for a fes," Catriana said, trolling ;ted me and I o be by myself. I    see t you urbed too, but    I ask you as a courtesy to leave me to my privacy for just a little while?”

        It eously said.    Devin al of Morians.

        ured at tables and said, gravely, a quiet observation of fad not a , "t a room for privacy, Catriana. ont you tell me why you are here?”

        o flare again, but once more s for a long moment, s lengt;You    so be oo t. truly it ter if you go. For both of us.”

        ill o t e room s laden, sumptuously covered tables and traits on to be a ce. riana singing t m, o irely a in the world he knew.

        And in t mood Devin ri in , "Could    begin t a sart?”

        Once more sated.    impossible to read in tain liganding straigill on the room.

        "I t," sly. "Not on t I t deny t a part of me migtle time no do here. Please—will you leave me?”

        ed to find or feel so muc, over and above all to do or say, and time urn to go.

        But a portal    m and ily t t Devin tur time from behind him.

        "Oriad!" Catriana ;I am cursed in all I turn my o!" So tically feeling around telpiece.

        "For t!" she whispered harshly.

        the urgen her voice made Devin freeze and obey.

        " t; ter u it s over—”

        Sopped. Devin    of to t of tly open to reveal a tiny cubbyhole beyond. his eyes widened.

        "Dont stand t; Catriana ; A    s.

        A moment later the room click open.

        "O; Catriana groaned, from t. "Oh, Devin, why are you here?”

        Addressed te incapable of framing ae response. For oill couldnt say    t Catrianas perfume iny space tling st.

        If    ago ly found y to a wo weeks.

        Catriana seemed to arrive, belatedly, at t of a from before. Devin closed    che

        . ig    t by moving tle .

        ionless, tilting back from    ely s more tly a fool for ed tuation— about to pound alogue of sins by making a grope for he darkness.

        Catrianas robe rustled gently as sed position. o in tirely good for uous resolutions.

        "Sorry,"    beads of perspiration on o distract ried to focus on tside. Be and a steady, diffused murmur made it clear t people ill filing past Sandres bier.

        to , in t fled, tinguis reizable.

        "I s posted    gives us a moment before thers e.”

        "Did you notice t; a muco ter ;Very amusing.”

        "Of course I noticed," t man replied acerbically.    tone? Aly. " an evening sging up tins from ty years ago? his?”

        tly. "And a fiable of food it is," ly.

        "t is not !”

        Laug;I kno isnt, but its a fiable all the same.”

        "taeri, t a time for jests, particularly bad ones. e only    before ten to me carefully. Only t is happening.”

        "It is only us, t; t;No one else? Not even my father?”

        "Not Gianno, and you knoen, pup!”

        Just t e in a quite unmistakable ly because of riana    sed    again,    sig ly against    one of her long arms had somehow slipped around his neck.

        "Do you kno; s soundlessly, mouto ;I rat of t?" tip of ongue, for just an instant, touche lobe of his ear.

        Devins mout bone dry even as o full, painful ere side    voice    kneerse explanation of someting lodge, but ts explanations ly been rendered definitively trivial.

        trivial,    of test importance imagi Catrianas lips     even as ive accord—to toud t doo t-of s , setting him free.

        Oriad!" roked ; you tell me before t you liked it dangerous?" ed    fiercely for t time.    her hips.

        Stled ba a ledge against to make it easier for h noid and shallow as well.

        "t; Devin side. "By seoonrise I    you to be...”

        Catrianas ig painfully, and at t moment t folds of s and found tal hed been longing for.

        Sed sound and    rigid for just a sed, before beiremely soft in ly stroked t folds of ed again, very sligo eeto , lost in astonisionless, o    soundlessly, not knowing w he was saying.

        "Enoug; tside rasped crisply.

        "Even so," said t. "Remember to togeto join us tonigever you do be sure you are not followed or we are dead.”

        t side of to t sloly into Catriana, finally reized the voice hed been hearing.

        For tialking, but noonations of the day before.

        "At last!" fluted tomasso dAstibar bar Sandre. "e feared dreadfully t youd all trived to lose yourselves in ty recesses, o be found again!”

        "No suc; a voice gr    ting still for t kind of music all m is cursed ty work.”

        In t Devin and Catriana g to eacer. t seemed to    tered ing rs together.

        Devi er eeto ime and in t moment    ly, into her.

        For an unmeasured, eed space of time t, t    skin. to Devin tside seemed to e from infinitely far airely.     to move at all.

        At lengtriana carefully loo bear . raced he blaess.

        Bes of Astibar ill s ted and some fe tion of te and drank, toasting ao exile. Devin, riana, still s o find o say w he was feeling.

        Suddenly srag fingers and bit it,    . S say anythough.

        After t, Catriana found tto to seize a cily retraced to tair ts ing tionally alert and alive norianas fingers and

        ts as they passed.

        S later.

        ;s wrong?”

        S;Id as soon it    proclaimed t t; sraight ahead.

        Devin lifted ;    about us being upstairs? I just gave tion. t even boto talk about it. t of time.”

        "Not to me," said Catriana quietly.

        "I didnt mean it t ; Devin protested, taken aback. But unfortuairs by t e ued sense of estra o let er the room before him.

        More ttle fused, ook o go back out into tyard.

        ing role in t t played out upstairs. Back, and t seemed to be    fog like a beam of sunligail ting and revealing ime around.

        And so it    by time it o step foro end and croes, seeing tantly, noting omasso struck a pose of rapt atten- tiveness, Devin o give t;Lament for Adaon" an undivided soul, for    quite decided in w o do.

        ly in tory of t o t from mountai to chasm brink.

        ao rise above t courtyard and beyond it, out among treets and squares of ibar.

        eo pass beyond t nigrail o a o gating t Catriana dAstibar    do s of murder to prevent . rove to turn taste of t knoo grief for Adaon, to let it guide and i;Lament.”

        Better for boture in    and ted softness in    a certain kind of pride at Devins age is perro any otal man, and o sing, yard among t of Astibar, t o be t ter, not she.

        So Devin sang t t dying ean mountain slope all o give it, making o seek t of everyone who heard.

        Adaon fall from t o Casadel as to its end.

        And so too, t m, did a part of Devins life. For wal of Morians urning back.
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