"No. A musician, I think ... There was some story that the judges told him to throw his lyre in the river and report to the chief priest. No one else had a look-in, they said. Why?"
"I met a boy named Gim."
"Yes, maybe that was his name, now you mention it."
"And how many miracles?"
Dolm's eyes flickered to her leg and then away again quickly. He smiled his stage smile. “One or two—the priests couldn't decide which. When the time came for the boy to call out a name, he called two names. They were sisters, identical twins, and all their lives they'd had a terrible skin disease. Even from where I was standing, they looked just horrible."
"And Tion healed them!"
"Oh yes! He laid his hands—laid your friend's hands—on their heads and they were cured."
That was beautiful! “Were they pretty? How old are they? What are their names?"
Dolm had lost interest in telling her about the festival. He was studying D'ward with a puzzled expression. “Why is the Liberator still here, in Sussland? Doesn't he know that Zath has reapers out looking for him? Doesn't he know he's in terrible danger?"
She sniggered. “He doesn't seem to know anything. He doesn't know the language, or the gods, or anything!"
Dolm's cavernous eyes widened. “The seeress described him as a baby! Why on earth is he going around dressed as a pilgrim?"
"I decided he would be safest that way, since he can't talk. And, Dolm, he's a wonderful actor! He's being making everyone think he really is a holy man!"
A pained smile twisted the actor's gaunt face. “Oh, Eleal, little idiot! Of course he can act a holy man! Don't you see what you've done?"
She bristled. “I've been ingenious and, er, resourceful under trying conditions! He's been terribly sick!” She looked to D'ward for support and he smiled encouragingly. How odd! Except for the red wound on his forehead, he looked as if he'd never been sick in his life. “And he doesn't know anything about the world at all, but I thought he ought to get to Suss and appeal to Tion, and this seemed—"
"You are a small chump!” Dolm said. “Zath has I-don't-know-how-many reapers out looking for him, and you dress him like a pilgrim? Don't you understand? He's the Liberator! Of course he could make people think he was a holy man! He is a holy man! You disguised him as what he really is, you frog-brain!"
Eleal said, “Oh! ... Oh?” Well, that might help explain a few of the surprising things that had been happening today.
"And I'm not at all sure about taking him to Tion,” Dolm said uncertainly. “Some of the passages in the Testament suggest that the Liberator ... All of Sussia's been talking about the birth of the Liberator. Well, never mind. I wish I'd thought of the pilgrim idea for myself, though. That's what I need to do! I shall don the holy pentacle and see if I can cleanse my soul.” Another painful smile flickered over his haggard features. “I wonder if he'd—"
He turned to his pack and began unlacing it. Eleal recalled how she'd rummaged through that pack less than a fortnight ago and found a reaper's gown.
Dolm pulled out a tunic and pants. He held them out to D'ward. D'ward's blue eyes lit up and he looked to Eleal for her approval.
"Just what are you suggesting, Dolm Actor?” she demanded.
"I'll trade with him. I'll have to come back with you to Suss and start at Tion's temple, of course."
Eleal shivered. The Holy Circuit of the five great temples took at least a year—a year of begging and poverty, of penance and complete silence.
"But he really can't talk! What if someone asks him questions?"
Dolm shrugged. “You're planning to rejoin the troupe and take him with you, aren't you? It's only a few hours’ walk. I'll come with you to the city. He can have my pack, too."
Eleal nodded uncertainly—she had nowhere to go except back to the troupe. D'ward grabbed the garments and jumped up. He strode off into the cloud blossoms. A moment later he came marching out again in his new clothes, grinning shyly. He and Dolm were about the same height and the garments were intended to be loose—but not so loose. If he let go of the pants, they would fall down. Chuckling, Dolm dug in his pack again and produced a length of cord.
"Better!” D'ward said, laughing. “Not women frighten. Talk now?"
"Talk now,” Eleal agreed.
He sat down and smiled at Dolm. “D'ward!” He held out a hand.
"Dolm Actor.” They shook hands. Dolm stuffed the pilgrim smock in his pack. “I tried to kill you!"
D'ward nodded. “Remember. Saw your voice under the night."
"He doesn't speak very well, does he?” Dolm said wonderingly.
"He's learning very fast!"
"Was reaper?” D'ward asked.
Dolm nodded solemnly.
"Better now?"
"Better."
"Good!” Again D'ward offered a hand to shake.
Dolm looked startled, and then accepted. He stared at D'ward afterward as if hunting something he could not identify.
"We can stay here tonight, can't we?” Eleal said. The sun must have slipped behind Susswall, for the grove was growing dark.
"I have a little food,” Dolm said. “But only one blanket."
"We should have left D'ward a holy man. He just has to look at people and they throw charity at him."
Dolm scratched his scanty hair. “Where do you want to go, sir?"
Eleal turned away to hide a smile. She did not think Dolm had even realized that he had called a boy, “sir."
D'ward took a moment to work out the question. “Olympus."
"Who's she?"
"I don't know,” Eleal sighed. “He raved about her when he was delirious."
D'ward said, “Query town. Query village."
"That's a woman's name!” she protested. “He must mean Limpus."
Edward shrugged.
"Limpusvil?” Dolm said thoughtfully. “Limpusby? I never heard of either. Your first problem will be to escape from Sussvale. Zath set watches on the nodes and you slipped by us. Now he has all the passes guarded. Only four passes.” At Edward's frown he explained more slowly, with gestures, scratching a map in the dirt.
"We need T'lin Dragontrader again!” Eleal said. Then she remembered and said, “Oh!"
Dolm's clouded face brightened momentarily. “He escaped me, if that's what you're wondering. The way he took off on that dragon, I don't suppose he stopped this side of Nosokland.” He turned again to study D'ward. “Taking him to Tion is probably the best idea, I suppose, since none of us has any money."
"Tion god?” D'ward said, frowning. “No gods!"
Dolm raised his eyebrows. “Like that, is it? The gods shall flee before him; they shall bow ... ” He pondered. “Perhaps you weren't so foolish after all, Eleal Singer—disguising him as a holy man, I mean. The reapers wouldn't be looking for him in that role. And taking him to Suss but not going to the temple may be the same sort of thing. The best place to hide a man is in a crowd of men. Unless they're keeping an eye out for you also, of course."
"What do you mean?” Eleal demanded, feeling a cold shiver.
"They know you're involved, so they may be watching the troupe, in case you try to return. They're probably hunting me, too,” he said sadly. “I don't think ex-reapers live very long."
She switched into Sussian, which D'ward would not understand. “Tion!” she said firmly. “We must go and seek the aid of our god!"
"I suppose you're right,” Dolm agreed, shooting a worried glance at the Liberator.
53
AT SUSS THE CANYON WAS MUCH WIDER THAN AT RUATvil. The land descended in steps and cliffs, a red and green landscape fretted by intricate wadis. Tion's temple stood on an isolated mesa, a sprawling palace on a giant plinth, its gilded dome blazing under the tropic sun. It was a giant's cake of white marble, decorated and ornamented in pillars and cornices of bright color, in form like nothing Edward had ever seen, although unquestionably fair. If it resembled anything on Earth, perhaps “out of the Taj Mahal by the Kremlin,” would sum it up best. Innumerable lesser buildings spread out over the steps of the valley wall, all set in gardens and park, lush vegetation contrasting with the ruddy soil. The whole complex was larger than the little walled town beyond it. Yes, it was beautiful. And so it should be, for Tion was god of art and beauty. It was vastly impressive—and so it should be, for Tion was one of the five paramount deities of the Vales.