"Oh, never mind that--" her voice was impatient, "What can we
_do_?"
I didn't know. I was still stupid with sleep, but I put a reassuring
arm around her shoulders. "Don't be afraid," I told her, then,
releasing her, bent and began to pull on my boots. I heard the swift
pound of steps on the stairs, and Narayan shoved open the door,
dragging a brown tunic over his head as he came. He stopped short at
the door, staring at his sister. "Cynara, what are you doing here?"
She repeated her news, and he sighed. He looked as if he hadn't slept
at all. "Well, never mind," he told her, "The game was almost over,
anyhow. Sooner or later they would have broken through the Illusion;
Rhys is too old now for that. You were lucky to get away. We'll have to
storm the Keep to-night--unless they have too-good hunting." He fumbled
with the laces of his shirt. A dead weariness was in his grey eyes;
they looked flat, almost glazed. He met my questioning stare and smiled
ruefully. "The Dreamers stir," he told me, "I am not yet free of--their
need. So I must be careful." Cynara shuddered and threw her arms around
her brother's neck, clutching him with a fiercely sheltering clasp.
"Narayan, no--oh, no--don't--"
But he was already deep in thought again. He freed her arms without
impatience. "We'll meet that when the time comes, little sister. So
Karamy and Evarin ride hunting. Who else. Idris?" At her nod, his
brows contracted. "All of them--but Gamine," he mused, and turned to
me. "Could you conceivably get through to Rhys? I don't dare--not with
that--that stirring."
I understood, Narayan was still attuned to the terrible need of the
sleeping Dreamers in the Keep. But I reminded him that only Gamine
could control old Rhys. He looked at me with a strange curious question
in his eyes, but made no comment. My own mind was working strong. I
was unsure how I had gotten here in the house of the freed Dreamer.
Just what had happened last night? I had thought Narayan would never
trust me again; but now, when I needed it most, I seemed to be in his
complete confidence. Damn Karamy anyhow, meddling with my memory!
And she had the audacity to fly Evarin's devil-birds after me--Adric,
lord of the Crimson Tower! She should have a lesson she would not
forget--and so should the presumptuous Gamine--and so should this
walking zombie who was staring at me stupidly, as if I were his equal!
I said with a slow savagery, "I think I can manage Gamine!"
Narayan was watching me anxiously. Gods of the Rainbow, what
preposterous things had I said and done last night? I said, "We'll take
them at the Dreamer's Keep," and saw his face clear.
_But what you do not know, Narayan_, I added to myself with a
secret satisfaction, _is that you will join them there!_
It never occurred to them to question, to wonder if Adric today were
the Adric of last night. We went downstairs and snatched a quick
breakfast; Cynara tore off her winged flame-color cloak and stuffed it
wrathfully into the fireplace. Her coarse grey dress beneath it made
her shy prettiness more striking than ever; Cynara was not Karamy, but
she was a pretty thing; and Narayan could hardly fail to trust me when
Cynara perched on the arm of my chair and ran her dainty fingers over
the bruises on my face. "Your roughs nearly killed him!" she pouted at
her brother.
"Oh, I'm not hurt," I smiled at her, making my voice gentle for her
ear alone. But I scowled darkly into my plate; pushed the food away
and strode out into the camp. Narayan shouted quickly, jumping up,
sending his chair crashing to the floor, and he ran after me so that we
went down the steps together. "Wait," he commanded in my ear, softly,
"Don't forget, to them you're still a traitor!" He took my arm, and
we walked through every row of tents together, Narayan's expression
almost belligerent. I saw the faces of the men as they came from their
improvised shelter, saw suspicion gradually give way to tolerance and
then casual acceptance. Finally Narayan called to Raif. "Stick to him,
will you, Raif? He's all right, but the men don't know it yet."
I glanced at Narayan. "Raif," I said tentatively, "Can you find me
twelve men who know the way to Rainbow City and aren't afraid to come
close to it?"
"I can," Raif said, and went to do it. I had to hide a smile. Before
long I would win back the place my foolishness had lost. The idiot
whose body I had shared briefly had almost put it beyond recovery, but
in a way he had helped, too. His weakness had won Narayan's confidence.
Well, one thing I knew, that futile idiot should not share the coming
triumph. Nor should Narayan.
Narayan--fumbling in my pocket, I touched something smooth and hard.
Evarin's mirror. Narayan, looking over my shoulder as I dragged it out,
asked curiously, "What's that?"
I pulled it out with a secret smile. "One of Evarin's toys. Look at it,
if you like."
Narayan took it in his hand for a moment, without, however, untwisting
the silk. "Go ahead," I urged, "Unwrap it."
I might have sounded too eager. Abruptly Narayan handed it back. "Here.
I don't know anything about Evarin."
I had to conceal my disappointment. With a feigned indifference I
thrust it back into the pocket. It did not matter. One way or another,
Narayan would lose. For Evarin and Karamy rode a-hunting today--and I
knew what their game would be!