for just a moment on the threshold. "We tell him the man got away. Isn't that what happened?" he asked over his shoulder, "More or less?"
He left the other standing miserable in the street.
*
The Night and Day souls that together were Joslyn both slept. A small copper brazier fumed near her rough straw pallet, and the smoke hovered over her still form like a specter. In time the charcoal fell to ash, the brazier cooled, the smoke dispersed. When it was completely gone Joslyn opened her eyes. She sat up feeling stiff, sore, and confused. This wasn't her room. It was bare and damp, with a narrow oak door and no windows except a tiny barred one in the door. She looked around the cell and got up, slowly.
Definitely too far .
She made one complete circle of the room, her fingers trailing against the cool stone. She tried the door to be certain it was locked. It was. She looked both ways out the little window but could see nothing but a fragment of corridor either way. She shrugged and sat down on her prickly bed.
The time since the augury wasn't clear in her mind. She remembered being taken back to her quarters, and later Belor storming in with a gang of acolytes, and then... a goblet. Belor made her drink something.
And now here she was. Wherever 'here' was. But why couldn't she remember being on the nightstage? Joslyn knew why she didn't remember her dreams; you must have a dream in order to remember it. But she should have remembered moving about the nightstage; she'd been asleep hours, by the feel of it. And all she could remember was an odor like the smoke from burnt feathers that filled her sleep and left room for nothing else.
She smelled it still.
Joslyn leaned over and cautiously sniffed the brazier. The same. She sat back, letting out her breath in one gust.
Sweet Oblivion .
Joslyn had almost forgotten about that one, though she'd heard Musa tell of it. But why use it on her?
Joslyn shuddered and tried not to think about it any more. The Dream Master would no doubt reveal her punishment when he was ready, and until then there was no point imagining better - -
"You're awake. Excellent."
Tagramon's face was framed by the bars on the window, and illuminated by a single torch. A lot of questions went through Joslyn's mind just then: why hadn't she heard him approach, and what he would do, but most of all she wondered why he looked so terribly sad.
"At your service, Master."
He shook his head slowly. Joslyn thought for a moment that he was going to weep.
"No longer. That pains me more than words have strength to bear, Joslyn. I never told you, of course, but, of all the dreamers I've trained, you were the best. I want you to know that."
Joslyn still didn't know that, because a word he used snagged at her mind like a bare root and sent it sprawling.
Were ?
"I failed one augury," she said, "as did others. Surely you won't turn me out for that?"
"You didn't fail. That's the problem."
Joslyn frowned. "I couldn't find him."
"But you know he could be found. That's something really astounding, Joslyn. But don't worry; you won't be leaving the Temple."
It sank in. Despite all the pits and walls of reason she tried to set in its path. Tagramon nodded. "You understand now."
"But why ?" Joslyn demanded, "why is he so important?"
"I can't tell you that. I'm truly sorry."
He sounded like a merchant fresh out of lentils. Sorry, so sorry. No reasons for dying today. Joslyn's shock passed through astonishment and into anger with giant strides. "Damn you, I have a right to know!"
He shrugged. "Surely. But if I tell you'll call me insane, and I don't think I could bear that. You may call me cruel and selfish if that helps any."
It did not. "I think you are insane!"
Tagramon wasn't the least bit ruffled. "You may think whatever you wish. But as long as the reason isn't dancing merrily before your limited mind you can't be certain. It's a fine distinction, but to my mind a valid one." He yawned. "When you sleep
He left the other standing miserable in the street.
*
The Night and Day souls that together were Joslyn both slept. A small copper brazier fumed near her rough straw pallet, and the smoke hovered over her still form like a specter. In time the charcoal fell to ash, the brazier cooled, the smoke dispersed. When it was completely gone Joslyn opened her eyes. She sat up feeling stiff, sore, and confused. This wasn't her room. It was bare and damp, with a narrow oak door and no windows except a tiny barred one in the door. She looked around the cell and got up, slowly.
Definitely too far .
She made one complete circle of the room, her fingers trailing against the cool stone. She tried the door to be certain it was locked. It was. She looked both ways out the little window but could see nothing but a fragment of corridor either way. She shrugged and sat down on her prickly bed.
The time since the augury wasn't clear in her mind. She remembered being taken back to her quarters, and later Belor storming in with a gang of acolytes, and then... a goblet. Belor made her drink something.
And now here she was. Wherever 'here' was. But why couldn't she remember being on the nightstage? Joslyn knew why she didn't remember her dreams; you must have a dream in order to remember it. But she should have remembered moving about the nightstage; she'd been asleep hours, by the feel of it. And all she could remember was an odor like the smoke from burnt feathers that filled her sleep and left room for nothing else.
She smelled it still.
Joslyn leaned over and cautiously sniffed the brazier. The same. She sat back, letting out her breath in one gust.
Sweet Oblivion .
Joslyn had almost forgotten about that one, though she'd heard Musa tell of it. But why use it on her?
Joslyn shuddered and tried not to think about it any more. The Dream Master would no doubt reveal her punishment when he was ready, and until then there was no point imagining better - -
"You're awake. Excellent."
Tagramon's face was framed by the bars on the window, and illuminated by a single torch. A lot of questions went through Joslyn's mind just then: why hadn't she heard him approach, and what he would do, but most of all she wondered why he looked so terribly sad.
"At your service, Master."
He shook his head slowly. Joslyn thought for a moment that he was going to weep.
"No longer. That pains me more than words have strength to bear, Joslyn. I never told you, of course, but, of all the dreamers I've trained, you were the best. I want you to know that."
Joslyn still didn't know that, because a word he used snagged at her mind like a bare root and sent it sprawling.
Were ?
"I failed one augury," she said, "as did others. Surely you won't turn me out for that?"
"You didn't fail. That's the problem."
Joslyn frowned. "I couldn't find him."
"But you know he could be found. That's something really astounding, Joslyn. But don't worry; you won't be leaving the Temple."
It sank in. Despite all the pits and walls of reason she tried to set in its path. Tagramon nodded. "You understand now."
"But why ?" Joslyn demanded, "why is he so important?"
"I can't tell you that. I'm truly sorry."
He sounded like a merchant fresh out of lentils. Sorry, so sorry. No reasons for dying today. Joslyn's shock passed through astonishment and into anger with giant strides. "Damn you, I have a right to know!"
He shrugged. "Surely. But if I tell you'll call me insane, and I don't think I could bear that. You may call me cruel and selfish if that helps any."
It did not. "I think you are insane!"
Tagramon wasn't the least bit ruffled. "You may think whatever you wish. But as long as the reason isn't dancing merrily before your limited mind you can't be certain. It's a fine distinction, but to my mind a valid one." He yawned. "When you sleep
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