lower nave shimmered with reflected glories, with dream figures and children clothed in baubles of light. Saints and prodigies dominated. A thousand newly created youngsters squatted on the bright floor and began to tell of marvels, of cities in the East, and times as they had once been. Clowns dressed in fire entertained from the tops of the market stalls. Animals unknown to the Cathedral cavorted between the dwellings, giving friendly advice. Abstract things, glowing balls in nets of gold and ribbons of silk, sang and floated around the upper reaches. The Cathedral became a great vessel of all the bright dreams known to its citizens. Slowly, from the lower nave, people of pure flesh climbed to the scaffold and walked the upper nave to see what they couldn't from below. From my hideaway I watched the masked troops of the bishop carrying his litter up narrow stairs. Constantia walked behind, stumbling, her eyes shut in the new brightness. All tried to cover their eyes, but none for long succeeded. I wept. Almost blind with tears, I made my way still higher and looked down on the roiling crowds. I saw Corvus, his hands still wrapped in restraining ropes, being led by the old woman. Constantia saw him, too, and they regarded each other like strangers, then joined hands as best they could. She borrowed a knife from one of her father's soldiers and cut his ropes away. Around them the brightest dreams of all began to swirl, pure white and blood-red and sea-green, coalescing into visions of all the children they would innocently have. I gave them a few hours to regain their sensesand to regain my own. Then I stood on the bishop's abandoned podium and shouted over the heads of those on the lowest level. (56 of 197) The Venging "The time has come!" I cried. "We must all unite now; we must unite" At first they ignored me. I was quite eloquent, but their excitement was still too great. So I waited some
more, began to speak again, and was shouted down. Bits of fruit and vegetables arced up. "Freak!" they screamed, and drove me away. I crept along the stone stairs, found the narrow crack, and hid in it, burying my beak in my paws,
wondering what had gone wrong. It took a surprisingly long time for me to realize that, in my case, it was
less the stigma of stone than the ugliness of my shape that doomed my quest for leadership. I had, however, paved the way for the Stone Christ. He will surely be able to take His place now, I told myself. So I maneuvered along the crevice until I came to the hidden chamber and the yellow glow. All was quiet within. I met first the stone monster, who looked me over suspiciously with glazed grey eyes. "You're back," he said. Overcome by his wit, I leered, nodded, and asked that I be presented to the Christ.
"He's sleeping."
"Important tidings," I said.
"What?"
"I bring glad tidings."
"Then let me hear them."
"His ears only."
Out of the gloomy corner came the Christ, looking much older now. "What is it?" He asked.
"I have prepared the way for you," I said. "Simon called Peter told me I was the heir to his legacy, that I
should go before you" The Stone Christ shook his head. "You believe I am the fount from which all blessings flow?" I nodded, uncertain. "What have you done out there?" "Let in the light," I said. He shook His head slowly. "You seem a wise enough creature. You know about Mortdieu."
(57 of 197) "Yes." "Then you should know that I barely have enough power to keep myself together, to heal myself, much
less to minister to those out there." He gestured beyond the walls. "My own source has gone away," he said mournfully. "I'm operating on reserves, and those none too vast." "He wants you to go away and stop bothering us," the monster explained. "They have their light out there," the Christ said. "They'll play with that for a while, get tired of it, go
back to what they had before. Is there any place for you in that?" I thought for a moment, then shook my head. "No place," I said. "I'm
more, began to speak again, and was shouted down. Bits of fruit and vegetables arced up. "Freak!" they screamed, and drove me away. I crept along the stone stairs, found the narrow crack, and hid in it, burying my beak in my paws,
wondering what had gone wrong. It took a surprisingly long time for me to realize that, in my case, it was
less the stigma of stone than the ugliness of my shape that doomed my quest for leadership. I had, however, paved the way for the Stone Christ. He will surely be able to take His place now, I told myself. So I maneuvered along the crevice until I came to the hidden chamber and the yellow glow. All was quiet within. I met first the stone monster, who looked me over suspiciously with glazed grey eyes. "You're back," he said. Overcome by his wit, I leered, nodded, and asked that I be presented to the Christ.
"He's sleeping."
"Important tidings," I said.
"What?"
"I bring glad tidings."
"Then let me hear them."
"His ears only."
Out of the gloomy corner came the Christ, looking much older now. "What is it?" He asked.
"I have prepared the way for you," I said. "Simon called Peter told me I was the heir to his legacy, that I
should go before you" The Stone Christ shook his head. "You believe I am the fount from which all blessings flow?" I nodded, uncertain. "What have you done out there?" "Let in the light," I said. He shook His head slowly. "You seem a wise enough creature. You know about Mortdieu."
(57 of 197) "Yes." "Then you should know that I barely have enough power to keep myself together, to heal myself, much
less to minister to those out there." He gestured beyond the walls. "My own source has gone away," he said mournfully. "I'm operating on reserves, and those none too vast." "He wants you to go away and stop bothering us," the monster explained. "They have their light out there," the Christ said. "They'll play with that for a while, get tired of it, go
back to what they had before. Is there any place for you in that?" I thought for a moment, then shook my head. "No place," I said. "I'm
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