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.Nor did he again in all eternityhave to push aside the riffraff he had cursed; he was alone.This, however, was not the sum total of the traveler's doings as he passedfrom place to place within his realm.In Kanish-Kulya they had built a wall tokeep Kanishmen and Kulyamen apart, and from either side, set into the masonry,grinned down the skulls of those dead in a war for which the reason had longbeen forgotten.In this strange and dreadful place Fegrim was pent under avolcano; shadowed by its cone the traveler halted and spoke long and seriouslywith that elemental, and when he was done the country for a mile on every sidePage 30 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlwas dusted with cinders, little and bright as fireflies.At Gander's Well, branched Yorbeth brooded in the guise of a tall tree whosemain root tapped a wonderful subterranean spring and whose boughs, fed withmiraculous sap, sprouted leaves and fruit the like of which had not been seenunder any sun before.The traveler spent an hour in the shade of that tree,and for the questions he asked was constrained to carry away a red twig andlater catch a cat andperform a ceremony with these two items-a price he paid with heavy heart, forhe had been told nothing of any great use in his inquiries.Also he consulted with Farchgrind, and in Leppersley he cast the bones of agirl's foot to read the runes they formed, and after great labor heincarcerated Wolpec in a candle over whose flame he smoked a piece of glasswhich thereupon showed three truths: one ineluctable, one debatable and oneincomprehensible.That was in Teq, when the end of his journey was near.So presently he came to Barbizond, where there was always a rainbow in the skybecause of the bright being Sardhin, chained inside a thundercloud withfetters of lightning.Three courses remained to him: he might free Sardhin andlet him speak, and from here to the horizon nothing would be left savehimself, the elemental, and that which was of its nature bright, as jewels, orfire, or the edge of a keen-bladed knife;or he might do as once he had done under similar circumstances-address himselfto an enchanter and make use of powers that trespassed too far towards nakedchaos to be within his own scope--or, finally, he might go forward inignorance to the strange city and confront the challenge of fate without thearmor of foreknowledge.Some little while remained to him before he needed to take his irreversibledecision.Coming toBarbizond, therefore, he made his way down a fine broad avenue where plane andlime trees alternated in the direction of a steel-blue temple.There stood thealtar of Hnua-Threl, who was also Sardhin when he chose to be; the peopleinvoked him with daily single combats on the temple floor.They were not agentle folk, these inhabitants of Barbizond, but they were stately, anddied-in tournaments, or by the assassin's knife, or by their own hand-withdignity.A death had lately occurred, that was plain, for approaching the city gatecame a funeral procession: on a high-wheeled cart drawn by apes in brazenharness, the corpse wrapped in sheets of lead, gold and woven leaves; a bandof gongmen beating a slow measure to accompany musicians whistling onbird-toned pipes no longer than a finger; eight female slaves naked to theceaseless warm rain; and last a straggle of mourners, conducting themselvesfor the most part with appropriate solemnity.He who passed penultimately of the mourners, however, was a fat and jollyperson on each of whose shoulders perched a boy-child, and the two wereplaying peekaboo around the brim of his enormous leather hat.The travelerstared long at him before stepping out from the shelter of the nearest treeand addressing him courteously."Your pardon, sir, but are you not named Eadwil?""I am," the fat one answered, not loath to halt and let the funeral wend itsway to the graveyard without his assistance."Should I know you, sir?""Perhaps not," said the traveler in black."Though I know you.I'd notexpected to see you here; you were formerly one of the chief merchantenchanters of Ryovora.""A long time ago, sir," Eadwil answered with a deprecating smile.The twochildren on his shoulders giggled, and one of them tried to catch hold of thetraveler's staff, almost lost his balance, and righted himself with the aid ofa pat from Eadwil's broad soft hand."May I ask what brought about your change of residence?" the travelermurmured.Page 31 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html"My change of employment," Eadwil shrugged, again nearly dislodging the moreventuresome boy."You spoke of me as a merchant enchanter; so I was! But whenthe decision was taken, many years ago, to letrational thought rule Ryovora and put an end to conjurations there, certainconsequences followed.For myself I have no regrets; there was a geas upon mewhich made my feet glow red-hot when I walked, and now nothing worse attends along tramp like today's than an occasional blister.And these my grandsons too-hey, you little nuisances?-they'd not be here today if I'd continued tosubmit to the other main restriction which purchased my powers." He rubbed theboys' backs affectionately, and they responded by pulling his ears.This was quite true, as the traveler was aware.Eadwil had postponed thegrowing of his beard until unusually late in life by making the trade on whichhis command of magic had been founded."So there came an end to my conjuring of fine silks and spices, of rare winesand exotic perfumes!"Eadwil pursed his lips."And there were, one must confess, certain persons inRyovora who felt the lack of these luxuries and accused us retired enchantersof-ha-hm!-betraying them.Therefore I removed toBarbizond.It's a fair city in its way, and even though the local customs arenot wholly to my taste, here they do at least have scores of enchanters oftheir own, so that no one plagues me to be about magical doings.You havelate news of Ryovora, sir? For it comes to my mind that I've heard nothingfrom my old home in quite a while."The traveler shook his head and gave a wry smile."It's a fair span since Iset foot there.Indeed, I was hoping you might be able to give me certaininformation which I lack, rather than vice versa."Eadwil looked politely downcast at being of no help; then one of the boys grewimpatient and started to fidget."Home?" said his grandfather, and laughed indulgently."Very well-oldHarpentile is in no state to notice that we failed to attend his burying.Goodday to you, sir," he added to the traveler."It's been pleasant to renew ouracquaintance, and I greatly hope you find someone who can aid you in theseinquiries where Ifailed you.""As you wish, so be it," said the traveler under his breath, and a greatweight seemed to recede from his heart.IIThat accomplished, there was no more to 'do than sit and wait until the courseof fate worked itself out.The traveler took a chair at a curbside tavern; with his elbows on a greentable-top, protected from the rain by a pink umbrella, he watched thepassers-by and wondered in what guise his helper would come.The avenue grew crowded as the day wasted.Horsemen in gay jerkins with armorclanking at their saddlebows came by, challengers in some tourney for the handof an heiress; also there were pedlars, and wonder-workers possessed of a fewsmall tricks-for which they had paid excessively, to judge by their reddenedeyes, pocked cheeks, limping gait or even womanly-shrill voices
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