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heard a high…pitched voice and； peering through the dust； caught sight of a small fellow…young； spectacled； bare…chested； and bald…making his way towards him； arms raised。
〃Mr。 Zacharias！ Mr。 Zacharias！〃
He knew the face； but from precisely where he couldn't recall； nor could he put a name to it。 But the man； perhaps used to being only half remembered； was quick to supply the information。
〃Floccus Dado；〃 he said。 〃You remember？〃
Now he did。 This was Nikaetomaas' rade…in…arms。
Floccus snatched off his glasses and peered at Pie。 〃Your lady friend looks sick；〃 he said。
〃It's not a she。 It's a mystif。〃
〃Sorry。 Sorry；〃 Floccus said； slipping his spectacles back on and blinking violently。 〃My error。 Sex was never my strong point。 Is it very sick？〃
〃I'm afraid so。〃
〃Is Nikae with you？〃 Floccus said； peering around。 〃Don't tell me she's gone on ahead。 I told her I was going to wait for her here if we got separated。〃
〃She won't be ing； Floccus；〃 Gentle said。
〃Why in the Hyo not？〃
〃I'm afraid she's dead。〃
Dado's nervous tics and blinks ceased on the instant。 He stared at Gentle with a tiny smile on his face； as if he was used to being the butt of jokes and wanted to believe that this was one。 〃No；〃 he said。
〃I'm afraid so；〃 Gentle replied。 〃She was killed in the palace。〃
Floccus took off his glasses again and ran his thumb and middle finger from the bridge of his nose along his lower lids。 〃That's grim；〃 he said。
〃She was a very brave woman。〃
〃She was that。〃
〃And she put up a very spirited defense。 But we were outnumbered。〃
〃How did you escape？〃 Floccus asked； the inquiry innocent of accusation。
〃That's a very long story；〃 Gentle said； 〃and I don't think I'm quite ready to tell it yet。〃
〃Which way are you heading？〃 Dado said。
〃Nikaetomaas told me you Dearthers have an encampment of some kind； at the margin of the First。 Is that right？〃
〃Indeed we do。〃
〃Then that's where I'm going。 She said a man I knewdo you know Estabrook？ … was healed there。 I want to heal Pie。〃
〃Then we'd best go together；〃 Floccus said。 〃It's no use my waiting here any longer。 Nikae's spirit will have passed by a long time ago。〃
〃Do you have any kind of transport？〃
〃Indeed I do；〃 he said； brightening。 〃A very fine car I found in the Caramess。 It's parked over there。〃 He pointed through the crush。
〃If it's still there；〃 Gentle remarked。
〃It's guarded；〃 Dado said； with a grin。 〃May I help you with the mystif？〃
He put his arm beneath Pie； who had now lost consciousness pletely； then they started to make their way through the crowd； Dado shouting to clear the route ahead。 His demands were almost entirely ignored until he started shouting 〃Ruukassh！ Ruukassh！〃 which had the desired effect of dividing the throng。
〃What's Ruukassh？〃 Gentle asked him。
〃Contagious；〃 Dado replied。 〃Not far now。〃
A few paces on； and the vehicle came into view。 Dado had good taste in loot。 Not since that first glorious trip along the Patashoqua Highway had Gentle set eyes on a vehicle so sleek； so polished…or so wholly inappropriate for desert travel。 It was powder…blue with silver trim； its tires white； its interior fur lined。 Sitting on the hood； its leash tied to one of the wing mirrors； was its guard and antithesis： an animal related to the ragemy…via the hyena…and boasting the least pleasant attributes of both。 It was as round and lardy as a pig； but its back and flanks were covered with a coat of mottled fur。 Its head was short…snouted but heavily whiskered。 Its ears pricked like a dog's at the sight of Dado； and it set up a round of barks and squeals so high they made Dado sound basso profundo by contrast。
〃Good girl！ Good girl！〃 he said。
The creature was up on its stubby legs； shaking its rear in delight at its master's return。 Its belly was laden with teats； which shook to the rhythm of its wele。
Dado opened the door； and there on the passenger seat was the reason the creature was so defensive of the vehicle： a litter of five yapping offspring； perfect miniatures of their mother。 Dado suggested Gentle and Pie take the back seat； while Mama Sighshy； as he called her； sat with her children。 The interior stank of the animals； but the previous owner had been fond of fort； and there were cushions to support the mystifs head and neck。 When Sighshy herself was invited back into the vehicle the stench increased tenfold； and she growled at Gentle in a less than friendly manner； but Dado placated her with baby talk； and she was soon curled up on the seat beside him； suckling her fat babes。 With the travelers assembled； they headed off towards the mountains。
Exhaustion claimed Gentle after a mile or two； and he slept； his head on Pie's shoulder。 The road steadily deteriorated over the next few hours； and the disfort of the journey repeatedly brought him up to the surface of sleep； with scraps of dreams clinging to him。 They were not dreams of Yzordderrex； nor were they memories of the adventures he and Pie had shared on their travels across the Imajica。 It was the Fifth his mind was returning to in these fitful slumbers； shunning the horrors and the murders of the Reconciled Dominions for safer territory。
Except that it wasn't safe any longer； of course。 The man he'd been in that Dominion…Klein's Bastard Boy； the lover and the faker…was a fabrication； and he could never return to that simple； sybaritic life again。 He'd lived a lie； the scale of which even the most suspicious of his mistresses （Vanessa； whose abandoning of him had begun this whole endeavor） could never have imagined； and from that lie； three human spans of self…deceit had e。 Thinking of Vanessa； he remembered the empty mews house in London； and the desolation he'd felt wandering it with nothing to show for his life but a string of broken romances； a few forged paintings； and the clothes he was wearing。 It was laughable now； but that day he'd thought he could fall no further。 Such naivete！ He'd learned lessons in despair since then numerous enough to fill a book； the bitterest reminder lying in wounded sleep beside him。
Though it was distressing to conceive of losing Pie； he refused himself the indulgence of denying the possibility。 He'd turned a blind eye on the unpalatable too often in the past； with catastrophic results。 Now the facts had to be faced。 The mystif was being frailer by the hour； its skin icy； its breath so shallow that on occasion it was barely discernible。 Even if all that Nikaetomaas had said about the Erasure's healing powers proved correct； there would be no miracle cure for such a profound malady。 Gentle would have to go back to the Fifth alone； trusting that Pie 'oh' pah would be fit enough to follow after a time。 The longer he delayed that return； the less opportunity he'd have to muster assistance in the war against Sartori。
That war would e； he had no doubt of it。 The urge to conquer burned bright in his other； as it had perhaps once burned in him； until desire and luxury and forgetfulness had dimmed it。 But where would he find such allies？ Men and women who wouldn't laugh （the way he'd have laughed； six months before） when he started to talk about the Dominion…hopping he'd done and the jeopardy the world was in from a man with his face？ Certainly he wouldn't find imaginations among his peer group supple enough to embrace the vistas he was returning to describe。 They were fashionably disdainful of belief； having had the flesh…as…star…stuff hopes of youth dashed by midnight sweats and their morning reflection。 The most he'd heard any of them confess to was a vague pantheism； and they'd deny even that when sober。 Of them all he'd only ever heard Clem espouse any belief in organized religion； and those dogmas were as antithetical to the message he was bringing from the Dominions as the tenets of a nihilist。 Even if Clem could be persuaded from the munion rail to join Gentle； they would be an army of two against a Maestro who had honed his powers until they could mand Dominions。
There was one other possibility； and that was Judith。 She would certainly not mock his wanderer's tales； but she'd been treated so heinously from the start of this tragedy that he dared not expect forgiveness from her； much less fellowship。 Besides； who knew where her true sympathies lay？ Though she might resemble Quaisoir to the last hair； she'd been made in the same bloodless womb that had produced the Autarch。 Was she not therefore his spiritual sister： not born； but made？ If she had to choose between the butcher of Yzordderrex and those seeking to destroy him； could she be trusted to side with the destroyers； when their victory would mean she'd lose the only creature in the Imajica who shared her condition？ Though she and Gentle had meant much to each other （who knew how many liaisons they'd enjoyed over the centuries； reigniting the desire which had brought them together in the first place； then parting again； forgetting they'd even met？） he had to treat her with the utmost caution from this point on。 She'd been innocent in the dramas of an earlier age； a toy in cruel and careless hands。 But the woman she'd bee over the decades was neither victim nor toy； and if （or perhaps when） she became aware of her past she was perf