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pledging each other in their festival-cups and crying;
"Light! Light!" Gaidu Pyax danced well, swinging Lalette strongly when the
step called for it. Food was presently brought in, and from time to time a
servant would summon the elder Pyax, whereupon he would go to the door and
return with a new guest on his arm, clapping hands to make everyone stop what
they were doing, whereupon all shouted "You are welcome!" as before, and there
would be more drinking of pledges.
Lalette began to feel quite giddy and happy, no longer minding that all these
people seemed to be talking about how terribly expensive everything was, or
staring at her across their shoulders, as though she were an actress. She did
not think anyone here would betray her to the provosts; the women all seemed
to be trying to be kind. The thought of what Dame Leonalda would say if she
knew her daughter were in such a place struck Lalette as funny, and she sat
down, laughing softly to herself over it, to find Aunt Zanzanna bending over
her.
"Would you like to lie down for a while in your room? We have such a nice one
for you."
It was easier to walk with the older woman's arm around her. The room was up
two flights, heavily bowered with hangings, and Lalette thought she noted a
scent of musk as she lay down on the rich bed in all her clothes. The mask
made her feel sick; when she returned from the cabinet she felt so weak she
had to lie down again, but the melody of the volalelle they were dancing down
there would not let her alone, it kept going round and round inside her head
as she slipped down through drowsing wakefulness to full dream and an uneasy
sleep. It must have been nearly day when she woke again, and she felt stiff.
The scrape of violins still came from below; for a few minutes she considered
returning to the festival, then slipped off her clothes and got into bed.
IV
She woke again to see complete spotted sunlight bright across the wall,
wondering for the first sleepy seconds where she was. It was a footstep that
had roused her; she turned her head and saw Gaidu Pyax looking down, with
spots on his costume.
"The greeting of the morning," he said. "It is spring."
"Oh," was all Lalette could say, pulling the covers close around her neck, and
then; "Well, I greet you."
The smile she had once thought rather pleasant became fixed. "I have come to
keep the spring with you." He laid his hand on the edge of the covers. "You
are my partner."
"No. Not this time. No."
"It is festival morning. You must."
"No. What would Rodvard say?"
His laugh had an edge of nastiness. "His head will be on another pillow
now. I know him. Why should you not do it as well as he?"
He reached down and began to paw at the bedclothes against her resistance, the
scream she tried to give was only a squeak in that heavy-hung and distant
room, and then he flung himself on her, catching her wrist to twist it around,
crying; "Witch, witch, I will tame you or break all your bones." She bit at
the hand that touched her face, and with her own arm swung a sweeping blow
that took him where head and neck join. He was suddenly standing beside the
bed again, and she was saying low and furious, through tears:
"If you force me, I will kill myself and you, too. I swear it by the
Service."
Gaidu Pyax' lips pouted out like a little boy's, he sank slowly to one knee
beside the bed, reaching a hand out gropingly. "Ah, I knew it couldn't be
true," he said, and lifted toward her a face of wordless misery.
For a long minute she looked at him, all her fierceness and resolution melting
in the face of that unhappy desire. (She felt no spark for this boy, only
thought: and what if I do, they do not want me, it was all a deceit put upon
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me, and I can at least heal this one's hurt); and was just reaching from under
the covers to draw him to her and comfort him
When a flash of lightning wrote in letters of fire across the inside of her
mind the words _Will you go with we now?_ and though there was no meaning in
what they said, she understood that it told the unfaithfulness of her lover.
The hand that had extended to take that of Pyax patted it instead. "I am
sorry," she said. "Perhaps it was my fault. I should have told you. . . .
When others do it, I never could. But I thank you for the good festival."
Chapter 13
Farewell and Greeting
I
Back again to the place of masks through streets littered with the sour debris
of festival, among which languid sweepers toiled. After what had happened,
Lalette did not ask to say farewell to the elder Pyax or Aunt
Zanzanna. There was a twitch at the corner of the doorman's mouth as he let
them out; she would not let Gaidu accompany her farther than the market square
(for morning had brought back all the anxiety of the price still on her
apprehension). He remarked somewhat spitefully that he could understand how
she would not wish to have her people see a Zigraner bringing her home.
Laduis answered her knock; he seemed truly happy to see her. The widow was at
the cookshop; Lalette changed the mask of Sunimaa for her worn clothes,
finishing just as the woman returned. They ate, talking but little, and that
much in light terms. Dame Domijaiek sent the boy out, and as his footsteps
went down the stair:
"Did you find him?" she asked.
"He is at Sedad Vix." Her mouth worked a little, and with the calm eyes fixed
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