The Asutra
Page 17
Ifness spoke in a voice of polite concern, "You seem troubled; has my account distressed you in any way?"
"Not at all," said Etzwane. "As you say, truth destroys many illusions."
"As you can apprehend, I was preoccupied with large causes and unable to attend to the captured Alula, who presumably once again wander beside the Vurush River. " He glanced at his chronometer. "What were your own actions subsequent to our parting?"
"They were of no great consequence," said Etzwane. "After some small inconvenience I returned to Shillinsk. I brought your boat back to Garwiy."
"That is good of you. Dasconetta sent a space car down to Shillinsk for me, which of course I used. " Ifness glanced at his chronometer. "If you will excuse me, I must leave. Our association has spanned several years, but I doubt if we will meet again. I am leaving Durdane and I do not plan to return."
Etzwane, slumping back in his chair, said nothing. He thought of far places, of flowing rivers and nomad clans. He remembered terror aboard the transport ship and the death of Karazan; he thought of black velvet moors and the purple-black morass; he recalled Polovits and Kretzel… Ifness had risen to his feet. Etzwane said, "At Shagfe is an old woman named Kretzel. She knows fourteen thousand cantos to the Great Song of the Ka. The knowledge will die with her."
"Indeed. " Ifness hesitated, pulling at his long chin. "I will submit this information to an appropriate agency, and Kretzel will be interviewed, no doubt to her profit. And now- "
Etzwane blurted, "Do you require an aide, an assistant? " He had not meant to ask the question; his words had come of themselves.
Ifness smilingly shook his head. "Such an association would surely be impractical Gastel Etzwane: goodbye. " He departed the inn.
Etzwane sat still and alone for fifteen minutes. Then he rose and went to another table across the room. His appetite had vanished; he called for a flask of strong wine. He became aware of music: Frolitz and the Pink-Black-Azure-Deep Greeners played a pleasant air of the Lor Asphen uplands.
Frolitz came to stand by the table. He laid a hand on Etzwane's shoulder. The man is gone, and just as well. He has had a baneful influence upon you; in fact he has distracted you from your music. Now he is gone, and things will be as before. Come play your khitan."
Etzwane looked into the depths of the cool wine, studying the lights and colors. "He is gone, but tonight I have no stomach for music."
"'Stomach'? " scoffed Frolitz. "Who plays with his stomach? We use hands and breath and merry inclinations."
"True. But my fingers are numb; I would embarrass us all. Tonight I will sit and listen, and drink a glass or two of wine, and tomorrow we will decide. " He looked toward the door, though he knew that Ifness had gone.
Jack Vance
***
[1] 'Among the Chilites of Temple Bashon, each Pure Boy selected for himself a name exemplifying his hopes for the future. Gastel was an heroic flyer of ancient times, Etzwane a legendary musician. The name had caused Etzwane's soul-father, Osso, shock and dissatisfaction.
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[2] Discriminator: in the language of Shant, avistioi-literally, "nice discriminator. " The avistioi originally were inspectors hired by the Garwiy Aesthetes, and only gradually assumed the function of the cantonal police. Etzwane and Aun Sharah had expanded their scope.
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[3] Schiafarilla: a cluster of two thousand magnificent stars which illuminated the summer nights of Shant. The Earth worlds lay on the far side of the Schiafarilla.
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[4] Pacer: a draft beast evolved from bullocks brought to Durdane by the first settlers. Horses similarly imported died of gland fever or were killed by ahulphs
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[5] The construction of the glass city Garwiy was controlled by the Aesthetic Society, which eventually became a caste of hereditary nobility, the Aesthetes.
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[6] Chumpa: a large, indigenous animal similar to the quasi-biped ahulphs but less intelligent and characterized by a ferocious disposition.
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[7] Kreposkin, The Kingdoms of Old Caraz.
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[8] Aersk: untranslatable. Loosely, a fearless nobleman of the high crags, whose first needs are space, sunlight, and storms.
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