Part 68 (1/2)

Blood's fleshy features filled the gla.s.s. ”Councillor Lemur ought to hear this.”

Blood's face was replaced by the deceptively cheerful-looking visage of Potto. ”You can give me the message.”

”I'd rather-”

Crane smiled at Blood's reluctance.

”That doesn't matter. What is it?”

Crane edged nearer the gla.s.s.

When Blood had faded and the monitor reappeared to tell him there were no further exchanges of interest, Crane dipped his quill again. ”Later. The bird has come back of its own volition. It is said to be in good condition.”

320 Gene Wolfe

He wiped the quill carefully and returned it to his pen case, blew on the paper, and folded and refolded it until it was scarcely larger than his thumbnail. When he pressed it into Sphigx's swordless left hand, the hand closed upon it.

Crane smiled, put away his pen case and the remaining paper, and considered the advisability of a long soak in the tub before bed. There was a good light in die bathroom- he had installed it himself-and if he read for an hour, the tightly folded sheet would have taken on the brown hue of the elaborately carved wood before he retired. He always liked seeing that, enjoyed making sure. He was, as he had to be, a very careful man.

”Thanks,” Auk said as he resumed his seat. ”I feel better now. Listen, Patera, do you know how to use that thing?”

”The needier?” Silk shrugged. ”I fired it, as I told you. Not other than that.”

Auk refilled his goblet. ”I meant the azoth. No, naturally you don't, but I'll tell you about the needier anyhow.”

He drew his own needier, twice the size of the engraved and gold-plated weapon in Silk's pocket ”Notice I got die safety on? There's a lever like this on both sides.”

”Yes,” Silk said. ”So it won't shoot. I know about that.”

”Fine.” Auk pointed with his table knife. ”This pin here, sticking out? You call this the status pin. If it's pushed out like that, you've got needles left.”

Silk took Hyacinth's needier from his pocket again. ”You're right, it's flush with the side.”

”Now watch. I can empty mine by pulling this loading k.n.o.b back.”

A silver fountain of needles sprang from the breach of Auk's needier and scattered over the table. Silk picked one

up.

”There's not much to see,” Auk said. ”Just little rods of

NlGHTSIDE THE LONG SuN

321.

solid alloy-some kind of stuff that a lodestone pulls a lot better than steel.”

Silk tested the tip with his finger. ”I thought they'd be sharper.”

”Huh-uh. They wouldn't work as good. If a thing as little as that went straight through somebody, it probably wouldn't do much damage. You want it to slew around so it cuts sidewise. The point's rounded just a shade to make it feed into the barrel, but not much.”