Long Sun - Nightside The Long Sun Part 54

checking out the girls so diey don't give anybody anything he hasn't got already. You know what I mean, Patera?"

Silk nodded. "I do indeed. But where does he do it? Is there some sort of infirmary-"

"He goes to their rooms. They got to undress and wait in their rooms until he gets there. When he's through with them, they can go out if they want to."

"I see." Silk stroked his cheek, his eyes thoughtful.

"If you're looking for him, he's probably upstairs. He always does the upstairs first."

"Fine," Blood said impatiently. "Crane's gone back to 1 work. Why shouldn't he? You'd better do the same, Patera. I still want this place exorcised, and in fact it needs it now more than ever. Get busy."

"I am about my work," Silk told him. "This is it, you see,

* or at least it's a part of it, and I believe that I can help you. You spoke of disposing of that poor girl's-of Orpine's- , body. I suggest that we bury it."

Blood shrugged. "I'll see about doing something-she won't be found, and she won't be missed. Don't worry about it."

"I mean that we should inter it as other women's bodies are interred," Silk explained patiently. "There must be a memorial sacrifice for her at my manteion first, of course.

*- Tomorrow's Scylsday, and I can combine the memorial

service with our weekly Scylsday sacrifice. We've a man in

" the neighborhood who has a decent wagon. We've used

' him before. If none of these women are willing to wash and

dress their friend's body, I can provide one who will take

'>care of that as well."

Grinning, Blood thumped Silk on the arm. "And if some

', s.h.a.ggy hoppy sticks his nose in, why we didn't do anything

irregular. We had an augur and a funeral, and buried the

*v K>or girl in respectable fas.h.i.+on-he's intruding on our

258.

Gene Wolfe

NlGHTSIDE THE LONG SuN

259.

grief. You're a real help, Patera. When can you get your man here?"

"As soon as I return to my manteion, I suppose, which will be as soon as I've exorcised this house."

Blood shook his head. "I want to get her out of here. What about that sibyl I talked to yesterday? Couldn't she get him?"

Silk nodded.

"Good." Blood turned to the handsome young man beside him. "Musk, go down to the manteion on Sun Street and ask for Maytera Marble-"

Silk interrupted. "She'll probably be in the cen.o.by. The front door's on Silver Street, or you could go through the garden and knock at the back."

"And tell her there's going to be a funeral tomorrow. Have her get this man with the wagon for you. What's his name, Patera?"

"Loach."

"Get Loach and his wagon, or if he's not available, get somebody else. You don't know what happened to Orpine. A doctor's looked at her, and she's dead, and Patera here is going to take care of the funeral for us, and that's all you know. Get the woman, too. I don't think any of these s.l.u.ts could face up to it."

"Moorgra.s.s," Silk put in.

"Get her. You and die woman ride in the wagon so you can show diis cully Loach where it is. If the woman has to have anything to work with, see that she brings it with her. Now get going."

Musk nodded and hurried away.

"Meantime you can get back to your exorcism, Patera. Have you started yet?"

"No. I'd hardly arrived when this happened, and I want to find out a great deal more about the manifestations they have experienced here." Silk paused, stroking his cheek. "I

said that I'd just arrived, and that is true; but I've had time enough to make one mistake already. I told Orchid that I didn't care what the devils-or perhaps I should say the devil, because she spoke as though tiiere were only one- had been up to. I said it because it was what they taught us to say in the schola, but I believe it may be an error in this case. I should speak with Orchid again."

The burly man grunted. "I can tell you. Mostly it's brea-idn* mirrors."

"Really?" Silk leaned forward. "I would never have guessed it What else?"

"Rippin1 up the girls' clothes."

The burly man looked toward Blood, who said, "Sometimes they're not as friendly as we'd like them to be to the .bucks. The girls aren't, I mean. A couple times one's talked crazy, and naturally the buck didn't like it. Maybe it was just nerves, but the girls got hurt."

', "And we don't like that," the burly man said. "I got both those culls pretty good, but it's bad for business."

"You have no idea what may be doing this?" , "Devils. That's what everybody says." The burly man 'feoked toward Blood again. "Jefe?"

- "Ask Orchid/' Blood told Silk. "She'll know. I only know

_'.

*mat she tells me, and if an exorcism makes everybody feel

%fctter . . ." He shrugged.

f Silk rose. "I'll speak to Orchid if I can. I realize she's , but I may be able to console her. That, too, is a part my work. Eventually, I'd like a talk with Chenille as well. 's the tall woman with the fiery hair, isn't it? Chenille?" ,,: Blood nodded. "She's probably gone by now, but she'll back around dinner. Orchid's got a walk-up upstairs r the big room out front."