Gene Wolfe - Return to the Whorl

Pig's eyeless face addressed the fire. "They tell yer how onie blind mon can see a woman, bucky?"

"No, Pig. Not really; but they tell me something equally important that I may have been in danger of forgetting-that real stories, real events, never really end. When Nettle and I wrote our few pages about Blood, we thought that Blood's story and this big house's were over and done with. Blood was dead and the house had been looted, and there was nothing left to do but write it down as we had heard it from Silk and Hyacinth and the old man who had built the kite. He had come with us to Blue, by the way, and didn't want us to use his name, although he told us a great deal about Musk and his birds. We never foresaw that Blood and his daughter and his house would live on in legend, but that is clearly what has happened."

" 'Tis a book h'or somethin' yer wrote, bucky?"

"Yes, that my wife and I wrote together. May I have some of your wine, Hound?"

"Certainly. You said you didn't want any."

"I know." He wiped the mouth of the bottle, and put it to his own.

"H'on me h'account, bucky?"

"Yes. You can't drink since you've lost your sight. That, at least, is what you've told me."

"Aye. A mon what drinks has got ter see, h'or falls."

"I understand. We were together, you and I, Pig-closer than either of us is to Hound, though he and Tansy have treated us so well. If you couldn't drink wine, I wouldn't. We're going to be separated for a while now, and to tell you the truth, I think a few swallows of Hound's good wine may be needed to keep off the ghosts. Here you are, Hound, and thank you."

Hound accepted the bottle. "Do you mean the ugly daughter?"

"Was nae h'ugly ter me," Pig said rather too loudly.

"Silk talk!"

"No, I'll be looking for Mucor-for the daughter in your story." He stood, aided by his staff. "I'm going to leave my lantern here with you. As you say, the candle is valuable and may be irreplaceable. I shouldn't need it to see her any more than Pig needed eyes. It had never occurred to me to ask how Silk saw Mucor when she wasn't physically present."

Pig rose, too. "Comin' wi' yer, bucky."

"I-this is something I would prefer to do alone."

"Be blind Was me, bucky. H'oreb can tell yer, but better yer had somebody what's h'used ter h'it. Bucky… "

"Yes, Pig?"

"Bonnie she was, bucky. Beautiful ter me, ter auld Pig. Yer a smart mon, bucky."

He shook his head, although he knew that Pig could not see the gesture. "No, Pig."

"Yer h'are. Dinna stand nae higher 'n me belt, an' bony. Bonnie ter me, though. Ken why, bucky?"

"Yes, I believe so. Because you could see her, and she was the only thing you've seen in however long it's been. In years."

"Smack h'on, bucky. Yer ken her, dinna yer?"

"Yes, Pig. I-this will mean nothing to you, I realize-but I helped feed and care for her while she and I were living in the Calde's Palace in Viron." He turned to Hound. "Does it surprise you that I lived in the Calde's Palace for a few days?"

Hound shook his head.

"I did, and Nettle and I came to know Mucor there, the woman you've been calling the ugly daughter. Much later, she gave me a tame hus. I'd like to show her that I'm here trying to repay her by finding eyes for her grandmother, and ask where Silk is."

Hound said, "You credit this ghost, both of you."

"Yes. Except that she isn't dead-or I don't believe she is. Certainly she did not starve to death in this house."

"H'if yer h'object ter me comin', bucky-"

"I do. I-yes, I do."

"What'll yer do h'about h'it? Think yer can gae sae hush naebody can hear yer?"

"Pig come," Oreb declared.

"Be talkin' ter her, bucky. An' me? Be standin' behind yer, lookin' h'over yer head. Yer hear, bucky? Said lookin'."

"Yes, Pig. I understand. If I agree to your coming, will you assist me? There's a climb, and it may be difficult. Will you let me stand on your shoulders?"

"Will he? He will!"

"Then come with me."

Together they went out into the blind dark. One of the donkeys brayed, happy to hear human footsteps; and both spoke to it, equally happy, perhaps, to hear another voice, even if it was no more than that of a friendly animal. When they halted and turned to face the villa again, the faint radiance of the fire, glowing weakly through the open doorway, seemed as remote as the burning city in the skylands.

"Where we gang, bucky?"

"To the room Hound mentioned." He found that he was almost whispering, and cleared his throat. "The room to which Mucor was confined by Blood. We're facing the villa now, and it should be to the right, though I can't be certain of that. Oreb, you can see the building before us, can't you?"

"See house!"

"Good. There was a conservatory at one end, a rather low addition with battlements like the rest, and large windows. Can you see that?"

"Bird find." Oreb took wing. "Come bird!"

"Ter yer right, bucky."

"I know." He had already begun to walk. "This was a soft lawn once, Pig."

"Aye."

"A soft, green lawn, before what was in effect a palace, an establishment more palatial than the Calde's Palace in the city, or even the Prolocutor's Palace. It's hard to believe that all the changes that have taken place here have been-ultimately-for the best. Yet they have."

Pig's hand closed upon his shoulder. "Swing yer stick wider, bucky. Yer h'about ter hit ther wall."

"Thank you. I'm afraid I had practically forgotten to swing it at all."

"Aye. Yer see like yer bird, bucky?"

Hearing him, Oreb called, "Come bird!"

"No. I can see no better in this darkness than you can yourself, Pig."

"Then swing yer stick an' tap ther ground 'fore yer get a fall ter teach yer."

"I will. Have you found the conservatory yet, Oreb?"

"Bird find! Come bird!"

"He's nearer now, isn't he, Pig? Pig, can you judge whether the building on our left is as high now as it was? The original structure is three stories and an attic, as I remember."

There was a lengthy pause before Pig replied, " 'Tain't nae mair, h'or dinna seem like h'it."

"Then we're here." The tip of his staff found the wall. "I'm no acrobat, Pig, and even if I were I'd imagine I might have trouble balancing on your shoulders in the dark. Can you stoop here, near this wall, so I can get on? And remain near enough for me to prop myself on it as you stand up? You'll find me heavy, I'm afraid."

"Yer, bucky?" Pig squeezed his shoulder. "Had me fetch oot a donsy mon, ance. Cap'n Lann, 'twas." Pig squatted, bringing his voice to the level of his listener's ear. "A heavy mon they said, yer ther h'only ane ter carry him. Climb h'on, bucky."

"I'm trying."

"'Twasn't easy ter find him, but he did nae weigh nae mair'n a pup. Me arms wanted ter tass him like a stick. Sae when Nall was safe 'twas back h'again an' here's yer horse. Had h'it behind me neck like a yowe. He was that fashed. Standin' noo, bucky. Got yer han' h'on ther wall?"

"Yes," he said, "I'm ready any time."

It was not as easy as he had hoped, but he was just able to squeeze through one of the ornamental crenels.

"Silk come!" Oreb announced proudly.

"Well…" He got his feet, puffing with exertion. "At least it's true Silk was up here once."

He leaned across the battlement, trying in vain to see his friend in the darkness. "Pig, do you think you might hand my staff up? I laid it by the wall, and I'll need it to feel my way along."

"Aye." A pause. "Here 'tis. Put h'out yer han'."

"No close. Come bird."

Oreb's owner felt a sudden thrill of fear. "Don't hit him with it by accident, as I did once."

"Got yer han' feelin' fer h'it, bucky?"

"Silk feel!"

"Yes. Yes, I-stop! It touched my fingers just then. There, I've got it."

"Guid. What h'about me, bucky? How's Pig ter get h'up?"