She bowed, kissed her fingers to Becca and was gone, vanished into the garden like one more blossom.

"Well," Altimere said from quite near at hand, "that went . . . differently than I had planned."

Because she must, Becca turned. Fear thrilled through her, and the garden went grey around her.

Courage, Gardener, the tree's raspy voice said. We will keep safe what is yours.

Altimere strolled into sight down the reluctant path. He paused to gaze down upon the flowers that had been their bed, and Becca felt her heart quail in her breast.

"That was . . . rather surprising," Altimere said to the crushed and fragrant flowers. He raised his head and looked into Becca's eyes, and if not for the grip of his will she might have swooned at the anger she saw there.

"Would you abandon me, Rebecca? You find the n.o.ble Benidik more to your taste? Now that she has what she desires from you, do you imagine she would treat you as well as I do? That she would treasure you and hold you as closely?"

She stared at him, shaking, her skin pebbling in the breeze.

"You make a fine picture," he commented coldly, "smeared with leaves, crushed flowers, and berry juice. If my patronage wearies you, perhaps I will give you to my good friend Venpor." He c.o.c.ked an eyebrow. "Well? I give you leave to speak."

It was true; her voice was her own.

"Altimere," Becca gasped. "For the love of breath, what is this if not domination? You make me a stranger to myself; my actions are not my own! I bear the burden of deaths I never desired! I am nothing more than a knife to your hand, a-"

"Silence."

The collar tightened around her throat; her voice choked out.

"I see my error," Altimere continued. "I have a.s.sumed that you might hold the goal as high as I did, myself. You gave your power into my hands, you retained your own name. By these actions, I chose to see that you had the ability to understand what must be accomplished, and the courage to sacrifice yourself to necessity."

Becca struggled. The collar was uncomfortably tight, but not so much that she could not breathe. And if she could breathe, then surely- "Altimere-" she said, her voice a thin croak.

His eyebrows rose. "This is extraordinary. Last night, you challenged my dear friend Venpor, provoking an incident. This afternoon, you plead with the so-n.o.ble Benidik to bear you away. Even now, you defy me. I am impressed, Rebecca Beauvelley."

Hope stirred. Perhaps, Becca thought, he would forgive her. Perhaps- Altimere stepped forward; at the same instant, Rebecca crashed to her knees, her head wrenched back on her neck until the muscles screamed. He looked down on her, his face devoid of expression.

"You will surrender what was harvested in my name," he said. "It need not be as pleasant as a kiss."

Trapped on her knees, unable to move, she stared up into his face, seeing a mist of pale gold rise, and take shape-a scythe, or a hook or- The hook plunged, set into the core of her, and began to pull. Pain threw the world into blackness. She bled joy, love, memory as the burnished fire at the base of her spine was dragged out, thread by fiery thread.

Becca screamed and pushed, fighting the loss as she had fought Jandain's domination. She screamed again-and could not. The collar was tight, tightening; she gasped for breath, and still it tightened, her body's anguish overriding the horror. Names swirled away in a blood-red mist, faces, once dear, faded and were lost. She pushed again, with everything she had left- The pain ceased. She lay in the dirt, twisted, naked, and sobbing for breath. Altimere was gone.

Be at ease, Gardener, the tree murmured. Slowly Becca caught her breath, though the collar remained too tight around her bruised throat, while around her the garden took up its interrupted rhapsody. She lay where she had fallen, and could think of no reason to rise. Surely, she thought, she was bleeding; impossible that the rape she had just suffered had left no mark upon her.

The lightless ones approach, Gardener. The tree's voice roused her from a dream or hallucination in which she wandered the night-time streets of the city, ragged and miserable, only to spy Irene being handed down from her carriage before a brightly lit house. Strains of music came from the windows, and the sounds of animated conversation. She rushed up to her friend, knowing that she had found the one person in the world who would not shun her, who would love her and care for her, no matter what she had done.

"Irene!" She thrust past the coachman, leaving the rag she called her cloak in his hand, but she had no care for that because Irene would take care of her. Sobbing with joy, she placed her hand on her friend's shoulder. "Irene!"

The woman turned, there was her dear face, shocked, as of course she would be, but any moment she would realize- Becca trembled, smiling. "It's Becca," she whispered, and saw horror in her friend's face before she was s.n.a.t.c.hed away among a babble of men's voices and pushed out into the street, while hands groped her nakedness, and patted her head.

She cringed, sobbing, but the Gossamers were stronger than she. They lifted her, gently, despite her struggles and cries, and bore her down the path, into the house and up the ramp to what she groggily realized was her room.

A bath had been drawn. She was slipped into the water, and here came Nancy to undo the braid, while the Gossamers bathed her, their touch as soft and as sweet as any woman's.

Sometime during their ministrations, she lost consciousness, and awoke to her full senses in bed, wrapped in a crisp, white nightgown, reclining in the embrace of a mult.i.tude of pillows. The bed was softly illuminated; the room beyond was dark.

At the bottom of the bed, half in shadow, was Altimere.

Becca shrank back against the pillows. He smiled, sadly, and shook his head.

"There, child," he said softly. "I allowed my anger to have its rein, and I have lost your trust. How could it not be so? Truly, you deserve better of me. Now that I am no longer blinded by anger, I see how well you have served the goal. Venpor's set-down, the plea to Benidik-both can be used to advantage. Yes, child, you serve me well, and I am pleased with you."

"You did send Benidik to me," she murmured, and felt some fragile flower she had nurtured in her breast wither.

"I allowed it to be possible for her to think she had stolen access to you." Altimere laughed gently. "There is nothing the n.o.ble Benidik loves so much as thinking she has gotten away with a theft." He was silent, then continued thoughtfully.

"She is a Fey of great power, and also of some cunning, to have left so little of her kest to be harvested. She must guard herself more closely than I had thought. Still, the matter is well-ended. I shall put that promise to good use, I think. How clever of you, zinchessa, to obtain it."

As always, his voice soothed her, and his words were fair-but the memory of the garden, the violation of her spirit . . .

"I also see that I have not served you as well as I might." He moved forward and sat on the edge of the bed. Smiling softly, he took her left hand and held it between both of his.

"The plan-the goal-it is complex. Even Fey have difficulty understanding the scope of what I would accomplish. Small wonder that you find yourself adrift, making wild throws that-though they have thus far proved to our fortune-might well endanger everything."

She searched his face, but all she saw there was tenderness, and a lingering sadness. "You have already punished me," she said, and was ashamed to hear how her voice shook.

He bowed his head. "I wish you will forgive me that display. It was ill-done." He looked back to her face. "There is nothing here of punishment, zinchessa. Merely, I wish to take from you that burden which, in my thoughtlessness, I required you to bear. You have been eloquent in your willingness to do your part, and for that I have and continue to honor you. The error lies-again!-with me. Relative to those others I have known across the keleigh, you are strong; your spirit adamantine. But you are not Fey. It is my shame and my sorrow that I forgot that, Rebecca, and so caused you to suffer."

"But," she said, honestly bewildered. "What will you do?"

"I will no longer burden you with these periods of solitary thought during which you weave your own clever variations upon our theme. I had thought that the sleep-but no matter. I am determined to rectify all of my errors and make myself worthy once again of your trust."

Becca licked her lips. Surely he could not mean-but, yes, it was possible. If he could lock her to his will at whim, what prevented him from extending that power?

Nothing, she answered herself. The diamond collar made all possible. And she had willingly accepted it, vain fool that she was.

"Altimere," she said, leaning forward and daring to touch his sleeve. "I-I am flattered by your care and protection, but this-you ask too much of yourself," she improvised wildly, wondering why she had not understood until this instant that he was mad. "To be forever in-in my thoughts. Would it not be better to remove the collar, and allow me to go home? You have made great gains. Councilor Zaldore courts you, little guessing that you are her master. She does not guess that your plan, so carefully made, is the plan that will see success. You are beyond what poor a.s.sistance I can give you."

He smiled and shook his head. "That is where you are wrong, zinchessa. I need you now more than ever before." His smile grew wistful, and he leaned forward, voice dropping to a whisper that, aleth help her, thrilled along her nerves.

"I will tell you a great secret. The inclusion of yourself into the plan is itself a variation, for how could I plan on-how could I dare hope that there existed on the face of this sickening earth-the precious treasure who is Rebecca Beauvelley? Now that you have been woven into the pattern, you cannot be unwoven without doing violence to the whole."

Becca drew a deep breath.

"The necklace," she said, as steadily as she was able. "Altimere. You must remove the necklace."

He bowed his head. "If you wish to remove it, zinchessa, then do so. I impede you in no way." Gently, he placed her left hand on her lap and folded his hands upon his knee.

She stared at him, the blood gone to ice in her veins. "You know I cannot."

He raised his head; his face was calm, his eyes reflecting only sadness. "And yet, you placed it and sealed it, of your own will and power."

Well she recalled putting the necklace about her neck, the pain, the wild sense of exhilaration.

"Very well," she said. She sat up against the pillows, concentrated, and began to raise her left hand.

It was agonizing work; though she used her good hand to force it up, the ruined muscles could not suffer the strain. At last she rested her left hand on her left shoulder, fingers gripping the fabric of her nightgown. She screwed her eyes shut, feeling the sweat running her face, raised her right hand and took hold of the edge of the clasp. The left hand inched its way toward the collar, pulling itself along by tiny pinches of fabric.

An eternity pa.s.sed, the arm on fire, and Becca weeping, but at last, the weak fingers touched the clasp. She rested then, the silver warm against her skin, her heart beating joyously against the burning pain. She would do it! Only a moment and a push, like so- Her fingers fumbled, slid, she grabbed wildly for the nightgown-and every muscle in her ruined arm spasmed.

Becca screamed, her body jackknifed, curling 'round the agony in her arm. She felt a hand on her hair, stroking softly. The fire in her arm slowly cooled, the aftermath of pain leaving her drowsy and wistful.

"There, do you see?" Altimere murmured. "You do not truly desire to leave me, to abandon the plan. This is merely a pa.s.sing distemper, brought on by being alone too often with your thoughts, in a strange country, where the customs are not known to you. My error lay in failing to take your full nature into account. I had simply a.s.sumed that you would-but there. I was wrong. I will make rest.i.tution. My eye is upon you, my hand ever raised to protect you."

"Altimere, I beg you-"

"Hush," he said gently, and leaned over to kiss her brow. "Sleep now."

Becca slept.

Chapter Thirty-Six.

They came into the Newman village at dusk, when the star moths were just beginning to flutter beneath the thicker leaves, st.i.tching the shadows with silver.

Meri walked a prudent distance behind Sam Moore, so that his lesser aura was not obscured, and began to feel the local trees take notice. They would, of course, have known of him and his mission; the thought would have begun moving from tree to tree the instant he came under leaf, until the whole of the forest was aware. But travel and arrivals were concepts that trees-even elder trees-accommodated uneasily, so that his actual presence came as a surprise.

They knew him now, though, and their voices clamored for his attention, like so many children plucking at the sleeve of a favorite uncle, who has come late to a gathering. He ought, of course, to answer the welcome in fullness-and would, soon.

As soon as he found whether he would succeed in the trial that was about to overtake him. While it was true that he had come to tolerate proximity to Sam Moore with scarcely any discomfort at all, so long as he kept himself centered upon the trees, or the earth, or the air. He did, however, very much doubt his ability to maintain that concentration in the presence of-a number-of auras, each exciting his newly rising kest.

Welcome, Ranger, a strong voice intruded into these thoughts.

Meri sighed, and stopped in the shadow of the ancient elitch tree, letting his guide go on ahead.

Elder, I thank you for your welcome. Indeed, the welcome of this grove lifts my heart.

We lift your heart, the elitch commented, but we do not free you of fear.

I have heard it said that each man must master his own fears, Elder.

The elitch did not answer immediately, which was perhaps just as well.

"Sam!"

The glad cry came from up ahead, followed by others, accompanied by such a rush and chaos of color that the dusky sky took fire from it. The land lurched under his boots, and it seemed to Meri that the tide had rushed far inland, bearing him up upon its shoulders, drowning out the voices of the lesser tress, obliterating leaf and land.

"Tremor . . . tree . . . Gran . . ."

The wave crashed, thrusting him against the broad, rough trunk of an elitch. Meri twisted, got his back to it and braced himself.

The air around him burned with power, drawing his kest, filling him with a desire to embrace that which was not himself; to share, to achieve completeness.

No. He concentrated: The weight of the pack on his back; the breeze that stroked damp cheeks; the scent of sea and salt marsh; the voice of the elitch tree inside his head . . .

Be at ease, Ranger; there is no danger here. These folk have lived beneath our branches. We know them. We honor them.

Faldana screamed, her voice raw with agony; the glorious, seductive auras bathed the walls, piercing him with longing even as horror froze his heart.

Not here, Ranger. Not these.

The noise of Newman voices faded; the colors became less immediate, and easier to ignore.

Meri felt his knees give and allowed himself to slide down the broad trunk, his pack catching on the rough bark, until he was sitting on the cool ground beneath the tree, alone except for the whisper of breeze, the small murmur of the night wood . . .

. . . and an aura of a faint, delicate green, cool, misty, and soothing.

Another Wood Wise. Meri sighed in exquisite relief. Sian had not utterly abandoned him, after all.

He opened his eye, the greeting rising to his lips.

Crouched before him was the merest sprout-hair a riot of leaf-brown ringlets in which a twig was caught there and here, his clothing scuffed and grubby. His eyes were agate blue, startling in the brown face. Surely, thought Meri, a youth of the Wood Wise.

Surely, the elitch spoke dryly inside his head, a son of the land.

Meri considered that, and extended his poor store of kest, only a little, wisping a tendril toward that delicate aura-and yanking back with a barely suppressed hiss as the contact sparked.

"You're the tree-man Sam went to fetch, aren't you?" the sprout inquired, seemingly oblivious to what had just occurred. "I heard the Old Ones welcome you."

"That's right," Meri answered, slowly, and extended a cautious hand. The sprout surrendered his grubby paw with a grin.

"I am Meripen Vanglelauf, of the Wood Wise."

The boy tipped his head, but did his part courteously enough. "Jamie Moore, of New Hope Village." He lifted his hand away. "The trees call you Meripen Longeye."

"That's another of my names," Meri agreed, as the trees volunteered something of the sprout. "This concept is not unknown to you, as I learn that you are properly called James."

Jamie Moore sniffed. "That depends on who you ask," he commented, a small edge to his burry boy-voice. Meri inclined his head.

"That is how it is with names, after all. And, as you had asked me, I gave the name I wish to be known by."

"Oh." The sprout's fine brows pulled together in thought. While he considered, Meri learned, by way of the trees, that the child's mother was Elizabeth, Sam Moore's sister; his father the Wood Wise Palin Nicklauf.

"What should I call you, then?" the boy asked-and his pale eyes grew round. He ducked his head.