Captives of the Flame

block. Once a cat with a struggling gray shape in its teeth hurtled across his path. Later he saw an overturned garbage can with a filigree of fish bones ornamenting the parti-colored

ed up to her, but she saw him and motioned him away. Puzzled, he went to a stoop and sat down to watch. As he

st a quarter of a unit ..." The woman smiled, but shook her head. "You look like you come from the mainland," Rara called after her. "Well, good luck here in the New World, sister, the Island of Opportunity." Immediately she turned to another man, this one in a deep green un

man in uniform. "It's ille

ne clairvoyant. Just a second ..." And her hands began

get moving," and he gave

ened from the kharba fruit, licked the juic

el reached her, her birthmark scarlet. "J

t a

too angry," she said. Th

ter is?" Tel asked. "

not in

't find h

on the roof?

fway up the ladder on the second floor that went to the trap door in the ceiling that he wondered wh

pe that went from the stone chimney to a supporting

you doing?

d down at him.

icing

of the bar, but suddenly swung her legs up so that her ankles nearly touched her hands, and then whipped them down again, ending the kip by supporting herself upright on the metal perch. Then she flung her legs back (Tel jumped because she looked like she was g

id. "How did

rom her hands and one knee. Then the knee came loose, and her feet came slowly to the ground. "You've jus

I could

to try s

e wh

nd grab hold

keep his feet flat on the tar-papered roo

p and hook your left

cked up once, miss

head back," she instructe

t the bar slide into the crook of his knee. He was hanging by his left

ow swing your right leg up and down, three times, and then swing it down real hard." Tel lifted his leg, dropped it, and at once

him and his body swung upward away from the direction of the kick. "Whoooo," he said, and then felt an arm steadying his w

how you mount the bar. I

er than climbing.

ht. Now straighten your back leg behind you." As he tried, he felt

If you don't obey instructions you'll have a head full of tar paper.

elbows

I'm holding under you and throw your

ed to happen?"

ns," replied Alter

hich was upside down), till an instant later the pale blue towers of Toron, all pointing in the wrong direction, pierced his sight. Righting themselves, they jerked out of his line of vision and he was looking straight up at

top, he hunched forward and closed his eyes. "Mmmmmmmmmm," he said. Alter's

"You did it very well too." Then she laughed. "Only

get down?"

aight," s

ightened

hat he was supported by just his hands. "Now bend forward and roll over, slowly if you can." Tel rolled, felt the bar slip from where it was pressed against his wais

. You've got three stunts now in less than five minutes. The knee mount, back knee circle,

"You know, it feels real funny, doing that stuff. I mean you

at's why a good acrobat has to be a person who can sort of relax and j

for you when I came up here.

brushing a shock of whi

ls on lengths of leather thong. There were three loops of leather, each longer than the one before, and the shells were spread

hing the green brilliance of one frail cornucopia, passing to the muted orange of an

, picking up the globe and beg

of the roof and leaned on the balustrade, looking to the street below, then over

l said. "I've

pers, no place to go.

's part of it, I guess. I guess it'

what i

am, in a new place, with no way to get any

I had to do was ride it out. So that's what I've been doing, and I haven't been too unhappy. Maybe it's the difference between living here or on the seashore. But here you've got to spend a lot of time looking for the next mea

asked Tel. "You just do the right

said Alter.

a fruit was cool, sweet like

trade and saw Geryn's white head poking from the trap door. "Come d

that the scarred giant was still sitting at the tab

of papers on the table. "Come around, everyone." The top sheet was covered with fine writing and careful architectural dr

u'll be with the special group." He named six more people. Tel was among them. A third group was formed which Geryn himself was to lead. Arkor's group was for strong-arm

l, "you haven'

him. "You have

ir

tch you. Then, when they're occupied with you, we'll break in.

osed to st

u'll get away when

Geryn went bac

the first sound of the change signal; another who waited a moment to exchange greetings with his replacement, a friend from his military academy days. Second, he saw

a picture of the entire device. The groups were to split into subgroups of two or three, then reconvene at appointed spots around the castle. T

t, aren't you?" Tel fi

nod

el asked, trying to make c

ising his hand to his scars with a smal

private suites of the royal family. This evening, however, a drunk in rags reeled out of a side street and collided with the old man. A moment later, making profuse apologies, he backed away, ducking his head,

ones came by and offered them for his perusal, it is not surprising that he lowered his head over the tray and filled his lungs with that strange, pungent smell somewhere between orange rind and the sea wind. Forty-

verged on a fourteen-year-old boy with black hair

n't have any? Come on with us. Get the camera out, Jo. We'll have to photograph him and send

was out of the shadows and over the gate

id, while I get yo

unconscious, but no one else was hurt. They dispersed the rowdies, carried the guard to the infirmary, and left. The doctor saw him in the waiting room, then left him there momentarily to look for an accident report slip in the supply room at t

aring a size seventeen uniform, saluted

on one end over a third story cornice. They missed once,

was a silver crown, indicating the room of the Queen Mother; he took a complete set of keys to the private suites of the royal family fr

, and checked the street sign. It was correct

r hanging head down outside the shutter. He stood very still The upside down face smiled at him. Then the hands converged at the window lock, d

n to the door second. When he couldn't open it,

whispered. "And relax," she added. "The Duchess of Petra sent me. More or less." She

ped. It's for your own good, believe me." She

you?" h

of yours if yo

you going t

n a trip. But you'll

s my mot

nows except you and the Duchess, an

and pressed his heel against the side board. There was a tiny clic

ince's bed, and turned to the window. Light from the crystal chandelier caught

sed his thumb hard on the purple garnet that encrusted the cro

pe. She pulled them in, untied them, and shook them out as the rope suddenly flew out the wi

out of his pajama pa

your pocket

nd took out a

door with those,"

ock though, he bent down and looked through the keyhole. "Hey," h

motion Let made was to lean against one of the panels

hing," Alter said

y, put it in the lock,

size seventeen uniform), "you come along with me." He took Let firmly by one arm and Alter by the other and ma

uard passed another uniformed man at the Sentry's post, he

he guard and scratched

was escorting Alter and the Prince.

red the guard

e they got there, they were turned off into a side street. Then suddenly th

he Prince?

," said

t asked. "Where a

el. I'm a fis

er," Alter intr

acrobat,"

Let said. "Reall

of them in rags like their own. Suddenly they laughed. The

eat and where you can get a good nig

my mother will

hurt you, silly," T