Presently we came to a square where Northerners were lying in untidy rows. Their wounds were being tended by overworked surgeons who seemed to have lost most of their instruments and anaesthetics—beside them dog-tired officers, still in blood-caked uniforms, held candles and tried not to drop

tallow on the patients whose wounds were being dug at with penknives sterilized by being passed through candle-flame.

Suddenly we were startled by a sort of hoarse choking cry behind us over the steady groans and moans.

“Cija!”

I turned. An officer, nearly unrecognizable under blood and weariness and dirt and smoke-black, leapt towards me and suddenly I was clasped tight to him, my nose squashed on buttons.

“Cija!”

“Smahil, please, Smahil—” I disengaged myself with a strength of revulsion.

“Gods, I haven’t seen you since the day we left here a season ago—have you been here all the time? What’s happened? Your leg—Tell me everything—Have you been all right all this time? Why couldn’t you join me?”

“I didn’t want to, Smahil.”

Something in my tone stopped him and made him look at me. There was a pause, then he said, “You bitch” softly.

“Ah, no, Smahil—Listen—Smahil—”

I had forgotten the priest who stood waiting while I told Smahil all I’d discovered.

“You see now? We’re brother and sister—”

“So what? It only makes it more interesting.”

His tone and manner were off-hand, his eyes glittering in his pale face. I could tell I’d made him furiously angry about something.

“So you want to get back to your demon lover and you’re seizing any excuse to leave the only person who’s ever been any good for you—Bravo, it’s even a virtuous excuse and you’ve always been hot on virtue—”

“You know there’s nothing between him and me—”

“So I’m your moony Ooldra’s son, so the High Priest’s my father, so O.K.. this is a shock to me, I always knew I was a foster-child but this is a shock to me—and all you can do is leave me. You hate me because we’ve made love, you never want to touch me again, it’s all over your face and the way you’re acting—”