DEVIN AS hAVING A BAD DAY.

    At nineteen  completely reconciled o o triad o go . It ime since  of  from trees in triving to stretctle more  out of his frame.

    to  a number of t came  . e o be able to forget ternoon urning ing  ree upside doer it still rankled  use, ely grasped o do.

    quot;ell tle one!quot; Povar  , and retc good  of Devins precociously profane vocabulary.

    ell, t  time ually tried to make aller. Very late t same nigo t of pig slop over eacing like Adaon on ain e almost before tarted.

    ayed ao ed to o olidly good-natured, ten t.

    Devin, cursed or blessed . t impossible, in fact—but t did noto lessen  farm in t  long after t incident t Devin  iced as a singer to Menico di Ferraut hird spring.

    Devin  been back since, taking a  spring. It  t reated on t  t  fit in, and all four of t. Farming in Asoli imes grim tling to y against tant encroacs of t, ony of the days.

    If  mig, but te aken able perureless spaces of tlands, but no source of nurture or ive youngest cs,  turn out to be,  the land.

    After t t Devins voice ry ballads it ain collective relief t tanding in table greyness and rain. urning back to c of t before ting o ale, odd brothe shoulder.

    quot;If t treat you rig; ;you can come heres a place.”

    Devin remembered botle bloure s he

    trut everyt for e.

    But ing doaken h.

    Since t everything was held in his mind.

    And if ,  muco put a cin do t  recall feeling trated in years. Since, if trutold, t looked as if  all.

    , Devin dAsoli asked o do to get a drink in Astibar? And on tival, no less!

    tively laug not so infuriating. It  inn t refused to serve ed flask of Senzio green tocked, joy-killing priests of Eanna. t fervently, deserved better of s.

    It appeared t a year ago, in t of terminable jockeying for ascendancy s yrants token council t too muciousness among tibar and t, more to t of course, suc And since it  taverns and khav rooms bred license . . .

    It aken less to promulgate and begin enforcing a la no youteen years could buy a drink in Astibar.

    Eannas dust-dry priests celebrated—in ic fased—tty triumps of Morian and t priestesses of ties ed ably, wine.

    tavern-keepers ly un didnt do to be loudly unibar) t so mucrade as for ted laavern, or k time, if any of tous Barbadian mercenaries so drop by, and srarily—to decide t a given patron looked too young . . .  avern closed for a montavern-keeper locked up for time.

    All of een-year-olds in Astibar truly out of luck. Along  gradually became evident teen-year-old singer from Asoli.

    After tions along t side of treet of temples, Devin empted to go across to tasy, and atic. As anotional, option emplated breaking a ing if any of tc.

    o do so, as muc of genuine devotion to Eanna of to an oppressive areets of As- tibar. tern Palm of course, but no as it ibar where Alberico had based himself.

    In t tounately still-functioning sense of smell, toannery Lane. And t ill by tanners craft, tle of green, no questions asked, in a tavern called te to tablis.

    Even t, evil-smelling ely full. Astibar o overfloomorroart of tival of Vines. t  in Cer-

    tando, Devin kney of people ins or co spend, and in a mood to spend too.

    tainly no free tables to be o a corner  took a judicious sip of ered but not unusually so, oation upon the perfidy and unreasonableness of women.

    As embodied, specifically, by Catriana dAstibar t two weeks.

    ed t ime before te-afternoon re before t at ty ate oomorroo muse  of a bottle and still srouper any indignantly.

    ner. ines like a ra re of troupe.

    Including impossible Catriana. o be tormed out of t o call to a . o react  morning?

    Cursed ed back room on triana, and . t;Song of Love,quot; a piece ratably requested by ts wife, a piece Devin upor, a coma, sound asleep.

    And so pertle bored, a little distracted, tle closer tely necessary to t, red-ting per so  still, even so ...

    quot;Devin, in triad,quot; riana dAs-tibar, breaking up tirely, quot;do you t your mind a  a difficult song!”

    tion of a fair complexion led Devins face all to brigion—was laughem.

    Unable to to compromise tattered sy by yielding to ial impulse to reac.

    Menico as  but  assuaged: troupe-leaders ample pauncer as ears from his round, bearded face.

    So Devin tle of Senzio green and a dark place to drink it in on a brilliant autumn morning in Astibar. enuous comfort of sed to figure out, about tle from no arrogant red-maned creature back in the rehearsal room.

    If only s so depressingly tall, . Morosely  templated imes sake.

    quot;S; someone said.

    iturned to cope able aspects of being small and looking very young while drinking alone in a sailors bar.

    reassuring. ioner er radiating at emples. Even so: quot;t; Devin said, quot;but Ive most of my otle left and I prefer o being one for sailors. Im also older than I look.”

    t;In t case,quot; ;you can give me a drink if you like  my t age sooner tibar, master of t in from do in tregea.”

    Devin grinned and stretcoo croo botrying to catc ing to signal the man.

    quot;Ill be o stle ; o Rovigo, quot;to be well pleased if you press your daugraveling musician.”

    quot;My ; said Rovigo feelingly, quot;urn ponderous cart one.”

    Devin ;t bad?quot; ;A least drink to your safe return from tregea, and in time for Festival by a fingernail. Im Devin dAsoli bar Garin, at your service.”

    quot;And I at yours, friend Devin, not-as-young-as-you-look. Did you rouble getting a drink?”

    Rovigo asked shrewdly.

    quot;I  of more doorals kno; Devin rase tannery stencside ill painfully discernible. quot;t  or my tenth choice as a place for drinking a flask of wine.”

    Rovigo smiled. quot;A sensible attitude. ill I seem eccentric if I tell you I alraigo me. tells me Im back.”

    quot;You dont like the sea?”

    quot;I am quite convinced t any man ; ending to ruck by a t. quot;Come to t . . .quot; ed reflectiveness. then he winked.

    Devin laug;hen?”

    quot;trade is good,quot; Rovigo said frankly. quot;to slip into ports do or around on tern side of Senzio or Ferraut t traders never boto make it  tains to Quileia. It isnt sanctioned, of course, rade embargo do if you acts in a remote enoug da your business it isnt too risky and t to be made. I can take Barbadian spices from t  to places in Quileia t s, or Quileian imes casks of buinato sell to taverns— a good price. I cant do volume so I o c t as long as insurance stays do. I go from o temple before heading home.”

    quot;But ,quot; Devin smiled.

    quot;.quot; touch.

    quot;s ne; he asked.

    quot;As a matter of fact, I  t; Rovigo said. quot;tregea op on tidings, actually. Marius his summer.”

    quot;I did  t,quot; Devin said, sion. quot;A crippled man, and  be fifty years old by no make it—six times in a row?”

    quot;Seven,quot; Rovigo said soberly. ing a reaction.

    quot;Im sorry,quot; Devin said. quot;Is to t?”

    quot;Marius decided t announced t test triump declared  of tess.”

    quot;?quot; Devin exclaimed, loudly enougo cause some o turn. ; triarchere.”

    quot;So,quot; said Rovigo, quot;did te ess.”

    traveling across tain village to remote castle or manor, to ties t ers of affairs, musicians could not   events.

    Alalk : a o ease ters nigando, or to try to impress a traveler in a tavern in Corte  a pro-Barbadior party o be forming in t Ygrathen province.

    It alk, Devin  and  across tly in  Senzio not formally occupied by eiter bots Governor remained paralytically unable to decide ill  ty years, eaco expose itself by moving first.

    to Devin to cone from time of  ail one of to live a very long time—not ter.

    Quileia, tter. One far beyond Devins limited experience to sort out or define.

    even guess range country soutains.  migransitory King, one o tually maimed, and unarmed, meet to slay ake  been slain, times  been slain.

    And noess  possible to miss t. A little overawed, Devin shook his head.

    ance aring at h an odd expression.

    quot;Youre a tful young man, arent you?quot; t said.

    Devin s;Not unduly. I dont knoainly not . I dont ernoon.  do you t will mean?”

    One anso receive.

    tavern-keeper, ly succeeded in ignoring Rovigos intermittent signaling for anottle of rode to tures even in the darkened room.

    quot;You!quot; ;Your name Devin?”

    taken aback, Devin nodded reflexive agreement. tavern-keepers expression gre.

    quot;Get out of ; ;Your triad-cursed sisters outside. Says your fat you bot o turn me in for serving an underage. You gutter- spa, Ill teaco put me at risk of being s doival!”

    Before Devin could move, a full pitco inging like fire.  reaming eyes, swearing furiously.

    o observe an extraordinary sight.

    Rovigo—not a big man—unic. it apparent effort op, feet kicking ineffectually in mid-air. ted to a degree sufficient to cause tavern-oo begin turning a mottled shade of crimson.

    quot;Goro, I do not like my friends being abused,quot; Rovigo said calmly. quot;t er.quot;  Devin wly.

    quot;As I say,quot; Rovigo continued, not even breat;er ently not underage—as so any tavern-o blinded by ss of er e me a little by apologizing to Devin dAsoli, my netles of corked vintage Certando red, by ion? In return I may be persuaded to let you s sitting on t an appropriate price or course, given ort for t stuff at Festival-time.”

    Goros face ruly dangerous  as Devin felt obliged to caution Rovigo, tavern-o unted ttle. Goro dragged fetid tavern air into  ed ain tainflotered a to Devin.

    quot;And t; Rovigo reminded him kindly.

    ill  any evident exertion— enougo fumble belotles of ainly appeared to be Certandan red.

    Rovigo let slip anotcightened collar.

    quot;Vintage?quot; iently.

    Goro tched his head up and down.

    quot;ell t; Rovigo declared, releasing Goro completely, quot;it appears s. I suppose,quot; urning to Devin, quot;t you sending to be your sister outside.”

    quot;I kno; Devin said grimly. quot;to figtles, but its pleasant to have an ally now and again.”

    quot;It is al to ; Rovigo amended. quot;But it seems obvious to me t you arent keen on dealing er, so Ill leave you to do it in private. Do let me once more commend my oe well broughings considered.”

    quot;I  of t at all,quot; Devin said. quot;If I can do you a service in return I  and her of our public performances, free of charge.”

    quot;I ty leads you sout of toer in t five miles along t-emple of Adaon just before and my gate  . One of t. t; ;very talented.”

    Devin laugoucurned back to reclaim t -bro, ains splotcside clutctles of Certandan red.

    ed oing Catriana dAstibar on t , a h her nose.

    Devin strode briskly into t collided anners cart. A brief and satisfying excanner rumbled on and Devin, vo to be put on time, crossed to wriana he

    altercation.

    quot;ell,quot; ically, quot;I do appreciate your coming all to apologize, but you mig urated o washem for me, of course.”

    Catriana simply ignored all of t;You are going to need a ed on t mucion inside. But not ins to spend on bribes I couldnt tter o get tavern-oo bot; It ion, Devin noted, but not an apology.

    quot;Forgive me,quot; ed contrition. quot;I must talk  seems  paying you enougion to all our otransgressions. You must be used to better things.”

    Sated for t time. quot;Must annery Lane?quot; she said.

    it a cured for o lead tarted ride beside  for several minutes, until out of tannery smells. it sigriana put away her handkerchief.

    quot;aking me?quot; Devin asked.

    Anotransgression, it seemed. th anger.

    quot;In triad ; Catri-anas voice dripped ;e are going to my room at t the dawn of days.”

    quot;O; Devin snapped, ; o come play Morian —just so I dont get bored, you understand.”

    Catriana paled, but before so face reet. Looking up into t t o do t) ;Catriana, ly o you?  sort of ans to you from t isnt alroupes on t kno friend in tando. I could  and Im not. I did let you kno t I found you attractive. Im not a t if it is done esy.”

    ly conscious t  very  tremely public place, even ernoon lull. Instinctively  tig, as of turn of pain, t al of Marra. t true friend of his life.

    ted c s of Eanna, telling eac nig lover. First death.

    Catriana, released, remained  made ly revise imate of  s sure.

    ed, breater burst, and at lengtly, quot;You sing too well.”

    Devin blinked. It  at all w ed.

    quot;I o ; s on,  time. quot;Rauder is  even t it, amusing trying to co concentrate w people when Im nervous.”

    Devin drey sunlit street for a moment, thinking. he

    said, quot;Do you kno it is possible and even useful to tell to people—especially to h you?”

    S;Not for me. Ive never been able to talk like t, not ever.”

    quot; no; ;er me?”

    A longer pause ter of artisans apprentices s around ting  t of tanding toget t by  causing any trouble. A fehe breeze.

    quot;Somet; Catriana dAstibar said, quot;and Menico told us all t you are to our chances.”

    quot;Menico sent you after me?quot; It  completely improbable, after nearly six years together.

    quot;No,quot; Catriana said, quickly s;No, ime, t you al stake. I couldnt just  around. Youd left a little, urn, upset, after all.”

    quot;A little,quot; Devin agreed gravely, noting t so look apologetic.  even more secure if  continued to find tractive.  stop  s iffness of  bodice.

    Marra  for eacales after, traveling t last year on tando where she died.

    quot;You ter tell me o t. tasies and in memories, both.

    quot;t nig; Catriana said. S treet y again. quot;For some reason—no one is sure ate at tonigomorrohen . . .”

    S. Devin,  for ;A funeral? Full rites? Dont tell me!”

    quot;Full rites! And Devin, Menicos been asked to audition ternoon! e o do t talked-about performance in t; Se unsettlingly beautiful. her eyes were shining like a childs.

    quot;So you came to get me,quot; ;before I drank myself into a useless stupor of frustrated desire.quot;  time. It  turnabout, especially coupled ement of o fall in stride h him. For a change.

    quot;It isnt like t,quot; sested. quot;Its just t tant. Menico said your voice o our  you  your best in tes.”

    quot;I dont knotered by t, or insulted t you actually t Id be so unprofessional as to miss a reival.”

    quot;Dont be eit; Catriana dAstibar said,  of returning asperity. quot;e dont ime for eit be good ternoon. Be t youve ever been.”

    to resist it, Devin kne s were suddenly mucoo high.

    quot;In t case, are you sure  going to your room?quot; he asked blandly.

    More t t folloriana dAstibar laug time.

    quot;No,quot; said Devin, grinning, quot;is mucter. I ly  sure if you had a sense of

    humor.”

    S. quot;Sometimes Im not sure eit; s absently. t voice: quot;Devin, I  tract more tell you.”

    quot;ell of course,quot; ;It could make our careers.”

    quot;ts rig; Catriana said. Souced, quot;I  than I can say.”

    a promise in t touctle less perceptive, and  not been for t, not all of ambition in t tone, nor of desire in t Devin o know desire.

    reacohere.

    quot;Ill do ; er a moment, tears hed shed.

    On ted e early but it ed place and none of to properly judge or measure suchings.

    One of Devins first memories of  en because it  image of a une of some old cradle song to  when he was feverish.

    tune to  pitcaken on t Devin er learn to associate  morning t cime Devin could remember t happening.

    tune became a to a limited intimacy. t togetutored attempts at er Garin bougring syrenya for  crips to t in Asoli toer t tually a feo remember,  nig flatness of Asoli.

    o sing for some of t raveling priest of Morian erpoint during tumn Ember Days on t;o Morian of Portals.quot; t ed to bed er, but by to avoid sucs  giving offense.

    Later yet, o be called upon in taverns. t bled.

    And it avern called toself on a market day t Devin, just turned fourteen, ;to Cortequot; and ly, bearded man  to be a troupe-leader named Menico di Ferraut and waken  week and changed his life.

    quot;ere next,quot; Menico said, nervously smoot satin doublet over   cradle song on one of t his employer.

    ner noually.

    Devin  been an apprentice since een. Menico, tired of refusing offers to buy tract of enor atus in ter first making clear y e o repay suc of gratitude. Devin kne, in fact, and he liked Menico anyway.

    A year later, after anotroupe-leaders during te, Menico en-percent partner in ter making t  time.

    tandan deep strings, and erm contract. Especially noroupe in t of bodies and scrambling to fill emporary musicians, dancers, or singers.

    A ing ttention aracing tregea it sounded uneartrange.

    Alessan, black- temples,  ogetenor voice.

    quot;I fully as t;My fataug tune as a c .”

    Alessans lean, mobile face ive. Devin knetle about tregean after traordinarily good on te reliable. As Meniccs partner, t  ster to side of practice- time, but ual for ted.

    quot;I migo dredge t about it,quot; eristic gesture. quot;Its been a long time but I kne; he smiled.

    quot;Dont  it,quot; Devin said. quot;Ive survived t ts just an old song, a memento of my fatay  a er project to try to track them down.”

    Menico  last bit, roupe-leader regea to be a find, and c the wages hed asked.

    ttle ;Old songs and memories of fatant,quot; ;Is yours dead then?”

    Devin made t and two fingers curled down.

    quot;Not last I  seen  six years. Menico spoke to  t time, took  go back to the farm.”

    Alessan considered t. quot;Dour Asolini stock?quot; ;No place for a boy ion and a voice like yours?quot; one was shrewd.

    quot;Almost exactly,quot; Devin admitted ruefully. quot;t ious.

    Restless, more. And  originally from Asoli in fact. Came te when I was a small child.”

    Alessan nodded. quot;Even so,quot;  of a kno-all manner, Devin decided, but regean pipes. t even ain in th.

    In any case, time to pursue tter.

    quot;ere on!quot; Menico said, ily re-entering ting amid t and covered furniture of the long-unused Sandreni Palace.

    quot;e do t for Adaon first,quot; elling t. quot;Devin t ones yours—make me proud, lad.quot; andard exation. quot;togetriana my love you are sure you can go ch down?”

    quot;Ill go ; Catriana replied tersely. Devin t one spoke to simple nervousness,

    but  reacowards a s know.

    quot;Id very muco get tract,quot; Alessan di tregea said just then, mildly enough.

    quot;remely surprising!quot; Devin snapped, discovering as  oo er all. Alessan laugoo mucoo many years of touring to ever be made edgy by a mere audition. it saying a  on Devin.

    quot;Ill do t I can,quot; Devin said after a moment and for time t afternoon, not really certain to w, or why.

    In triad or in spite of to say— was enough.

    tor ely scented, extravagantly dressed scion of te ties, Devin guessed—, in ure and tificially exaggerated s ringed yrant didnt appear to be muc ts of Sandre dAstibar.

    Ranged being personage s of Eanna and Morian in rast, sat a priestess of Adaon in crimson, .

    It umn of course, and t surprised by her hair.

    o see tion. table—anot t a situation o affect s.

    son, ttered no inside himself.

    Menico cued Nieri and Aldine, t translucent, c later, after t linked pass across t Devin.

    And Devin gave  for Adaons autumnal dying among tain cypresses, as he never had before.

    Alessan di tregea -piercing grief of togeto lift and carry Nieri and Aldine beyond teps of tly s floor and into ticulation of ritual t t;Lament”

    demanded and ed.

    raveling sloo tregea  Sandre dAstibars son racks of ears , Devin realized abruptly, t   for any of them.

    Marra, young and intolerantly professional errupted or marked by displays from trons.

    Devin ern back tely fig di Corte es in Certando as a gesture of courtesy to Menico.

    Devin also kneransparent glance from Morians fat-fingered priest— riad so ill-served!—t t  he Sandreni

    contract o o be careful in tomorroe to bring his knife.

    tract. ttered, .quot; Afterroduced Devin as ner  urned out to be tomasso. tige to co so august an occasion as es.

    Devin, used to tely retrieved eful for Menicos experienced tact: presented as a partner  immunity from overly aggressive y. roduced to t, and promptly knelt before Adaons priestess in red.

    quot;Your sanction, sister-of-t I sang, and for o do tomorrow.”

    Out of t of Morian clenc his sides.

    ed tection of Adaon—tesss index finger tracing t s burgeoning desire. urned, it o catc room and among t company—from Alessan di tregea, at t not ingly perceptive.

    Menicos first price ely accepted by tomasso dAs-tibar bar Sandre, confirming in Devins mind ure o bear suc name and lineage.

    It ed ep or tourity—to learn t Duke Sandre ed t quite ty times  tory  ed even more tortionate sum  received in full.

    Only Egly drumming trestle table, said, quot;Leave it eacemples tomorro back erest whe Ember Days.”

    Menico, in ly t intention to offer Egito t of Morian instead. Egootinued  drumming.

    Menico ordered to bed not long after tart tomorroing to important performance of tly as Aldine led Nieri from t nig time, ed.  toget afternoon and also kno o  could spill over into te night in bed.

    riana but sairs already. S after Menicos fierce embrace back in t art; it migart.

    to t up to t our budget after Marra had died.

    ed to dream of es, because of unslaked desire, because  of  nigead he god.

    ainside in tregea, naked and magnificent. orn apart in frenzy and in floumn

    morning of every turning year to ter, bride, all tars.

    S on t o come, of ers end. tain orn and slain, to be put into o become tured in turn by tears and t sorroreams ting in to be reborn and so loved aneime of dying on ts. Slain to be lamented and to rise as a god rises, as a man does, as t of summer fields. to rise and ter and er, ars and the silver.

    Devin dreamt, terribly, t primal scene of ainside, treaming beo t orrent of Casadel.

    orn from to t. Sarees, of spiny, bristling ss aely naked for greater speed to to intoxicate t ers of Casadel.

    urn at last, ood at tag at bay at to teetheir nails.

    And t t to eacasy or anguisrained desire or madness or bitter grief, but in  all to tead, piercing t ainside, tregean sune of his own childhood fever, high and far away.

    And at t t, Devin sa  urned to  of Alessan.