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ike a haunting spirit。 〃Will you lead me to the middle？〃 she said。
Jude obliged； and they both turned in the direction of the Erasure。 As far as Jude was concerned； doing so did little good。 The din continued in all its plexity。 But Quaisoir dropped her hands and listened intently； moving her head slightly from side to side as she did so。 Several minutes passed； Jude keeping her silence for fear an inquiry would break her sister's concentration； and was rewarded for her diligence； finally； with some murmured words。
〃They're praying to the Madonna；〃 Quaisoir said。
〃Who are？〃
〃Dearthers。 Out at the Erasure。 They're giving thanks for their deliverance and asking for the souls of the dead to be received into paradise。〃
She fell silent again for a time； and now； with some clue as to what she had to listen for； Jude attempted to sort through the intimations that filled her head。 But although she was refining her focus； and could now snatch words and phrases out of the cpnfusion； she couldn't hold that focus long enough to make any sense of what she heard。 After a time Quaisoir's body relaxed； and she shrugged。
〃There's just glimpses now；〃 she said。 〃I think they're finding bodies。 I hear little sobs of prayers and little oaths。〃
〃Do you know what happened？〃
〃This was some time ago；〃 Quaisoir said。 〃The Pivot's had these prayers for several hours。 But it was something calamitous； that's certain；〃 she said。 〃I think there are a lot of casualties。〃
〃It's as if what happened in； Yzordderrex is spreading；〃 Jude said。
〃Maybe it is；〃 Quaisoir said。 〃Do you want to sit down and eat？〃
〃In here？〃
〃Why not？ I find it very soothing。〃 Reaching for Jude to help her； Quaisoir squatted down。 〃You get used to it after a time。 Maybe a little addicted。 Speaking of which 。 。 。 where's the food？〃 Jude put the bundle into Quaisoir's outstretched hands。 〃I hope the child packed kreauchee。〃
Her fingers were strong and； having scoured the surface of the bundle； dug deep； passing the contents over to Jude one by one。 There was fruit； there were three loaves of black bread； there was some meat； and…the finding enough to bring a gleeful yelp from Quaisoira small parcel which she did not pass over to Jude but put to her nose。
〃Bright thing；〃 Quaisoir said。 〃She knows what I need。〃
〃Is it some kind of drug？〃 Jude said； laying down the food。 〃I don't want you taking it。 I need you here； not drifting off。〃
〃Are you trying to forbid me my pleasure； after the way you dreamed on my pillows？〃 Quaisoir said。 〃Oh； yes； I heard your gasping and your groaning。 Who were you imagining？〃
〃That's my business。〃
〃And this is mine；〃 Quaisoir replied； discarding the tissue in which Concupiscentia had fastidiously wrapped the kreauchee。 It looked appetizing； like a cube of fudge。
〃When you've got no addiction of your own； sister； then you can moralize；〃 Quaisoir said。 〃I won't listen； but you can moralize。〃
With that； she put the whole of the kreauchee into her mouth； chewing on it contentedly。 Jude； meanwhile； sought more conventional sustenance； choosing among the various fruits one that resembled a diminutive pineapple and peeling it to discover it was just that； its jufce tart but its meat tasty。 That eaten； she went on to the bread and slivers of meat； her hunger so stimulated by the first few bites that she steadily devoured the lot； washing it down with bitter water from the bottle。 The fall of prayers that had seemed so insistent when she'd first entered the chamber could not pete with the more immediate sensations of fruit； bread； meat； and water； the din became a background burble which she scarcely thought about until she'd finished her meal。 By that time； the kreauchee was clearly working in Quaisoir's system。 She was swaying back and forth as though in the arms of some invisible tide。
〃Can you hear me？〃 Jude asked her。
She took awhile to reply。 〃Why don't you join me？〃 she said。 〃Kiss me； and we can share the kreauchee。 Mouth to mouth。 Mind to mind。〃
〃I don't want to kiss you。〃
〃Why not？ Do you hate yourself too much to make love？〃 She smiled to herself； amused by the perverse logic of this。 〃Have you ever made love to a woman？〃
〃Not that I remember。〃
〃I have。 At the Bastion。 It was better than being with a man。〃
She reached out towards Jude and found her hand with the accuracy of one sighted。
〃You're cold；〃 she said。
〃No； you're hot；〃 Jude replied； moving to break the contact。
〃You know what air makes this place so cold； sister？〃 Quaisoir said。 〃It's the pit beneath the city； where the fake Redeemer went。〃
Jude looked down at the grille and shuddered。 The dead were down there somewhere。
〃You're cold like the dead are cold；〃 Quaisoir went on。 〃Icy heart。〃 All this she said in a singsong voice； to the rhythm of her rocking。 〃Poor sister。 To be dead already。〃
〃I don't want to hear any more of 。this；〃 Jude said。 She'd preserved her equanimity so far； but Quaisoir's fugue talk was beginning to irritate her。 〃If you don't stop；〃 she said quietly； 〃I'm going to leave you here。〃
〃Don't do that；〃 Quaisoir replied。 〃I want you to stay and make love to me。〃
〃I've told you…〃
〃Mouth to mouth。 Mind to mind。〃
〃You're talking in circles。〃
〃That's the way the world was made；〃 she said。 〃Joined together； round and round。〃 She put her hand to her mouth； as if to cover it； then smiled； with almost fiendish glee。 〃There's no way in and there's no way out。 That's what the Goddess says。 When we make love； we go round and round…〃
She searched for Jude a second time； with the same unerring ease； and a second time Jude withdrew her hand； realizing as she did so that this repetition was part of her sister's egocentric game。 A sealed system of mirrored flesh； moving round and round。 Was that truly how the world was made？ If so； it sounded like a trap； and she wanted her mind out of it； there and then。
〃I can't stay in here；〃 she said to Quaisoir。
〃You'll e back？〃 her sister replied。
〃Yes； in a while。〃
The answer was more repetition。 〃You'll e back。〃
This time Jude didn't bother replying； but crossed to the passageway and climbed back up to the door。 Concupis…centia was still waiting on the other side； asleep now； her form delineated by the first signs of dawn through the window on the sill of which she rested。 The fact that day was breaking surprised Jude； she'd assumed that there were several hours yet before the et reared its burning head。 She was obviously more disoriented than she'd thought； the time she'd spent in the room with Quaisoir…listening to the prayers； eating； and arguing…not minutes but hours。 She went to the window and looked down at the dim courtyards。 Birds stirred on a ledge somewhere below her and rose suddenly； heading into the brightening sky； taking her eye with them； up towards the tower。 Quaisoir had been unequivocal about the dangers of venturing there。 But for all her talk of love between women； wasn't she still in thrall to the mythologies of the man who'd made her Queen of Yzordderrex； and therefore bound to believe that the places he kept her from would do her harm？ There was no better time to challenge that mythology than now； Jude thoug