Wyst: Alastor 1716 (14 page)

The idea presently lost whatever glimmer of interest it
might have possessed, and Jantiff returned to his immediate circumstances. The
options open to him were pitifully few however, and gratefully, they included immediate
departure. No question about it; he’d had his fill of insults and tirades, not
to mention gruff, deedle and wobbly. He felt a new spasm of resentment, most of
it directed, against himself. Was he such a sorry creature then? Jantiff, shame
on you! Let’s have no self-pity! What of all those wonderful plans? They depend
on no one but yourself! Must they be tossed aside like so many scraps of trash
just because your feelings have been hurt? As if to point up the issue,
the setting sun passed behind a wisp of cloud, which instantly showed fringes
of glorious color, and Jantiff’s heart turned over within him. The Arrabins
might be dense, obscure and impenetrable, but Dwan shone as clear and
pure as light across mythical Heaven.

Jantiff drew a deep regenerative breath. His work
must now absorb him. He would prove himself as rigid as any Arrabin; he would
show regard for no one. Courtesy, yes. Formal consideration, yes, Warmth, no.
Affection, no. As for Kedidah, she could be sheirl to four teams at once, with
his best wishes. Skorlet? Esteban? Whatever their sordid plot he could only
hope that they should fall over backwards and break their heads. The yellow
card and the bonterfest? The group might include a massive black-haired man
with a husky-harsh voice; it would certainly be interesting to learn his
identity and pass the information along to Bonamico. And why should he not
attend the. bonterfest? After all, he had paid for it, and Esteban certainly
would refuse to refund his money. So be it! From now on the primary concern of
Jantiff Ravensroke was Jantiff Ravensroke, and that was all there was to it!
Perhaps he should once more change apartments, and make a clean break with his
problems. And leave Kedidah? The thought gave him pause. Charming, foolish
Kedidah. Fascinating Kedidah. No doubt about it, she had befuddled him. There
was always the possibility that she might change her ways. Devil take her! Why
should he inconvenience himself to any slightest degree? He would take up his
rightful residency; she would notice his detachment and possibly, from sheer perversity,
begin to take an interest in him. Such a pattern of events was not impossible,
at the very least! Jantiff diverted to a lateral and was carried north to the
mud flats. On the outskirts of Disjerferact he purchased a dozen water-puffs,
and so fortified, returned to Old Pink.

With careless bravado he let himself into his new apartment.
Kedidah was not at home. On the wall someone had scrawled a memorandum in
chalk:

GAME TOMORROW!
EPHTHALOTES AGAINST

THE SKORNISH
BRAGANDERS! PRACTICE

THIS AFTERNOON!
VICTORY TOMORROW!

EPHTHALOTES FOREVER!

Jantiff read the notice with a curled lip, then set about arranging
his belongings in those few areas where Kedidah had not strewn her own gear.

Late the following afternoon Kedidah brought an exultant
party of teammates, friends and well-wishers to the apartment. She ran across
the sitting room and ruffled Jantiff’s hair. “Janty, we won! So much for all
your grizzling and croaking! On five straight power drives!”

“Yes,” said Jantiff. “I know. I attended the game.”

“Then why aren’t you cheering with the rest of us? O hurrah everyone! The Ephthalotes are the best ever! Jantiff, you can come along to the
party! There’ll be swill by the crock and you’ll quite get over your dudgeon.”

“No dudgeon whatever,” said Jantiff coldly. “Unfortunately
I have work to do and I don’t think I had better come’

“Don’t be such an old crow! I want you to do a picture of
the Ephthalotes with their glorious good-luck sheirl!”

“Some other time,” said Jantiff. “At a party it would be totally
impossible.”

“You’re right! In a day or so then. For now—pour out the
swill! A lavish hand there, Scrive! Here’s joy for the Ephthalotes!”

The hubbub became too much for Jantiff. He left the
apartment and went up to the roof garden where he sat brooding under the
foliage.

After an hour he returned to find the apartment empty but in
a terrible state of disorder; chairs were overturned; crockery mugs lay broken
on the floor and someone had spilled a cup of swill on his bed.

He was only vaguely aware of Kedidah’s return to the
apartment, and somehow ignored the subsequent sounds from her side of the
curtain.

In the morning Kedidah was ill, and Jantiff lay stiffly on his
cot while Kedidah uttered small plaintive moans of distress. At last she called
out: “Jantiff, are you awake?”

“Naturally.”

“I’m in the most fearful condition; I don’t think I can
stir.”

“Oh?”

“Yes, really, Janty! I’m sore everywhere; I can’t imagine
what happened to me.”

“I could guess.”

“Jantiff, I’ve got drudge and I’m simply not up to going
out. You’ll trade off with me, won’t you?”

“I’ll do nothing of the sort.”

“Jantiff, please don’t say no! This is an emergency; I absolutely
can’t make it out of the apartment. Be kind to me, Janty!”

“Certainly I’ll be kind to you. But I won’t take your
drudge. In the first place you’d never pay me back. Secondly, I’ve got my own
drudge today.”

“Dog defile all! Well I’ll have to bestir myself; I don’t
know how I’ll manage. My head feels like a big gong.”

During the next two days Kedidah left the apartment early
and returned late and Jantiff saw little of her. On the third day, Kedidah
remained at home, but the Ephthalotes’ forthcoming game against the
well-regarded Vergaz Khaldraves had put her in a trembling state of nerves.
When Jantiff suggested that she sever her connection with the team she stared
at him in disbelief. “You can’t be serious, Janty! We’ve only got to beat the
Khaldraves and then we’re into the semi-finals, and then the finals, and then—”

“Those are many
and
them.”

“But we can’t lose! Don’t you realize, Janty, that I’m a
lucky talisman? Everyone says so! After we win we’re established forever! We
can chwig it is the boater, not to mention a total end to drudge!”

“Very nice, but wouldn’t you like to visit other places on
other worlds?”

“Where I’d have to kowtow to all the plutocrats, and drudge
eight days a week forever? I can’t envision such a life. It must be appalling!”

“Not altogether. Many folk around the Cluster live this way.”

“I prefer egalism; it’s much easier on everyone.”

“But you really don’t prefer egalism! You want to be triumphant
so that you’ll have banter and never any drudge. That’s elitism!”

“No, it’s not! It’s because I’m Kedidah and because we’re
going to win! Say what you like but it’s not elitism!”

Jantiff gave a sad chuckle. “I’ll never fathom the Arrabins!”

“It’s you who are illogical! You don’t understand the simplest
little things! Instead you dabble all day in those ridiculous colors.
Which reminds me: when will you do our picture, as you promised?”

“Well, I don’t know. I’m not really sure—”

“It can’t be today; we’re practicing; nor tomorrow, that’s
game day; nor the next day, because we’ll be recovering from the celebration.
You’ll just have to wait, Jantiff!”

Jantiff sighed, “Let’s forget the whole thing.”

“Yes; that, will be best. Instead, you can make a fine bold
poster for the wall: ‘Ephthalotes Triumphant’ with titans and cockaroons and
darting thunderbolts—all in orange and red and smashing green. Please do,
Janty; we’ll all be, thrilled to see such a thing!”

“Really, Kedidah—”

“You won’t do it? Such :a trifling favor?”

“Go arrange the pigments and paper. I refuse to waste my own
on something so ridiculous.”

Kedidah uttered a yelp of sick disgust. “Jantiff, you’re
really extreme! You niggle over such trivial things!”

“Those pigments were sent to me from Zeck.”

“Please, Jantiff, I can’t bear to bicker with you.”

Summoning all his dignity, Jantiff vacated the apartment

In the ground level foyer he encountered Skorlet. She
greeted him with unconvincing affability. “Well, Jantiff, are you honing your
appetite? The bonterfest is all arranged.” She turned him a sly sidelong
glance. “I suppose you’re surely coming?”

Jantiff did not care for her manner. “Certainly; why not? I
paid for the ticket.”

“Very good. We leave early the day after tomorrow.”

Jantiff calculated days and dates. “That will suit me very
well. How many are going?”

“An even dozen; that’s all the air-car will take,”

“An air-car? How did Esteban promote such a thing?”

“Never underestimate Esteban! He always lands on his feet!”

“Quite so!” said Jantiff coldly.

Skorlet suddenly became gay—again a patently spurious display.
“Also very important: be sure to bring your cameral The gypsies are quaint; you’ll
want to record every incident!”

“It’s just something more to carry.”

“If you don’t bring it you’re sure to be sorry. And Tanzel
wants a remembrance. You’ll do it for her, won’t you?”

“Oh, very well.”

“Good. We’ll meet here in the lobby directly after wump.”

Jantiff watched her cross to the lift. Skorlet obviously
wanted mementos of the great occasion and expected Jantiff to provide them. She
could expect in vain.

He went out upon the loggia and sat on a bench. Presently
Kedidah emerged from the foyer. She paused, stretched her arms luxuriously to
the sunlight, then set off at a pace somewhere between a skip and a trot
toward the man-way. Jantiff watched her disappear into the crowd, then rose to
his feet and went up to the apartment Kedidah as usual had left disorder in her
wake. Jantiff cleaned up the worst of the mess, then went to lie on his bed. No
doubt in his mind now: it was time to be leaving Uncibal… Skorlet’s manner
in regard to the camera had been most odd. She had never shown any interest in
photographs before… He dozed and woke only when Kedidah returned with a
group of swaggering Ephthalotes, whoa chaffed each other in raucous voices—and
discussed tactics for tomorrow’s game. Jantiff turned on his side and tried to
cover his ears. At last he rose, stumbled up to the roof garden where he sat
until time for the evening meal.

Kedidah came into the refectory, still aglow with excitement
Jantiff averted his eyes.

Kedidah bolted her food and departed the refectory. When
Jantiff returned to the apartment she was in bed and asleep, without having troubled
to draw the curtain. How innocent and pure she looked, thought Jantiff. Turning
sadly away, he undressed and went to, bed. Tomorrow: the dangerous Khaldraves,
in combat against the Ephthalotes and their glorious sheirl!

Late the next afternoon Jantiff returned to Old Pink. The
day had been warm; the air even now seemed heavy. Black thunderheads rolled
across the city; the sky to westward glistened like fish skim Jantiff grimaced:
was his imagination far, far, too vivid, or did a sickly odor indeed hang in
the air? He suppressed the thought with a shudder: what revolting tricks one’s
mind played on oneself! Sternly ordering his thoughts he went up to the
apartment. He halted outside the door, to stand rigidly in an odd posture: head
down, right hand half-raised, to the lock. He stirred, opened the door, entered
the empty apartment. The lights were low; the room was dim and still. Jantiff
closed the door, crossed to his chair and seated himself.

An, hour passed. Out in the corridor sounded a soft footstep.
The door slid aside; Kedidah entered the room. Jantiff silently watched her.
She went to her chair and sat down: stiffly, laboriously, like an old woman.
Jantiff dispassionately studied her face. The jawbones glimmered pale through
her skin; her mouth drooped at the corners.

Kedidah appraised Jantiff with no more expression than his
own. She said in a soft voice: “We lost.”

“I know,” said Jantiff. “I was at the game.”

Kedidah’s expression changed, if only by a twitch of her
mouth. She asked in the same soft voice: “Did you see what they did to me?”

“Yes, indeed.”

Kedidah, watching him with a queer twisted smile,
made no comment.

Jantiff said tonelessly: “If you had to bear it, I could be
brave enough to watch.”

Kedidah turned away and looked at the wall. Minutes passed.
A gong sounded along the corridor. “Ten minutes to wump,” said Jantiff. “Take a
shower and change your clothes; you’ll feel better.”

“I’m not hungry.”

Jantiff could think of nothing to say. When the second gong
sounded, he rose to his feet. “Are you coming?”

“N o.”

Jantiff went off to the refectory. Skorlet, arriving a moment
later, brought her tray to the, place opposite him. She pretended to look up
and down the room. “Where’s Kedidah? Isn’t she here?”

“No.”

“The Ephthalotes lost today.” Skorlet surveyed Jantiff with
a tart smile. “They took a terrible trouncing.”

“I saw the game.”

Skorlet gave a curt nod. “I’ll never understand how anyone
can put herself into such a position. It’s unnatural display! Presently the
team loses, and then it’s the most grotesque display of all. No one can tell
me that it’s not purposeful! Criminal sexivation, really; I wonder that it’s
not banned.”

The stadiums are always full.”

Skorlet gave a sour snort. “Be that as it may! The
Ephthalotes and Khaldraves and all the other foreign teams mock us in our own
stadium. Why won’t they bring in their own sheirls? Never! They prefer to
suborn anti-egalism. At the core, that’s what activation is; don’t you agree?”

“I’ve never thought much about it,” said Jantiff listlessly.

Skorlet was not satisfied with the response. “Because in
your heart of hearts you’re not truly egal!”

Jantiff had nothing to say. Skorlet became heavily jovial. “Still,
cheer up! Think of tomorrow: the bonterfest! All day you can be as anti-egal as
you like, and no one will deny you your fun.”