"It is not all right!" said Illyra in a hard voice. "To See, I must open myselfto the Great Pattern-become one with it and channel the part that relates to thequestion the querent has asked. But I do not believe in the Pattern anymore."

Gilla nodded. Men killing each other was one thing, whether in battle or in theback streets of Sanctuary, but how could there be any purpose in the senselessdeath of a child? Memory brought her a sudden image of Ganner's eighth birthday,when Lalo had brought him clay and a set of modeler's tools. The light in theboy's face had stamped him and Lalo with a single identity as they explored thenew medium. Gan-ner was the only one of the children to have inherited any ofLalo's skill. But he would never bring beauty into the world now. She swallowedover the ache in her throat and turned to Illyra again.

"More than half the deck is painted now. Kama will force me to read for her whenthe rest are done and I cannot," said Illyra bitterly. "I will fail her, andthen she will take her revenge on Dubro. By all of Sanctuary's useless gods, Ihate her! Her, and the rest of those blade-thirsty, swaggering bullies who havedestroyed my world!"

"Will you find a sword of your own and go after her?" asked Gilla, trying tochannel into scorn the hatred that was making her own belly bum. "Illyra, besensible. Try to get well, and be thankful that's not your kind of power!"

"My kind of power..." said the S'danzo reflectively. "No -when men bum my peoplefor sorcery it's not because they fear the simple power of steel...." Illyrafell silent. Her dark hair swung down across her breast, and Gilla could not seeher eyes, but there was something in the other woman's stillness that sent achill down her back despite the heat of the day.

"It's forbidden..." said the S'danzo very softly, "even the little teaching they