Shimrod also rose to his feet. "Melancthe, are you retiring for the night?"
"Yes; the common room grows noisy. You may join me if you like."
"Lacking all better alternative, I accept." Shimrod took Melancthe's arm and the two retired to the apartment behind the Door of the Two Green Lizards.
Shimrod put light to the candles in the candelabra on the table. Melancthe, standing in the center of the room, fixed the flower into her hair, watching Shimrod all the while. She let fall her brown robe and stood nude in the candlelight. "Shimrod: am I not beautiful?"
"Beyond all doubt; beyond all question! But put aside the flower; it detracts from you."
Melancthe pouted. "But I like it! Shimrod, come kiss me."
"Put aside the flower! I find it repellent."
"As you like." Melancthe tossed the flower to the table. "Now will you kiss me?"
"I will do better than that," said Shimrod, and so passed the first hours of the night.
At midnight, as the two lay pressed close together, Shimrod said: "I have an uneasy feeling that you were about to tell me something more of the wizard Visbhume."
"Yes, that is so."
"Then why will you not tell me?"
"Because I feared that you would become agitated and perform some instant and unnecessary act."
"What sort of act might that be?"
"There is nothing you can do now; Visbhume has already gone to Watershade and departed, for one of his private bolt-holes: a place known as Tanjecterly."
A cold chill came over Shimrod. "And he took Glyneth with him?"
"That is the rumor. But you can do nothing to prevent it.
The deed is done."
"Why did Visbhume do this?"
"He worked at Casmir's behest. Also, if Tamurello is to be believed, such projects are dear to Visbhume's heart."
"He must know that he has just put a short term to his life," said Shimrod.
Melancthe held him close. "I like you best when you are like this."
Shimrod thrust her away. "You should have told me at once, if you meant to tell me at all."
"Ah Shimrod! You must remember my mixed feelings for you. I am at ease and even happy with you, but soon I find that I want to hurt you and cause you every conceivable pain."
"You are lucky that I lack similar yearnings, even though you provoke them." Shimrod dressed himself.
"It is exactly as I feared," said Melancthe. "The impractical Shimrod hurries off to Tanjecterly and there rescues his dainty Glyneth."
"Where is Tanjecterly? How does one get there?"
"The route is detailed in the rarest of all books: one which Visbhume stole from Hippolito."
"And the name of the book?"
"Twitten's Almanac, or some such thing... . Shimrod! Are you truly going?"
The only response was the sound of the door closing behind Shimrod. Melancthe shrugged and presently fell asleep.
In the morning Melancthe went in great anticipation to the booth of Zuck the trader, where she was disappointed anew.
"I have spoken to the falloy," said Zuck. "There will be no more flowers at this fair; the plants yielded only the single blossom. There will be more in the fall, as the buds are already forming, and the falloy says that you must bring gold, as silver is not enough for wares so heady."
Melancthe spoke a soft sound under her breath. "Zuck, I will come in the autumn, and you must reserve the blooms for me alone! Is it agreed?"
"So long as you pay in gold."
"There will be no difficulty here."
IV
RETURNING TO TRILDA, Shimrod went at once to the workroom. In the Pantological Index he discovered a reference to Tanjecterly'
The source of information in regard to Tanjecterfy is derived from, the exceedingly not and somewhat suspect ‘Twitten's Almanac'. Tanjecterfy is described as one of a set, or cycle, of ten superimposed worlds, which, includes our own. Interconnections are difficult to find and evanescent in nature.
According to Twitten, Tanjecterfy, similar in certain ordinary respects to our world, is notaofy different in others. The inhabitants are said to be various and include even tribes of human-seeming folk, and others in which the similarity is at Best cursory. The environment of Tanjecterfy is described as noxious, and indeed lethal to those persons who would travel here without making adaptations. Again, Tanjectafy may be no more than one of Twitten's idle fables; his caprices and pranks are well documented elsewhere. On the other hand, the ‘Almanac' is said to be a work of great complexity and inner coherence, which would seem to lend the volume credence.
Shimrod tapped the silver bell. A voice said: "Shimrod, you work late."
"I was summoned to a rendezvous by Melancthe the Witch. I met her at the Laughing Sun and Crying Moon Inn, and I thought surely that she had called to give me news, and so it was, though she took her own time in the telling.
"She mentioned a low sorcerer by the name of Visbhume, formerly apprenticed to Hippolito. Visbhume conferred with Tamurello, who sent him to King Casmir of Lyonesse. Thereafter, according to Melancthe, Visbhume went to Watershade and for reasons not entirely clear kidnapped Glyneth and took her to the place Tanjecterly.
"The Index lists Tanjecterly as a possibly imaginary place, mentioned by Twitten in his ‘Almanac'."
"So then: what are your plans?"
"I can only do as Melancthe, and perhaps Tamurello expect. I will go to Watershade; there I hope either to find this is all a mare's-nest, or is a situation where I can interfere with Visbhume's plans. Failing this, I must go wherever Visbhume has taken Glyneth, which may mean Tanjecterly itself."
The cool voice said: "This seems a complicated intrigue. Several motivations are suggested. Like you, I suspect that Tamurello has instructed Melancthe. She had very good success urging you to leap like a fool into interworld chaos before; she and Tamurello no doubt have theorized that, if the scheme worked so well before, why should it not work again? Clearly they want you to plunge with full bravado into Tanjecterly, whence you will never return: for them a fine feat! They destroy you and cripple me. Under no circumstances are you to venture into Tanjecterly. It is a palpable trap!
"Second: if Visbhume is working at the behest of Casmir, then the object might also be to confuse, distract and harm King Aillas. I have recently sensed, and this confirms, that Tamurello at last has discovered the insolence to ignore my edicts and I must punish him."
"All very well," said Shimrod. "But what of Glyneth?"
"I know nothing about Tanjecterly; it seems that I must make inquiries. In the morning I will tell you my findings; then you must counsel King Aillas. But neither he, nor you, nor the prince Dhrun, may venture the way into Tanjecterly."
"Then how shall Glyneth be rescued?"
"We will send our agent. Now I must go to study."
V
AT SUNSET AILLAS AND DHRUN, on horses sweaty and spent, crossed the moat by the old timber drawbridge and so arrived at Watershade.
Shimrod came out to meet them. Aillas and Dhrun searched his face, hoping to read some trace of cheer. Shimrod gave his head a shake. "I know a few sparse facts, and their indications are worse than ever. I cannot even speculate on what is happening to Glyneth. Come; let us go inside, and I will tell you what I know. At this moment, hysterical haste will avail us nothing; tonight at least we will sit quietly and rest and form plans as best we can."
Aillas said: "You do not infect me with optimism."
"There is none to be had. Come; Weare has laid out our supper and I will tell you of Tanjecterly."
Dhrun asked: "Where is Tanjecterly?"
"You shall hear."
Aillas and Dhrun ate cold beef and bread while Shimrod spoke. "I will start at the starting," said Shimrod. "Some hundreds of years ago Twitten the Wizard either himself compiled, or obtained from another source, a volume which became known as Twitten's Almanac. This same Twitten, for purposes unknown, placed the iron post at a crossroads in the Forest of Tantrevalles, despite legends which state otherwise.