Glyneth said: "Visbhume, you have been forming quiet plots. If they help you, then we have only ourselves to blame, and we will therefore be vigilant, and show you little mercy if you anger us."
"Bah!" muttered Visbhume. "I could form a dozen plots a minute, or wear them like yonder tree wears its leaves, but to what avail?"
"If I knew, you would never learn from me."
"Ah, Glyneth, your words are hurtful! At one time tender feelings existed between us; have you forgotten so soon?"
Glyneth grimaced but made no comment. "How can we send a message to Murgen?"
Visbhume seemed genuinely puzzled. "To what purpose? He knows you are here?"
"So that he can open a new gate, and rescue us."
"Murgen, no matter what his power, cannot break a new gate when the pendulum is swinging."
"Explain, if you wilclass="underline" "
"I spoke in parable. There is no pendulum. At a certain pulse, time is static both here and on Earth, and the gate can be opened at one node or another. See the black moon which moves around the northern sky? It strikes a radius with a central pole and somewhere along the radius a node can be opened, if pulses are in synchrony. It is a matter of exacting calculation, since time moves at different rates here and on Earth. Sometimes here time goes fast and on Earth slow, and sometimes the opposite. Only when time runs at the same rate, as determined by the pulses, can the gates be opened. Otherwise, gates could be opened anywhere at any time."
"How can the gate be opened again, and when, and where?"
Visbhume rose to his feet and, as if in boredom or perhaps abstraction of thought, started to remove the collar from his neck. Kul gave the leash a tug which sent Visbhume jumping in a ridiculous caper to keep his balance.
"Do that no more," said Kul. "Be happy the strap is only around your neck and not through holes in your ears. Answer the question, and do not try to confuse us with verbiage."
Visbhume growled: "You would take all my valuable knowledge and give me nothing, and still tie me by the neck, as if I were a cur dog or a Progressive."
"But for your doing, we would not be here; have you forgotten?"
Visbhume blew out his thin cheeks. "No good cause is served in dredging up ancient history. That which is done is done, whether we rejoice or grieve! That is my slogan! At that twist in the prism known as ‘Now' we are to concern ourselves only with immediate cases."
"Just so. As of ‘now' answer the question."
Visbhume said loftily: "Let us work practically! I must take the lead, since the knowledge is mine, and you must trust me to consider our mutual interests. Otherwise I must in intricate detail school you in all the—"
Visbhume stopped short as Kul began to draw taut the leash. Kul said: "Answer!"
Visbhume said plaintively: "I was preparing my careful response! Your conduct lacks all gentility." He cleared his throat. "The matter is complex, and, so I fear, beyond your understanding. Time moves by one phase on Earth and by another here. Each phase consists of nine quavers, or pulses, or, even better, constrictions in and out from the central node of what we call ‘synchronicity'. Is this clear? No? As I supposed. There is no point in going farther. You must trust my best judgment."
Glyneth said: "You still have not answered me. How do we return to Earth?"
"I am so doing! Between Earth and Tanjecterly, the synchrony lasts six to nine days, and, as we have seen has just ended. Then it sweeps away, along the radius of the black moon with the center node. At the next pulse, the gate will open into another place, but none so easy as Tanjecterly. Hidmarth and Skurre are demon-worlds; Underwood is empty save for a moaning sound; Pthopus is a single torpid soul. These were discovered and explored by Twitten the Arch-mage, and he compiled an almanac, which is of great value."
Glyneth brought a long narrow book with black metal covers from the wallet. The spine was like a sheath housing a black nine-sided metal rod with a golden knob at the end. Glyneth, withdrawing the rod, saw that each of the nine sides was engraved in crabbed golden characters.
Visbhume casually held out his hand. "Let me instruct myself; I have forgotten my calculations."
Glyneth drew the book away. "What is the purpose of the rod?"
"That is a subsidiary instrument. Replace it in the sheath and hand me the book."
Glyneth replaced the rod and opened the book. The first page, indited in queer crawling marks with straggling tails and looping risers was illegible, but someone, perhaps Visbhume, had attached a sheet which would seem to be a translation of the original text. Glyneth read aloud:
"These nine places, along with the Gaean Earth, form the ten worlds of Chronos, and he has skewered them all on his axis. By cunning effort I have, constrained the axis, and held it fixed: such is the magnitude, of my achievement.
"Of the nine worlds I warn against Paador, Nith and Woon; Hidmarth and Skurre are purulent places infested with demons. Cheng may well be home to the sandestins, but this is uncertain, while Pthopus is trufy insipid. Only Tanjecterly will tolerate human men.
"In each, section, the almanac details the cycle of quavers and indicates the standard by which ingress and exit may be obtained. With the almanac is the key, and only this key will strike through the weft and allow passage. Lose not the key! The almanac is thereby useless!
"The calculations must be worked with precision. At the periphery of the quaver the key opens a qate where it is struck. The central node is immutable. On earth it stands when I have fixed it. On Tanjecterly, it resides at the center of the Parly Place, at the town Asphrodiske, where dwell many many sad souls.
"Such is the domain of Chronos. Some say he is dead, but if one would discover the wraith, he need only tweak, the axis, and he shall learn his own truth.
"So say I, Twitten of Gaean Earth."
Glyneth looked up from the almanac. "Where is Asphrodiske?"
Visbhume made a petulant gesture. "Somewhere off across the plains—a journey of far distance"
"And there we can return to Earth?"
"At the low pulse."
"When will that be?"
"Let me see the almanac."
Glyneth extracted the key, and gave the almanac to Kul. "Let him look but keep your fingers at his throat."
Visbhume cried out in a tragic voice: "Replace the key! Will you not heed Twitten's warning?"
"I will not lose it. Read what you wish to read."
Visbhume studied the indexes and those calculations which he had already made. "The time will be measured by the black moon, on its way to opposition with now."
"How long is that?
"A week? Three weeks? A month? There is no measure but the black moon. On Earth there will be a time much different, short or long: I do not know."
"And if we use the key at Asphrodiske, where will we come out on Earth?"
Visbhume chuckled. "At Twitten's Corners; where else?"
"Do we have time to reach Asphrodiske?"
"It is exactly as far as is Watershade from Twitten's Corners."
Glyneth mused: "The distance is far but not too far." She held out her hand. "Give me the almanac."
"And I took you for a pretty flirtatious little softling!" growled Visbhume. "You are as hard as steel!" With poor grace Visbhume obeyed the order.
"Yonder is Visbhume's carpet wole or whatever it is called; it stands placid and ready. Should we not ride to Asphrodiske in comfort and style?"
Kul jerked the leash. "On your feet! Go command your beast to our use."
Visbhume ungraciously obeyed the order. The anchors were drawn aboard; with Glyneth and Kul riding in the pergola and Visbhume sitting disconsolately with legs dangling over the stern quarters, the wole set off across the plains of Tanjecterly.