Answer
|
Dawn
|
was
|
coming.
|
The
|
Waystone
|
inn
|
lay
|
in
|
silence,
|
and
|
it
|
was
|
a
|
silence
|
of
|
three
|
parts.
|
The
|
most
|
obvious
|
part
|
was
|
a
|
vast
|
echoing
|
quiet
|
made
|
by
|
things
|
that
|
were
|
lacking.
|
If
|
there
|
had
|
been
|
a
|
storm
|
raindrops
|
would
|
have
|
tapped
|
and
|
pattered
|
against
|
the
|
selas
|
vines
|
behind
|
the
|
inn.
|
Thunder
|
|
Answer
|
would
|
have
|
muttered
|
and
|
rumbled
|
and
|
chased
|
the
|
silence
|
down
|
the
|
road
|
like
|
fallen
|
autumn
|
leaves.
|
If
|
there
|
had
|
been
|
travelers
|
stirring
|
in
|
their
|
rooms
|
they
|
would
|
have
|
streached
|
and
|
grumbled
|
the
|
silence
|
away
|
like
|
fraying,
|
half-forgotten
|
dreams.
|
If
|
there
|
had
|
been
|
music,
|
but
|
no.
|
of
|
course
|
there
|
was
|
no
|
music.
|
In
|
|
Answer
|
fact
|
there
|
were
|
none
|
of
|
these
|
things
|
and
|
so
|
the
|
silence
|
remained.
|
Inside
|
the
|
Waystone
|
a
|
dark
|
haired
|
man
|
eased
|
the
|
backdoor
|
closed
|
behind
|
himself.
|
Moving
|
through
|
the
|
perfect
|
dark,
|
he
|
crept
|
through
|
the
|
kitchen,
|
across
|
the
|
taproom,
|
and
|
down
|
the
|
basement
|
stairs.
|
With
|
the
|
ease
|
of
|
long
|
experience,
|
he
|
avoided
|
loose
|
|
Answer
|
boards
|
that
|
might
|
groan
|
or
|
sigh
|
beneath
|
his
|
weight.
|
Each
|
slow
|
step
|
made
|
only
|
the
|
barest
|
tep
|
against
|
the
|
floor.
|
in
|
doing
|
this
|
he
|
added
|
his
|
small,
|
fertive
|
silence
|
to
|
the
|
larger
|
echoing
|
one.
|
They
|
made
|
an
|
amalgom
|
of
|
sorts.
|
a
|
counterpoint.
|
The
|
third
|
silence
|
was
|
not
|
an
|
easy
|
thing
|
to
|
notice.
|
|
Answer
|
If
|
you
|
listened
|
long
|
enough
|
you
|
might
|
begin
|
to
|
feel
|
it
|
in
|
the
|
chill
|
of
|
the
|
window
|
glass
|
and
|
smooth
|
plaster
|
walls
|
of
|
the
|
innkeeper's
|
room.
|
It
|
was
|
in
|
the
|
dark
|
chest
|
that
|
lay
|
at
|
the
|
foot
|
of
|
a
|
hard
|
and
|
narrow
|
bed.
|
And
|
it
|
was
|
in
|
the
|
hands
|
of
|
the
|
man
|
|
Answer
|
who
|
lay
|
there,
|
motionless,
|
watching
|
for
|
the
|
first
|
pale
|
hint
|
of
|
dawns
|
coming
|
light.
|
The
|
man
|
had
|
true
|
red
|
hair,
|
red
|
as
|
flame.
|
His
|
eyes
|
were
|
dark
|
and
|
distant,
|
and
|
he
|
lay
|
with
|
the
|
resigned
|
air
|
of
|
one
|
who
|
has
|
long
|
abandoned
|
any
|
hope
|
of
|
sleep.
|
The
|
Waystone
|
was
|
his,
|
just
|
as
|
|
Answer
|
the
|
third
|
silence
|
was
|
his.
|
This
|
was
|
appropriate,
|
as
|
it
|
was
|
the
|
greatest
|
silence
|
of
|
three,
|
holding
|
the
|
others
|
inside
|
itself.
|
It
|
was
|
deep
|
and
|
wide
|
as
|
autumn's
|
ending.
|
It
|
was
|
heavy
|
as
|
a
|
great
|
river
|
smoothed
|
stone
|
it
|
was
|
the
|
patient,
|
cut-flower
|
sound
|
of
|
a
|
man
|
who
|
is
|
waiting
|
to
|
die.
|
|