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Updated: June 13, 2025
"Your colour changed to white," said Corpang. "What happened?" "I passed through torture to love," replied Maskull simply. He stood up. Haunte gazed at him sombrely. "Will you not describe that passage?" Maskull answered slowly and thoughtfully. "When I was in Matterplay, I saw heavy clouds discharge themselves and change to coloured, living animals.
A rather defiant smile crossed Maskull's face as it struck him that it might be possible to navigate this huge plant-animal as far as Matterplay. He lost no time in putting the conception into execution. Tearing off some of the long, tough leaves, he bound up all the membranes except the ones that faced the north. The tree instantly left the island, and definitely put out to sea.
But I have an infallible rule, Corpang. As I come from the south, I always go due north." "That will take us to Lichstorm." Maskull gazed at the fantastically piled rocks all around them. "I saw these rocks from Matterplay. The mountains look as far off now as they did them, and there's not much of the day left. How far is Lichstorm from here?" Corpang looked away to the distant range.
"Thoughts and words," he said, "which don't correspond with the real events of the world are considered most shameful in Matterplay." "I'm not asking you to lie, only to keep silent." "To hide the truth is a special branch of lying. I can't accede to your wish. I must tell Joiwind everything, as far as I know it." Maskull got up, and Tydomin followed his example.
Maskull glanced at him through half-closed lids, wondering if he were exactly what he seemed to be. In his eyes he thought he detected a wise light. "Have you travelled much, Polecrab?" "Not what you would call travelling." "You tell me you've been to Matterplay what kind of country is that?" "I don't know. I went there to pick up flints." "What countries lie beyond it?"
Maskull took Corpang's arm, and constrained him to silence. "Where have you been hunting, Haunte?" "Matterplay. I had the worst luck I speared one wold horse, and there it lies." "What is Lichstorm like?" "There are men there, and there are women there, but there are no men-women, as with you." "What do you call men-women?" "Persons of mixed sex, like yourself. In Lichstorm the sexes are pure."
That wouldn't matter, but I don't like to see a man of intelligence like Maskull caught in your filthy meshes." "I suppose even you clever Matterplay people sometimes misjudge character. However, I don't mind. Your opinion's nothing to me, Digrung. You'd better answer his questions, Maskull.
Land probably Matterplay lay ahead, a long, dark line of low cliffs, perhaps a mile away. The current no longer ran toward the shore, but began to skirt the coast without drawing any closer to it. As soon as Maskull realised the fact, he manoeuvred the tree out of its channel and started drifting it inshore.
"With that I gather life from the streams that flow in all the hundred Matterplay valleys. The streams spring direct from Faceny. My whole life has been spent trying to find Faceny himself. I've hunted so long that if I were to state the number of years you would believe I lied." Maskull looked at the phaen slowly. "In Ifdawn I met someone else from Matterplay a young man called Digrung.
He followed the bank of the stream through the gap in the cliffs, and then for the first time saw the real Matterplay. A valley appeared, like a jewel enveloped by naked rock. All the hill country was bare and lifeless, but this valley lying in the heart of it was extremely fertile; he had never seen such fertility.
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