here?"

"Of course not. Naturally, in each House we have a differing of
character, as does the world itself. Why else should astrology be the
greatest of the sciences?"

It was a nice world, he decided. And yet the new factor explained some
things. He'd been vaguely worried about the apparent change in Ser
Perth, who'd turned from a serious and helpful doctor into a
supercilious, high-handed fop. But--what about his recovery, if that was
supposed to be determined by the signs of the zodiac?

He had no time to ask. The carpet bucked, and the girl began speaking to
it urgently. It wavered, then righted itself, to begin sliding
downwards.

"There is a ring of protection around your camp," Nema explained. "It is
set to make entry impossible to one who does not have the words or who
is unfriendly. The carpet could not go through that, anyway. The ring
negates all other magic trying to pass it. And of course we have
basilisks mounted on posts around the grounds. They're trained to hood
their eyes, except when they sense anyone trying to enter who should
not. You can't be turned to stone looking at one, you know--only by
having one look at you."

"You're cheering me up no end," he assured her.

She smiled pleasantly and began setting the carpet down. Below, he
could see a camp that looked much like the camps he had seen in the same
movies from which all his clothes had been copied. There were well