Books In English "City Of Illusions" Ursula K. Le Guin | Page 65

answered, "Probably far ahead in the west, by now."
"Did they know you were crossing Basnasska territory alone?"
"Alone? It's only in fairytales from the Time of the Cities that women
ever go anywhere alone. A man was with me. The Basnasska killed him."
Her delicate face was set, unexpressive.
Falk began to explain to himself, then, her curious passivity, the want
of response that had seemed almost a betrayal of his strong feeling. She
had borne too much and could no longer respond. Who was the companion
the Basnasska had killed? It was none of Falk's business to know, until she
wanted to tell him. But his anger was gone and from that time on he
treated Estrel with confidence and with tenderness.
"Can I help you look for your people?"
She said softly, "You are a kind man, Falk. But they will be far ahead,
and I cannot comb all the Western Plains…"
The lost, patient note in her voice moved him. "Come west with me,
then, till you get news of them. You know what way I take."
It was still hard for him to say the name "Es Toch," which in the
tongue of the Forest was an obscenity, abominable. He was not yet used to
the way Estrel spoke of the Shing city as a mere place among other places.
She hesitated, but when he pressed her she agreed to come with him.
That pleased him, because of his desire for her and his pity for her,
because of the loneliness he had known and did not wish to know again.
They set off together through the cold sunshine and the wind. Falk's heart
was light at being outside, at being free, at going on. Today the end of the
journey did not matter. The day was bright, the broad bright clouds sailed
overhead, the way itself was its end. He went on, the gentle, docile,
unwearying woman walking by his side.

V
THEY CROSSED the Great Plains on foot—which is soon said, but
was not soon or easily done. The days were longer than the nights and the
winds of spring were softening and growing mild when they first saw,
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