Books In English "City Of Illusions" Ursula K. Le Guin | Page 66

even from afar, their goal: the barrier, paled by snow and distance, the wall
across the continent from north to south. Falk stood still then, gazing at the
Mountains.
"High in the mountains lies Es Toch," Estrel said, gazing with him.
"There I hope we each shall find what we seek."
"I often fear it more than I hope it…Yet I'm glad to have seen the
mountains."
"We should go on from here."
"I'll ask the Prince if he is willing that we go tomorrow."
But before leaving her he turned and looked eastward at the desert
land beyond the Prince's gardens a while, as if looking back across all the
way he and she had come together.
He knew still better now how empty and mysterious a world men
inhabited in these later days of their history. For days on end he and his
companion had gone and never seen one trace of human presence.
Early in their journey they had gone cautiously, through the territories
of the Samsit and other Cattle-Hunter nations, which Estrel knew to be as
predatory as the Basnasska. Then, coming to more arid country, they were
forced to keep to ways which others had used before, in order to find
water; still, when there were signs of people having recently passed, or
living nearby, Estrel kept a sharp lookout, and sometimes changed their
course to avoid even the risk of being seen. She had a general, and in
places a remarkably specific, knowledge of the vast area they were
crossing; and sometimes when the terrain worsened and they were in doubt
which direction to take, she would say, "Wait till dawn," and going a little
away would pray a minute to her amulet, then come back, roll up in her
sleepingbag and sleep serenely: and the way she chose at dawn was always
the right one. "Wanderer's instinct," she said when Falk admired her
guessing. "Anyway, so long as we keep near water and far from human
beings, we are safe."
But once, many days west of the cavern, following the curve of a deep
stream-valley they came so abruptly upon a settlement that the guards of
the place were around them before they could run. Heavy rain had hidden
any sight or sound of the place before they reached it. When the people
~ 64 ~