Зима тревоги нашей

           OfcourseIreplied,"Whocares?"ButsheknewIwouldcreeptoitaloneandshespelleditsoIcouldtrackitdown.T-a-l-i-s-m-a-n.Shecareddeeplyaboutwordsandshehatedtheirmisuseasshewouldhatetheclumsyhandlingofanyfinething.Now,somanycycleslater,Icanseethepage—canseemyselfmisspelling"talisman."TheArabicwasonlyasquigglylinewithabulbontheendofit.TheGreekIcouldpronouncebecauseofthebladeofthatoldwoman."Astoneorotherobjectengravedwithfiguresorcharacterstowhichareattributedtheoccultpowersoftheplanetaryinfluencesandcelestialconfigurationsunderwhichitwasmade,usuallywornasanamulettoavertevilfromorbringfortunetothebearer."Ihadthentolookfor"occult,""planetary,""celestial,"and"amulet."Itwasalwaysthatway.Onewordsetoffotherslikeastringoffirecrackers.

           WhenlaterIaskedher,"Doyoubelieveintalismans?"shereplied,"Whathasmybelieftodowithit?"

           Iputitinherhands."Whatdoesthisfigureorcharactermean?"

           "It’syourtalisman,notmine.Itmeanswhatyouwantittomean.Putitbackinthecabinet.Itwillwaitforyou."

           Now,asIwalkedinthecavernoftheelms,shewasasaliveasevershehadbeenandthat’strueimmortality.Overandunderitselfthecarvingwent,andaroundandoverandunder,aserpentwithneitherheadnortailnorbeginningnorending.