3. The Showman’s Tent

Losing sight of Agia, Severian frantically searches the crowd for her.  He accosts several townspeople, including a tea vendor.  Severian and the merchant discuss where Agia might be found, as well as the fire that consumed the Cathedral of the Pelerines in Nessus.  A carnival barker calls out the presence of a fortune-telling green man.

Severian resolves to consult the green man regarding Agia’s location.  He pays an attendant and is led into a dim tent, where a hairless man is held captive.  Severian offers to free the man in exchange for information about his strange coloration.  The man explains that he is a traveler from the future.  In his time, the sun is strong enough to interact with algae integrated into his bloodstream to sustain him.