out of solid stone. I estimated that the smooth walls rose to a ceiling that must be only a few meters beneath the surface of the crag where the Bikura had set their huts. There was no ornamentation here, no furniture, no sign of any concession to form or function except for the object that sat squarely in the center of this huge, echoing cave of a room.
Centered in the great hail was an altar – a five-meter-square slab of stone left when the rest was hollowed out – and from this altar rose a cross.
Four meters high, three meters wide, carved in the old style of the elaborate crucifixes of Old Earth, the cross faced the stained-glass wall as if awaiting the sun and the explosion of light that would ignite the inlaid diamonds, sapphires, blood crystals, lapis beads, queen's tears, onyxes, and other precious stones that I could make out in the light of the flashlight as 1 approached.
I knelt and prayed. Shutting off the flashlight, 1 waited several minutes before my eyes could discern the cross in the dim, smoky light. This was, without a doubt, the cruciform of which the Bikura spoke. And it had been set here a minimum of many thousands of years ago- perhaps tens of thousands- long before mankind first left Old Earth. Almost certainly before Christ taught in Galilee.
I prayed.
Today! sit out in the sunlight after reviewing the holodisks. I have confirmed what I barely noticed during my return up the cliff after discovering what I now think of as 'the basilica." On the ledge outside the basilica there are steps descending farther into the Cleft.
Although not as worn as the path leading to the basilica, they are equally intriguing. God alone knows what other wonders wait below.
I must let the worlds know of this find!
The irony of my being the one t°discover this is not lost on me. I f it had not been for Armaghast and my exile, this discovery might have waited more centuries. The Church might have died before this revelation could have brought new life to it.
But I have found it.
One way or the other, I will leave or get my message out.
Day 107:
I am a prisoner.
This morning I was bathing in my usual place near where the stream drops over the cliff edge when I heard a sound and looked up to see the Bikura I call Del staring at me with wide eyes. I called a greeting but the little Bikura turned and ran. It was perplexing. They rarely hurry.
Then I realized that even though I had been wearing trousers at the time, I had undoubtedly violated their nudity taboo by allowing Del to see me naked from the waist up.
I smiled, shook my head, finished dressing, and returned to the village. If I- had known what awaited me there, I would not have been amused.
The entire Three Score and Ten stood watching as 1 approached. I stopped a dozen paces from Al. 'Good morning,' I said.
Alpha pointed and half a dozen of the Bikura lunged toward me, seized my arms and legs, and pinned me to the ground.
Beta stepped forward and removed a sharpedged stone from his or her robes. As I struggled in vain to pull free, Beta cut my clothes down the front and pulled apart the shreds until I was all but naked.
I ceased struggling as the mob pressed forward. They stared at my pale, white body and murmured to themselves.
I could feel my heart pounding. 'l am sorry if I have offended your laws,' I began, 'but there is no reason…" 'Silence,' said Alpha and spoke to the talt Bikura with the scar on his palm – the one I call Zed. 'He is notof the cruciform."
Zed nodded.
'Let me explain,' i began again, but Alpha silenced me with a backhanded slap that left my lip bleeding and my ears ringing. There had been no more sense of hostility in his action than i would have shown in silencing a comlog by throwing a switch.
'What are we to do with him?" asked Alpha.
'Those who do not follow the cross must die the true death,' said Beta and the crowd shifted forward. Many had sharpened stones in their hands. 'Those not of
Centered in the great hail was an altar – a five-meter-square slab of stone left when the rest was hollowed out – and from this altar rose a cross.
Four meters high, three meters wide, carved in the old style of the elaborate crucifixes of Old Earth, the cross faced the stained-glass wall as if awaiting the sun and the explosion of light that would ignite the inlaid diamonds, sapphires, blood crystals, lapis beads, queen's tears, onyxes, and other precious stones that I could make out in the light of the flashlight as 1 approached.
I knelt and prayed. Shutting off the flashlight, 1 waited several minutes before my eyes could discern the cross in the dim, smoky light. This was, without a doubt, the cruciform of which the Bikura spoke. And it had been set here a minimum of many thousands of years ago- perhaps tens of thousands- long before mankind first left Old Earth. Almost certainly before Christ taught in Galilee.
I prayed.
Today! sit out in the sunlight after reviewing the holodisks. I have confirmed what I barely noticed during my return up the cliff after discovering what I now think of as 'the basilica." On the ledge outside the basilica there are steps descending farther into the Cleft.
Although not as worn as the path leading to the basilica, they are equally intriguing. God alone knows what other wonders wait below.
I must let the worlds know of this find!
The irony of my being the one t°discover this is not lost on me. I f it had not been for Armaghast and my exile, this discovery might have waited more centuries. The Church might have died before this revelation could have brought new life to it.
But I have found it.
One way or the other, I will leave or get my message out.
Day 107:
I am a prisoner.
This morning I was bathing in my usual place near where the stream drops over the cliff edge when I heard a sound and looked up to see the Bikura I call Del staring at me with wide eyes. I called a greeting but the little Bikura turned and ran. It was perplexing. They rarely hurry.
Then I realized that even though I had been wearing trousers at the time, I had undoubtedly violated their nudity taboo by allowing Del to see me naked from the waist up.
I smiled, shook my head, finished dressing, and returned to the village. If I- had known what awaited me there, I would not have been amused.
The entire Three Score and Ten stood watching as 1 approached. I stopped a dozen paces from Al. 'Good morning,' I said.
Alpha pointed and half a dozen of the Bikura lunged toward me, seized my arms and legs, and pinned me to the ground.
Beta stepped forward and removed a sharpedged stone from his or her robes. As I struggled in vain to pull free, Beta cut my clothes down the front and pulled apart the shreds until I was all but naked.
I ceased struggling as the mob pressed forward. They stared at my pale, white body and murmured to themselves.
I could feel my heart pounding. 'l am sorry if I have offended your laws,' I began, 'but there is no reason…" 'Silence,' said Alpha and spoke to the talt Bikura with the scar on his palm – the one I call Zed. 'He is notof the cruciform."
Zed nodded.
'Let me explain,' i began again, but Alpha silenced me with a backhanded slap that left my lip bleeding and my ears ringing. There had been no more sense of hostility in his action than i would have shown in silencing a comlog by throwing a switch.
'What are we to do with him?" asked Alpha.
'Those who do not follow the cross must die the true death,' said Beta and the crowd shifted forward. Many had sharpened stones in their hands. 'Those not of
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