the cruciform must die the true death,' said Beta and her voice held the tone of complacent finality common to oft-repeated formulae and religious litanies.
'l follow the cross!" I cried out as the crowd tugged me to my feet. I grabbed at the crucifix that hung around my neck and struggled against the pressure of many arms.
Finally I managed to lift the little cross over my head.
Alpha held up his hand and the crowd paused. In the sudden silence I could hear the river three kilometers below in the Cleft.
'He does carry a cross,' said Alpha.
Del pressed forward. 'But he is not of the cruciform! I saw. It was not as we thought.
He is not of the cruciform!" There was murder in his voice.
I cursed myself for being careless and stupid. The future of the Church depended upon my survival and l had thrown both away by beguiling myself into believing that the Bikura were dull, harmless children.
'Those who do not follow the cross must die the true death,' repeated Beta. It was a final sentencing.
Stones were being raised by seventy hands when l shouted, knowing that it was either my last chance or my final condemnation. 'i have been down the cliff and worshiped at your altar! i follow the cross!'
Alpha and the mob hesitated. I could see that they were wrestling with this new thought. It was not easy for them.
'! follow the cross and wish to be of the cruciform,'! said as calmly as I could. '! have been to your altar." 'Those who do not follow the cross must die the true death,' called Gamma.
'But he follows the cross,' said Alpha. 'He has prayed in the room." 'This cannot be,' said Zed. 'The Three Score and Ten pray there and he is not of the Three Score and Ten." 'We knew before this that he is not of the Three Score and Ten,' said Alpha, frowning slightly as he dealt with the concept of past tense.
'He is not of the cruciform,' said Delta-two.
'Those who are not of the cruciform must die the true death,' said Beta.
'He follows the cross,' said Alpha. 'Can he not then become of the cruciform?"
An outcry arose. In the general babble and shuffle of forms I pulled against restraining hands but their grips remained firm.
'He is not of the Three Score and Ten and is not of the cruciform,' said Beta, sounding more puttied than hostile now. 'How is it that he should not die the true death?
We must take the stones and open his throat so that the blood flows until his heart stops. He is not of the cruciform." 'He follows the cross,' said Alpha. 'Can he not become of the cruciform?"
This time silence followed the question.
'He follows the cross and has prayed at the room of the cruciform,' said Alpha, 'He must not die the true death." 'All die the true death,' said a Bikura whom I did not recognize. My arms were aching from the strain of holding the crucifix above my head. 'Except the Three Score and Ten,' finished the anonymous Bikura.
'Because they followed the cross, prayed at the room, and became of the cruciform,' said Alpha. 'Must he not then become of the cruciform?"
I stood there gripping the cold metal of the small cross and awaited their verdict. I was afraid to die – l felt afraid – but the larger part of my mind seemed almost detached.
My greatest regret was that I would not be able to send out the news of the basilica to an unbelieving universe.
'Come, we will talk of this,' Beta said to the group and they pulled me with them as they trod silently back to the village.
They have imprisoned me here in my hut.
There was no chance to try for the hunting maser; several of them held me down while they emptied the hut of most of my possessions. They took my clothing, leaving me only one of their rough-woven robes to cover myself with.
The longer I sit here the more angry and anxious 1 become. They have taken my comlog, imager, disks, chips… everything. I have a single, unopened crate of medical diagnostic equipment left up at the old site, but that cannot help me document the
'l follow the cross!" I cried out as the crowd tugged me to my feet. I grabbed at the crucifix that hung around my neck and struggled against the pressure of many arms.
Finally I managed to lift the little cross over my head.
Alpha held up his hand and the crowd paused. In the sudden silence I could hear the river three kilometers below in the Cleft.
'He does carry a cross,' said Alpha.
Del pressed forward. 'But he is not of the cruciform! I saw. It was not as we thought.
He is not of the cruciform!" There was murder in his voice.
I cursed myself for being careless and stupid. The future of the Church depended upon my survival and l had thrown both away by beguiling myself into believing that the Bikura were dull, harmless children.
'Those who do not follow the cross must die the true death,' repeated Beta. It was a final sentencing.
Stones were being raised by seventy hands when l shouted, knowing that it was either my last chance or my final condemnation. 'i have been down the cliff and worshiped at your altar! i follow the cross!'
Alpha and the mob hesitated. I could see that they were wrestling with this new thought. It was not easy for them.
'! follow the cross and wish to be of the cruciform,'! said as calmly as I could. '! have been to your altar." 'Those who do not follow the cross must die the true death,' called Gamma.
'But he follows the cross,' said Alpha. 'He has prayed in the room." 'This cannot be,' said Zed. 'The Three Score and Ten pray there and he is not of the Three Score and Ten." 'We knew before this that he is not of the Three Score and Ten,' said Alpha, frowning slightly as he dealt with the concept of past tense.
'He is not of the cruciform,' said Delta-two.
'Those who are not of the cruciform must die the true death,' said Beta.
'He follows the cross,' said Alpha. 'Can he not then become of the cruciform?"
An outcry arose. In the general babble and shuffle of forms I pulled against restraining hands but their grips remained firm.
'He is not of the Three Score and Ten and is not of the cruciform,' said Beta, sounding more puttied than hostile now. 'How is it that he should not die the true death?
We must take the stones and open his throat so that the blood flows until his heart stops. He is not of the cruciform." 'He follows the cross,' said Alpha. 'Can he not become of the cruciform?"
This time silence followed the question.
'He follows the cross and has prayed at the room of the cruciform,' said Alpha, 'He must not die the true death." 'All die the true death,' said a Bikura whom I did not recognize. My arms were aching from the strain of holding the crucifix above my head. 'Except the Three Score and Ten,' finished the anonymous Bikura.
'Because they followed the cross, prayed at the room, and became of the cruciform,' said Alpha. 'Must he not then become of the cruciform?"
I stood there gripping the cold metal of the small cross and awaited their verdict. I was afraid to die – l felt afraid – but the larger part of my mind seemed almost detached.
My greatest regret was that I would not be able to send out the news of the basilica to an unbelieving universe.
'Come, we will talk of this,' Beta said to the group and they pulled me with them as they trod silently back to the village.
They have imprisoned me here in my hut.
There was no chance to try for the hunting maser; several of them held me down while they emptied the hut of most of my possessions. They took my clothing, leaving me only one of their rough-woven robes to cover myself with.
The longer I sit here the more angry and anxious 1 become. They have taken my comlog, imager, disks, chips… everything. I have a single, unopened crate of medical diagnostic equipment left up at the old site, but that cannot help me document the
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