tendril table, and a short-legged bench, the chamber was empty. It was obviously the work of children, built long ago as a secret meeting place and, apparently, now forgotten and deserted. It was, however, isolated and well hidden, qualities that made it well suited to the purposes of the young man. Seating himself on the bench, the youth settled himself to wait and rest—but he did not relax his guard or allow his vigilance to diminish. He was, after all, D’ol Salaat, holy Ol-zhaan and loyal disciple of the great D’ol Regle, on a mission of great peril and awesome responsibility.
D’ol Salaat was now an outcast, living in exile in the secret community of Wissen-wald, a day’s journey to the northeast of Orbora. It was not an easy life nor, at the moment, a richly rewarding one, in terms of honor and glory. But he had faith in the inspired teachings of the glorious D’ol Wissen, in the time-tested traditions and institutions, and, most of all, in the strength and wisdom of the noble D’ol Regle.
Thus musing, D’ol Salaat had, perhaps, allowed his vigilance to relax for the merest fraction of a second, because he was suddenly aware that two persons had entered the tiny chamber and were now standing directly before him. Springing to his feet in some confusion, D’ol Salaat immediately composed himself and demanded that the newcomers recite the password and oath of allegiance to the Great Perpetuator, D’ol Regle—an oath composed some weeks before by D’ol Salaat himself. The newcomers were well known to him, Kindar who had for some time been in the service of the exiles. However, the oath and the password were a part of the new ritual for loyal Kindar and were therefore not to be neglected. When the rituals were properly completed, D’ol Salaat wasted no time in getting to the matter at hand.
“Greetings, loyal Kindar,” he said, taking care to smile with gracious benevolence so that the humble Kindar might not be overwhelmed at his presence. “What news do you bring me concerning the missions that you have been given to perform? You, Quon, what luck have you had in recruiting Kindar workmen?”
Quon, a pale-eyed old man with a small nervous mouth, stared at D’ol Salaat as if in consternation for some moments before he spoke. At last he stammered, “No—not—I’m afraid ... not a great deal, Honored One. I have found four, perhaps five, who would be willing to join the community, I am sure. They speak openly of their unjoyfulness at having to live and work with Erdlings and their fear for the future of Orbora under the Rejoyners. But they are older men and for the most part unskilled in the use of the metal tools of the Erdlings. Is it absolutely necessary that the recruits be those who are assigned to the use of the fire-cursed instruments of the Erdlings?”
D’ol Salaat sighed loudly, but with great patience. “I have explained the need to you before,” he said. “It will be necessary for the community to establish its own orchards as quickly as possible, so that we may have an independent food supply. And in order to do so, we must quickly clear away the forest so that produce trees can be planted. For this we must have metal tools, and workmen who can use them.”
The old man nodded, but weakly and without conviction. “But would it not be better for the Ol-zhaan to clear the forest by means of grunspreking, as was done when the great orchards of Orbora were planted in the early days? Cannot the Ol-zhaan deaden the grunds and rooftrees by means of grunspreking—as was done by the blessed D’ol Wissen?”
D’ol Salaat sighed again and more loudly. “Of course, the Ol-zhaan can still clear the trees by means of grunspreking. But—you see—we do not have time to wait for the trees to disintegrate after they have been deadened through grunspreking. Therefore we must make use of the Erdling tools. Certainly some of the Kindar workers must be adept in their use by now.”
“Oh yes,
D’ol Salaat was now an outcast, living in exile in the secret community of Wissen-wald, a day’s journey to the northeast of Orbora. It was not an easy life nor, at the moment, a richly rewarding one, in terms of honor and glory. But he had faith in the inspired teachings of the glorious D’ol Wissen, in the time-tested traditions and institutions, and, most of all, in the strength and wisdom of the noble D’ol Regle.
Thus musing, D’ol Salaat had, perhaps, allowed his vigilance to relax for the merest fraction of a second, because he was suddenly aware that two persons had entered the tiny chamber and were now standing directly before him. Springing to his feet in some confusion, D’ol Salaat immediately composed himself and demanded that the newcomers recite the password and oath of allegiance to the Great Perpetuator, D’ol Regle—an oath composed some weeks before by D’ol Salaat himself. The newcomers were well known to him, Kindar who had for some time been in the service of the exiles. However, the oath and the password were a part of the new ritual for loyal Kindar and were therefore not to be neglected. When the rituals were properly completed, D’ol Salaat wasted no time in getting to the matter at hand.
“Greetings, loyal Kindar,” he said, taking care to smile with gracious benevolence so that the humble Kindar might not be overwhelmed at his presence. “What news do you bring me concerning the missions that you have been given to perform? You, Quon, what luck have you had in recruiting Kindar workmen?”
Quon, a pale-eyed old man with a small nervous mouth, stared at D’ol Salaat as if in consternation for some moments before he spoke. At last he stammered, “No—not—I’m afraid ... not a great deal, Honored One. I have found four, perhaps five, who would be willing to join the community, I am sure. They speak openly of their unjoyfulness at having to live and work with Erdlings and their fear for the future of Orbora under the Rejoyners. But they are older men and for the most part unskilled in the use of the metal tools of the Erdlings. Is it absolutely necessary that the recruits be those who are assigned to the use of the fire-cursed instruments of the Erdlings?”
D’ol Salaat sighed loudly, but with great patience. “I have explained the need to you before,” he said. “It will be necessary for the community to establish its own orchards as quickly as possible, so that we may have an independent food supply. And in order to do so, we must quickly clear away the forest so that produce trees can be planted. For this we must have metal tools, and workmen who can use them.”
The old man nodded, but weakly and without conviction. “But would it not be better for the Ol-zhaan to clear the forest by means of grunspreking, as was done when the great orchards of Orbora were planted in the early days? Cannot the Ol-zhaan deaden the grunds and rooftrees by means of grunspreking—as was done by the blessed D’ol Wissen?”
D’ol Salaat sighed again and more loudly. “Of course, the Ol-zhaan can still clear the trees by means of grunspreking. But—you see—we do not have time to wait for the trees to disintegrate after they have been deadened through grunspreking. Therefore we must make use of the Erdling tools. Certainly some of the Kindar workers must be adept in their use by now.”
“Oh yes,
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