automatically meant full Survivorship--a double measure of responsibility. Then too, one so dedicated also had to concern himself with the demanding obligations of Procreating and Familiarization of Progeny.
These considerations were far from Jared's mind over the next few periods, however, as he meditated in the silence of his heavily curtained grotto. He thought of Della--yes. But certainly not in the sound of normal Unification. Rather, his speculation centered on the significance of her being a Zivver. How had she managed to conceal that fact? And what were her intentions?
At that, though, the situation was not without humor. There was Lorenz--on a Zivver hunt. And all the while he had one right beside his ear!
As far as Jared was concerned, the girl would be conveniently available for counteraccusation should the Adviser ever decide to accuse him of being a Zivver.
If he so chose, he could expose her any time he wanted. But what would he gain? Anyway, the fact that she thought he was a Zivver made for an interesting situation and he was anxious to hear what would come of it.
This line of thought invariably led to conjecture on the nature of zivving. What magical power was it that permitted one to know where things were in total silence and in the absence of odors? Or, like his imaginary Little Listener, did Zivvers hear some sort of soundless noise made by all things, animate and inanimate alike? Then he remembered it wasn't sound at all, but heat that they zivved.
Each time his attention wandered to these irrelevant matters, he knew he was not rendering full service to the spirit of Withdrawal and Contemplation. Yet, he supposed all of these subjects deserved exploration under the special conditions of his Unification.
He spared himself one possible distraction, though, in not telling the Prime Survivor about the monsters' invasion of the Upper Level. That would only have revived condemnation of his trip to the Original World.
On the fourth period of retreat he was jolted from meditation by a commotion in the world outside. At first he thought the monsters had reached the Lower Level. But there was not so much consternation as dismay in the voices of those streaming toward the orchard.
They had all abandoned the residential area by the time he decided on interrupting Withdrawal. He started after them. But halfway across the world, the central caster fetched impressions of the Prime Survivor and Elder Haverty coming in his direction.
"How long did you _expect_ to keep it a secret?" Haverty was asking.
"Until I could decide what to do about it, at least," the Prime Survivor answered glumly.
"Eh? What? I mean, what _can_ you do about something like that?"
But the other had detected Jared. "So you broke Withdrawal," he observed. "I suppose it's just as well."
Haverty excused himself, explaining that he was going to hear if Elder Maxwell had any ideas on how to cope with the situation.
"What happened?" Jared asked after the other had gone.
"We've just had nine hot springs go dry." The Prime Survivor led the way toward their grotto.
Jared was relieved. "Oh. I thought it might be soubats, or maybe Zivvers."
"I wish to Light that's _all_ it was."
In the curtain-shielded privacy of their recess, the Prime Survivor paced aimlessly. "This is a critical situation, Jared!"
"Maybe the springs will start flowing again."
"The other three that dried up haven't started again. I'm afraid they're out for good."
Jared shrugged. "So we'll have to do without them."
"Don't you hear the seriousness of this thing? We have a tight, delicate balance here. What's happened might well mean some of us _won't be able to survive!_"
Jared started to offer further encouragement. But suddenly he was preoccupied with self-concern. Was this part of the pattern of punishment he had brought on by provoking the Original World monster? Hot springs going dry in both the Upper and Lower Level, evil beings pushing past
These considerations were far from Jared's mind over the next few periods, however, as he meditated in the silence of his heavily curtained grotto. He thought of Della--yes. But certainly not in the sound of normal Unification. Rather, his speculation centered on the significance of her being a Zivver. How had she managed to conceal that fact? And what were her intentions?
At that, though, the situation was not without humor. There was Lorenz--on a Zivver hunt. And all the while he had one right beside his ear!
As far as Jared was concerned, the girl would be conveniently available for counteraccusation should the Adviser ever decide to accuse him of being a Zivver.
If he so chose, he could expose her any time he wanted. But what would he gain? Anyway, the fact that she thought he was a Zivver made for an interesting situation and he was anxious to hear what would come of it.
This line of thought invariably led to conjecture on the nature of zivving. What magical power was it that permitted one to know where things were in total silence and in the absence of odors? Or, like his imaginary Little Listener, did Zivvers hear some sort of soundless noise made by all things, animate and inanimate alike? Then he remembered it wasn't sound at all, but heat that they zivved.
Each time his attention wandered to these irrelevant matters, he knew he was not rendering full service to the spirit of Withdrawal and Contemplation. Yet, he supposed all of these subjects deserved exploration under the special conditions of his Unification.
He spared himself one possible distraction, though, in not telling the Prime Survivor about the monsters' invasion of the Upper Level. That would only have revived condemnation of his trip to the Original World.
On the fourth period of retreat he was jolted from meditation by a commotion in the world outside. At first he thought the monsters had reached the Lower Level. But there was not so much consternation as dismay in the voices of those streaming toward the orchard.
They had all abandoned the residential area by the time he decided on interrupting Withdrawal. He started after them. But halfway across the world, the central caster fetched impressions of the Prime Survivor and Elder Haverty coming in his direction.
"How long did you _expect_ to keep it a secret?" Haverty was asking.
"Until I could decide what to do about it, at least," the Prime Survivor answered glumly.
"Eh? What? I mean, what _can_ you do about something like that?"
But the other had detected Jared. "So you broke Withdrawal," he observed. "I suppose it's just as well."
Haverty excused himself, explaining that he was going to hear if Elder Maxwell had any ideas on how to cope with the situation.
"What happened?" Jared asked after the other had gone.
"We've just had nine hot springs go dry." The Prime Survivor led the way toward their grotto.
Jared was relieved. "Oh. I thought it might be soubats, or maybe Zivvers."
"I wish to Light that's _all_ it was."
In the curtain-shielded privacy of their recess, the Prime Survivor paced aimlessly. "This is a critical situation, Jared!"
"Maybe the springs will start flowing again."
"The other three that dried up haven't started again. I'm afraid they're out for good."
Jared shrugged. "So we'll have to do without them."
"Don't you hear the seriousness of this thing? We have a tight, delicate balance here. What's happened might well mean some of us _won't be able to survive!_"
Jared started to offer further encouragement. But suddenly he was preoccupied with self-concern. Was this part of the pattern of punishment he had brought on by provoking the Original World monster? Hot springs going dry in both the Upper and Lower Level, evil beings pushing past
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