and continued, ' I stood with the knights who made vows at your king's birthday party; I stood with Master Juwain Zadoran and Lord Valashu Elahad, who are here this night. I remember vowing that our quest to find the Lightstone would not end unless illness, wounds or death struck us down first. Well, illness of the soul anyone will suffer if they go into Argattha. Of wounds we had many, and death struck down the fairest of us in the Kul Moroth. Even so, our quest didn't end, as all can see. We did vow to seek the Lightstone for all of Ea. But we never said that we would deliver it to King Kiritan, who remained safe behind his kingdom's walls.' Maram, puffing and sweating from his little speech, suddenly dropped back into his chair. I thought that he was rather pleased that he had slurred only a few of his words.
Count Dario seemed to be fighting back a smile as he bowed his head toward Maram. 'All the questers must be honored, especially those who went into Argattha and returned. I would not presume to gainsay Prince Maram. But I must strongly declare that it was under-stood the Lightstone was to be brought to Tria. This was the spirit of the questers' vows.'
From the dais above our table, where the thirty Guardians stood glaring at Count Dario, the Lightstone's radiance poured down upon my father s black and silver hair. He calmly regarded Count Dario and there was steel in his voice as he said, 'Surely those who made vows are best able to interpret their spirit. Even so, we are all agreed that the Lightstone is for all of Ea, even as you have heard. Soon it wil brought to Ishka - soon.'
'Then are we also agreed that it will be brought to Tria soon after?'
'That may be.'
'King Kiritan would ask you to agree that the Lightstone should be kept in Tria, where it will be safest.'
My father's face was grave as he said, 'Where is safety to be found in this world? Wasn't it only last year, at King Kiritan's birthday celebration, that one of his own barons nearly assassinated him?'
'Baron Narcavage, as you must know,' Count Dario said, glancing at the priests at table next to him, 'had gone over to Morjin. The plot was crushed - you can be sure that my king's other nobles remain loyal to him.'
'That is good. There's little enough of surety in this world, either.'
Count Dario's cool blue eyes tried to hold the brilliance of my father's gaze as he said, 'Come, King Shamesh, what do you say as to my king's request?'
'That it is not mine, alone, to grant.'
'No? Whose is it, then?'
My father shifted about in his chair to regard the Lightstone for a long few moments. He bowed his head to the Guardians who protected it. Then he turned back to Count Dario. 'You speak of a permanent residence for that which was meant to reside in one place, and one place only.'
'In this hall, do you mean?' Count Dario stood bristling with insult while Prince Issur seemed ready to leap out of his chair to speak again.
And then my father said, 'The Lightstone was meant to reside in the hands of the Maitreya. Only he can decide its home - and its fate.' Count Dario's face brightened as if he had been given the keenest of weapons to wield. 'You will be glad to know then that it is almost certain that the Maitreya has been found: in a village near Adavam. His name is Joakim.'
'Is this the blacksmith of which we have heard?'
'Yes - but he has been taken to Tria to prepare for a higher calling.'
Count Dario went on to say that Joakim now resided at the King's palace where Ea's greatest scholars, healers and alchemists were refining his talents and preparing him to take his place in history. Here Master Juwain stood clutching the much-worn traveling volume of the Saganom Elu that he always carried. He called out, 'King Shamesh may I speak?'
'Please do, Master Juwain.'
After flipping through the pages of his book, Master Juwain called out even more strongly as he read a passage from Beginnings: '"Grace cannot be gained like diamonds or gold. By the
Count Dario seemed to be fighting back a smile as he bowed his head toward Maram. 'All the questers must be honored, especially those who went into Argattha and returned. I would not presume to gainsay Prince Maram. But I must strongly declare that it was under-stood the Lightstone was to be brought to Tria. This was the spirit of the questers' vows.'
From the dais above our table, where the thirty Guardians stood glaring at Count Dario, the Lightstone's radiance poured down upon my father s black and silver hair. He calmly regarded Count Dario and there was steel in his voice as he said, 'Surely those who made vows are best able to interpret their spirit. Even so, we are all agreed that the Lightstone is for all of Ea, even as you have heard. Soon it wil brought to Ishka - soon.'
'Then are we also agreed that it will be brought to Tria soon after?'
'That may be.'
'King Kiritan would ask you to agree that the Lightstone should be kept in Tria, where it will be safest.'
My father's face was grave as he said, 'Where is safety to be found in this world? Wasn't it only last year, at King Kiritan's birthday celebration, that one of his own barons nearly assassinated him?'
'Baron Narcavage, as you must know,' Count Dario said, glancing at the priests at table next to him, 'had gone over to Morjin. The plot was crushed - you can be sure that my king's other nobles remain loyal to him.'
'That is good. There's little enough of surety in this world, either.'
Count Dario's cool blue eyes tried to hold the brilliance of my father's gaze as he said, 'Come, King Shamesh, what do you say as to my king's request?'
'That it is not mine, alone, to grant.'
'No? Whose is it, then?'
My father shifted about in his chair to regard the Lightstone for a long few moments. He bowed his head to the Guardians who protected it. Then he turned back to Count Dario. 'You speak of a permanent residence for that which was meant to reside in one place, and one place only.'
'In this hall, do you mean?' Count Dario stood bristling with insult while Prince Issur seemed ready to leap out of his chair to speak again.
And then my father said, 'The Lightstone was meant to reside in the hands of the Maitreya. Only he can decide its home - and its fate.' Count Dario's face brightened as if he had been given the keenest of weapons to wield. 'You will be glad to know then that it is almost certain that the Maitreya has been found: in a village near Adavam. His name is Joakim.'
'Is this the blacksmith of which we have heard?'
'Yes - but he has been taken to Tria to prepare for a higher calling.'
Count Dario went on to say that Joakim now resided at the King's palace where Ea's greatest scholars, healers and alchemists were refining his talents and preparing him to take his place in history. Here Master Juwain stood clutching the much-worn traveling volume of the Saganom Elu that he always carried. He called out, 'King Shamesh may I speak?'
'Please do, Master Juwain.'
After flipping through the pages of his book, Master Juwain called out even more strongly as he read a passage from Beginnings: '"Grace cannot be gained like diamonds or gold. By the
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