quietly. The
sound of a purely physical voice surprised me and I opened my eyes to see her
standing next to me. As before, she had taken the form of a human woman, perfect
in every detail, except for the small fact of being made of earth and stone.
Even her voice sounded almost normal, though it had a certain dry quality to
it.
“You can speak,” I said. I was mildly
surprised, in the past she had spoken to me only in my mind.
“Why would you think otherwise?” she asked,
though her face betrayed no visible emotion or curiosity.
“I assumed you could only speak to me
directly, mind to mind. If you could talk like this you should have been able
to talk to me even after I formed the bond with Penny,” I told her.
“You are laboring under several
misconceptions. I can only speak, move, or indeed act at all because you are not bound,” she replied.
That made no sense to me. “The bond
only interfered with my ability to communicate directly with my mind, how would
that affect your ability to speak?”
“Who do you think you are talking to?”
she asked.
I sincerely hoped she wasn’t going to
make a habit of answering my questions with questions, but with a sigh I
answered anyway, “Moira Centyr... or have you changed names?”
“That is probably the best name to use,
but it is not strictly correct,” she said with an infuriatingly calm demeanor.
“Listen, I’m not really in the mood for
this, if you aren’t Moira Centyr then tell me who I am talking to. I’d
rather not spend all day playing word games,” I said impatiently.
“If I were still alive I’d have you
punished for such impertinence,” she answered with a faint hint of a smile.
“In one sense I am the earth, in another I am a remnant of Moira Centyr, and in
the most important sense I am you.”
“Well that really clears things up,” I
said sarcastically. I should have expected an answer like that; magical beings
never seem to have straight forward answers. I got my frustration under
control and decided to tackle the subject systematically. “Let’s start with
the first thing you said, ‘if I were still alive’, I thought you were still alive. Did you die after you joined with the earth and defeated
Balinthor?”
“The problem is really created by trying
to force reality to fit into the form of language. Moira Centyr did not die,
she changed, became something else… a part of the earth itself. From a human
perspective, and in most ways that matter to humans, she died. I am what she
left behind, an impression of her knowledge, an imprint of who she was,
preserved within the earth… an echo of her mind.”
I had a sinking feeling this was going
to be a long introduction. I tried again, “So you’re sort of a ghost?”
“No, I am her knowledge, preserved
within the earth,” she replied.
Same difference, I thought, but I didn’t voice my opinion. “It sounds as if the
distinction is mostly academic. Rather than split hairs over the details how
about we just call you ‘Moira’ for simplicity’s sake,” I suggested. “Let’s
return to the original question, why couldn’t you speak to me like this while I
was bound to Penny?”
“Because I am not Moira Centyr, I
am a memory. I have no volition, no will or motivating self beyond that
which you provide. That is why I said that I am you in one sense.”
Understanding was beginning to dawn, but
I still wasn’t clear on everything yet, “then why did you answer when I called
you by that name… Moira. ”
“I answered because you called. Your
will, your desire, your motivation compel me to act, to respond. You provide
the volition that creates this semblance of who Moira Centyr was,
without your living will I am no more alive than the ground beneath your feet.
I am a memory, given life and substance by your connection to the earth and
your desire for answers.”
I understood now but I was feeling
argumentative, “The ground beneath my feet is alive. I’ve learned
sound of a purely physical voice surprised me and I opened my eyes to see her
standing next to me. As before, she had taken the form of a human woman, perfect
in every detail, except for the small fact of being made of earth and stone.
Even her voice sounded almost normal, though it had a certain dry quality to
it.
“You can speak,” I said. I was mildly
surprised, in the past she had spoken to me only in my mind.
“Why would you think otherwise?” she asked,
though her face betrayed no visible emotion or curiosity.
“I assumed you could only speak to me
directly, mind to mind. If you could talk like this you should have been able
to talk to me even after I formed the bond with Penny,” I told her.
“You are laboring under several
misconceptions. I can only speak, move, or indeed act at all because you are not bound,” she replied.
That made no sense to me. “The bond
only interfered with my ability to communicate directly with my mind, how would
that affect your ability to speak?”
“Who do you think you are talking to?”
she asked.
I sincerely hoped she wasn’t going to
make a habit of answering my questions with questions, but with a sigh I
answered anyway, “Moira Centyr... or have you changed names?”
“That is probably the best name to use,
but it is not strictly correct,” she said with an infuriatingly calm demeanor.
“Listen, I’m not really in the mood for
this, if you aren’t Moira Centyr then tell me who I am talking to. I’d
rather not spend all day playing word games,” I said impatiently.
“If I were still alive I’d have you
punished for such impertinence,” she answered with a faint hint of a smile.
“In one sense I am the earth, in another I am a remnant of Moira Centyr, and in
the most important sense I am you.”
“Well that really clears things up,” I
said sarcastically. I should have expected an answer like that; magical beings
never seem to have straight forward answers. I got my frustration under
control and decided to tackle the subject systematically. “Let’s start with
the first thing you said, ‘if I were still alive’, I thought you were still alive. Did you die after you joined with the earth and defeated
Balinthor?”
“The problem is really created by trying
to force reality to fit into the form of language. Moira Centyr did not die,
she changed, became something else… a part of the earth itself. From a human
perspective, and in most ways that matter to humans, she died. I am what she
left behind, an impression of her knowledge, an imprint of who she was,
preserved within the earth… an echo of her mind.”
I had a sinking feeling this was going
to be a long introduction. I tried again, “So you’re sort of a ghost?”
“No, I am her knowledge, preserved
within the earth,” she replied.
Same difference, I thought, but I didn’t voice my opinion. “It sounds as if the
distinction is mostly academic. Rather than split hairs over the details how
about we just call you ‘Moira’ for simplicity’s sake,” I suggested. “Let’s
return to the original question, why couldn’t you speak to me like this while I
was bound to Penny?”
“Because I am not Moira Centyr, I
am a memory. I have no volition, no will or motivating self beyond that
which you provide. That is why I said that I am you in one sense.”
Understanding was beginning to dawn, but
I still wasn’t clear on everything yet, “then why did you answer when I called
you by that name… Moira. ”
“I answered because you called. Your
will, your desire, your motivation compel me to act, to respond. You provide
the volition that creates this semblance of who Moira Centyr was,
without your living will I am no more alive than the ground beneath your feet.
I am a memory, given life and substance by your connection to the earth and
your desire for answers.”
I understood now but I was feeling
argumentative, “The ground beneath my feet is alive. I’ve learned
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