ear on him. He did what he said he would and soon returned with another man.
“This is Randal. He can help you.”
The man wore a fine blue suit. White curly hair covered most of his burly face. He reminded me of Santa Claus. I uncovered my eyes.
“Follow me please,” he said gruffly.
I followed him down an endless string of hallways until the man slowed to a stop. As he opened the heavy door to the council chamber I quickly scanned the interior. Around a large granite table in the center of the room were twelve men in business suits. The table formed a symmetrical dodecagon. A man sat before each flat edge. Papers littered the table.
Randal spoke in a lowered voice. “One moment, I will get him for you.”
Sajin was on the far side of the table apparently in a heated debate with the man next to him. As Randal spoke in his ear he looked up quickly, then excused himself. I couldn't help noticing how tired he looked. This was no great surprise, he was a man with a lot on his mind.
“Greetings, Lord Tardin.” He spoke quietly. “What an unexpected surprise. Why do you come in such secrecy?”
I looked at Randal. “Thank you. You may go.” I reached out and shook his hand and deposited two rather large diamonds. His eyes widened. “I trust you will keep our meeting secret,” I said, looking him in the eye. “And make sure the other man receives his share.”
“Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.” He bowed and left.
I turned back to Sajin. “Is there a place we can talk privately?”
“Yes, this way.”
He led me to a chamber and as he opened the door the scent of strawberries wafted out. Inside many candles were burning. A fire crackled in the fireplace. In the center of the room, a cloaked figure sat poring over a thick brown book.
I looked at Sajin, slightly annoyed. “I said I want to go somewhere private.”
He gave me a puzzled look. “This is private, lord.”
I squinted at him. “Then who is that? ” I pointed to the slumped figure.
“Again, I find I must apologize. I did not wish to state what I thought you already knew. His name is Charm. He is our sky searcher. Last night he was found here, frozen in that position.” He looked toward the figure. “I do not believe he can hear us. We may speak freely.”
I did not respond to Sajin but moved toward the silent shadowy form. Completely motionless. Frozen above a thick leather book. The man’s dark features appeared distorted in the flickering firelight. His expression was one of total astonishment, as though he had uncovered something of great importance. My heart skipped a beat as a haunting realization took hold of me. “What book is this?” I asked, fighting to keep my voice even.
“That is the sacred tome, lord.”
I looked up. “What is it called?” I asked shortly.
Sajin looked at me questioningly, then stated slowly, “Davata Notrals?”
The room began to swim. I reached for a table.
“Are you all right, lord?”
“I’m fine,” I replied through clenched teeth. “I am-- merely experiencing-- entrance fluctuations.” Entrance fluctuations? That was a pitiful excuse. Gradually my head cleared and I took a long hard look at the figure in the chair. Who was this man? Why had he frozen in place the night I arrived? And more importantly, what did that book have to do with it? I needed to know more but didn’t want to let my guard down in front of Sajin. “Sajin, what is your understanding of Davata Notrals?”
He furrowed his brows. “It is a gift.”
“Is that all you have to say about it?”
He thought a moment. “I understand it is alien to our world and that its text is ever changing.” His eyes took on a distant look. “It speaks of lands which do not exist and of great men who have no history in Vrin. It has puzzled our scholars for centuries. They have sought after an answer to the singular God depicted within it. This God is referred to as the God of All, perhaps inaccurately, by our sky searchers.” He
“This is Randal. He can help you.”
The man wore a fine blue suit. White curly hair covered most of his burly face. He reminded me of Santa Claus. I uncovered my eyes.
“Follow me please,” he said gruffly.
I followed him down an endless string of hallways until the man slowed to a stop. As he opened the heavy door to the council chamber I quickly scanned the interior. Around a large granite table in the center of the room were twelve men in business suits. The table formed a symmetrical dodecagon. A man sat before each flat edge. Papers littered the table.
Randal spoke in a lowered voice. “One moment, I will get him for you.”
Sajin was on the far side of the table apparently in a heated debate with the man next to him. As Randal spoke in his ear he looked up quickly, then excused himself. I couldn't help noticing how tired he looked. This was no great surprise, he was a man with a lot on his mind.
“Greetings, Lord Tardin.” He spoke quietly. “What an unexpected surprise. Why do you come in such secrecy?”
I looked at Randal. “Thank you. You may go.” I reached out and shook his hand and deposited two rather large diamonds. His eyes widened. “I trust you will keep our meeting secret,” I said, looking him in the eye. “And make sure the other man receives his share.”
“Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.” He bowed and left.
I turned back to Sajin. “Is there a place we can talk privately?”
“Yes, this way.”
He led me to a chamber and as he opened the door the scent of strawberries wafted out. Inside many candles were burning. A fire crackled in the fireplace. In the center of the room, a cloaked figure sat poring over a thick brown book.
I looked at Sajin, slightly annoyed. “I said I want to go somewhere private.”
He gave me a puzzled look. “This is private, lord.”
I squinted at him. “Then who is that? ” I pointed to the slumped figure.
“Again, I find I must apologize. I did not wish to state what I thought you already knew. His name is Charm. He is our sky searcher. Last night he was found here, frozen in that position.” He looked toward the figure. “I do not believe he can hear us. We may speak freely.”
I did not respond to Sajin but moved toward the silent shadowy form. Completely motionless. Frozen above a thick leather book. The man’s dark features appeared distorted in the flickering firelight. His expression was one of total astonishment, as though he had uncovered something of great importance. My heart skipped a beat as a haunting realization took hold of me. “What book is this?” I asked, fighting to keep my voice even.
“That is the sacred tome, lord.”
I looked up. “What is it called?” I asked shortly.
Sajin looked at me questioningly, then stated slowly, “Davata Notrals?”
The room began to swim. I reached for a table.
“Are you all right, lord?”
“I’m fine,” I replied through clenched teeth. “I am-- merely experiencing-- entrance fluctuations.” Entrance fluctuations? That was a pitiful excuse. Gradually my head cleared and I took a long hard look at the figure in the chair. Who was this man? Why had he frozen in place the night I arrived? And more importantly, what did that book have to do with it? I needed to know more but didn’t want to let my guard down in front of Sajin. “Sajin, what is your understanding of Davata Notrals?”
He furrowed his brows. “It is a gift.”
“Is that all you have to say about it?”
He thought a moment. “I understand it is alien to our world and that its text is ever changing.” His eyes took on a distant look. “It speaks of lands which do not exist and of great men who have no history in Vrin. It has puzzled our scholars for centuries. They have sought after an answer to the singular God depicted within it. This God is referred to as the God of All, perhaps inaccurately, by our sky searchers.” He
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