All the King's Horses

Astounding – January 1958

illustrated by van Dongen

There are reactions which, once triggered, can neither be halted, altered, nor reversed, until they've run their course. On Nidor, certain individuals had done certain things... and thought they acted in full free will....

Nibro peSyg Sesom, newly-elected Elder Grandfather of the Clan Ghevin, paced uneasily through the narrow corridors that circled the Kivar Temple in Holy Gelusar. He walked with a firm stride, scowling impatiently, waiting for word to come that his fellow members of the Council had finally assembled.

Nibro had reached the first of his goals—Council membership, at the unprecedented age of thirty-three. But his real work lay ahead of him.

There was something dank and foul in the air, he thought, as if the night rains still fell. Nibro peSyg turned to the short, stooped Nidorian at his side.

"Gwyl peDrang, remind me to have decent ventilation installed when the Great Temple is rebuilt."

"Decent ventilation. I'll make a note of it, Grandfather Nibro."

"Make sure that you do. I think if I had to spend the rest of my life inside this relic of antiquity I'd leave the priesthood and go back to engineering," Nibro peSyg growled. "I don't know how the Elder Grandfathers stood this place so long."

"They had no choice—until you reached the Council," Gwyl peDrang said tactfully. "Ever since the Great Temple was destroyed—"

"I know," Nibro peSyg said. He paused, leaning over the edge of a window, staring out into the city. It was mid-morning; the Great Light was climbing high, its bright rays diffusing through the pearl-gray cloud layer that covered Nidor. Impatiently, Nibro scratched the yellow-golden down on his corded right arm. "They haven't been able to afford a new Temple," he said. "Well, that's all over with now. I'll see to that. Great Light knows how they've stood it so long."

"I don't know either, Grandfather Nibro."

Nibro peSyg wheeled sharply and glared at his companion. "And stop that 'Grandfather Nibro' stuff. That was all right when I was a minor priest in Sugon. Now I'm the Elder Ghevin, and keep it in mind."

"I'm sorry, Elder Ghevin," Gwyl said quickly. "Force of habit, I guess; it's hard to remember that you're not a Sesom any more."

Nibro detected a certain note in the man's voice. He smiled and said, "I could hardly have remained a Sesom and been elected to the Council, could I? There already is an Elder Sesom. What's the matter? Getting sentimental over those meaningless Clan names?"

"Oh, no! I just—"

His protestations were cut short by the deep, sonorous crash of a gong in the main auditorium of the little temple.

"The Council is gathering," Nibro said. "Give me my cloak."

Gwyl took the blue cloak which he had draped over his arm and put it around Nibro's broad shoulders. The new Elder Ghevin fastened the metal gorget at his throat, shrugged his shoulders so that the cloak draped properly, and turned around.

"How does it look?"

Gwyl smiled approvingly. "Fine, Gran ... Elder Ghevin. Just fine."

"Good. Now you get busy with that list I gave you. Make sure my stuff is moved into the office by this afternoon. I've got a speech to make."

He turned and strode toward the main auditorium.

An acolyte stood outside the heavy bronze-ornamented door, his nose superciliously aloft as Nibro approached. "The Elders have gathered," the acolyte said. "They await you within."

Nibro peSyg nodded. In a sense, Nidor had been waiting for him a long time—thirty years, now. The Elders could wait a few minutes. "Are they all there?"

"Yes, Elder Ghevin." The acolyte squinted at Nibro obliquely, with much the same expression Gwyl had used. The look seemed to suggest there might be something wrong about a member of the Clan Sesom metamorphosing abruptly into a Ghevin.

Nibro wondered momentarily if he had made a mistake by forcing his way into the Council in this unorthodox way. He tightened his lips and banished the sudden doubt. He had seen the opportunity, and he had taken, it. Why shouldn't a man change clans, if he had a good reason for doing it?

He glowered at the acolyte. "Open the door."

The acolyte threw open the heavy door. Nibro peSyg stalked in.

The other fifteen Elders were in their time-ordained places, seated in a wide semicircle facing the door. Behind them, the ceiling aperture allowed the rays of the Great Light to enter—feebly.

The lens in the Great Temple must have been a thrilling sight, Nibro thought. I wish I had been old enough to see it before its destruction.

He glared at the fifteen. They were old men; they had seen the Temple. Their golden down had turned light silver with age.

His gaze rested on the empty seat at the far left—the seat that now belonged to him, as the Elder Ghevin. Next to that sat the Elder Lokness, next to him the Elder Yorgen, and so on across the dais to the Elder Brajjyd at the fat right.

Old dodderers, Nibro thought contemptuously. His eyes caught those of the Elder Lokness—the one Elder who had opposed Nibro's spectacular rise to the Council. Nibro smiled mockingly at the man.

The Elder Vyless, oldest and wisest member of the Council, rose and peered down at Nibro. "We welcome you to our midst as a member of the Council," he said.

Nibro smiled. "Good. I wouldn't want to stay where I'm not welcome."

"You have sent word you wish to address us, on this your first day of Councilhood. Is this true?"

"It is," Nibro said. He struck a conscious pose in the center of the floor, swelled his deep chest, pulled his big body erect. He was. an imposing figure, and he knew it. "I have waited for this day all my life," he said ringingly. "The day I could stand before the Council of Elders as an equal, and speak my mind."

"We know you will be an asset to us," old Vyless said.

Nibro folded his muscular arms. "Fellow Elders of Nidor, I have a very serious topic to bring before you today. Some of you—those who spoke with me at length before my election—are probably aware of what it is I'm about to say."

He paused for a moment. "It is thirty years since the Great Temple was destroyed. Thirty years since disaster swept over our world, since the madness wiped the Bel-rogas School from our midst, drove the devil Earthmen back to the skies, brought the Temple down in flames. And thirty years in which the Council of Elders has convened in this subsidiary temple, this ... this little shed not fit for stabling deests!

"An entire generation has grown up—my generation, fellow Elders—that has never seen the Great Temple, never known the thrilling sight of the Great Light cascading down from the mighty lens. And, I may add, has never felt the true grandeur and nobility of our way of life. We lack a focal point for our existence. The Way of our Ancestors is shattered, and must be rebuilt. The Temple—at the heart of Holy Gelusar—is still a blackened ruin!"

"And you propose that we rebuild it," interjected the Elder Lokness dryly. "I think we've been through this before, young man."

Nibro glanced angrily at the Elder Vyless. "Please request our brother of Lokness to hold his patience until I have finished speaking. And to address me with the respect due a member of the Council."

Lokness subsided, muttering bitterly.

"You may continue," the Elder Vyless said.

"Very well. Almost two cycles ago, in the great cataclysm that swept our world, the Council of Elders was reduced to a subsidiary role for the first time in the history of Nidor—for the emergency, it was said. A secular authority arose, the Directorate—represented now by that nonentity in Tammulcor, Ganz peDel. Fellow Council members, the emergency is long over—and still a Director rules in Tammulcor!"

He glanced from face to face. The Elder Sesom was beaming broadly—as he had every right to do, being Nibro's chief mentor. Yorgen, Danoy, Dmorno, and Hebylla, Nibro's main supporters, were smiling. The others seemed in internal conflict.

"You must remember one of the early acts of the Director when affairs stabilized after the destruction of the School and Temple," Nibro said carefully. "He taxed the banks—and built five new schools. Money for schools—and not for a Temple!"

"The Council in office at that time permitted the expenditure," Lokness said.

"The Council of that time was under the thumb of the Director!" Nibro roared. "The Elders had been chosen by the Director and his cohorts, if you will be good enough to recall. The Council was packed by illegal means." He paused; he realized he had better not press that point too hard.

"Very well," Nibro said. "Thirty years have passed. The Council has once again attained a measure of freedom—and the weakness of the Director in Tammulcor is known to all: Let us: tax the banks once again—and rebuild the Temple!"

There was a moment of stunned silence in the auditorium. Nibro had finally phrased the dream of every priest since the destruction of the Temple—and the words hung nakedly in the murky air.

Slowly, they seeped in.

"Just a minute!" Lokness thundered. He rose from his seat. "I think you've got an almighty nerve, Elder Ghevin! You come in here, untouched by the silver of age, scarcely half a day since you were elected to this august body, and presume to order us around and tell us what to do.

"The late Elder Ghevin was Elder Leader, but don't think that you lead the Council just because you have ... ah ... taken his place." The emphasis on the verb was hardly subtle.

Nibro smiled coldly at the thin-faced Elder. "A very good point, and one which we may as well decide right now. Since the Elder Leader's position is now vacant and the Council leaderless, we must elect a new one. Have you any suggestions?"

Lokness opened his mouth to say something, but the Elder Sesom beat him to the punch. "I say it should be the Elder Ghevin."

Lokness' mouth stayed open for a moment, then snapped shut as he darted his eyes around the Council.

"Ghevin," agreed Brajjyd.

"Ghevin," repeated Yorgen.

"Ghevin," said the Elder Vyless, who had been the chief candidate for the post before Nibro's sudden propulsion into the Council.

When it was over, nine were definitely arrayed on Nibro's side. The Elder Dmorno attempted feebly to place Lokness in the running, but nothing came of it, and when no second was forthcoming he switched to Ghevin. After that, it was a landslide.

Shattered, Lokness sank back in his seat. Fourteen votes had been cast.

"Your vote, Elder Lokness?"

For a moment Lokness said nothing. Then, softly, he spoke—one word.

"Ghevin."

The fifteen Elders turned, then, and looked at the new Elder Grandfather Nibro peSyg Sesom Ghevin, Elder Leader of the Council of Nidor at the age of thirty-three.

Nibro looked well satisfied with himself. "Very well," he said. "Let us proceed with the business at hand. I mean, of course, the Temple."

The Temple must be rebuilt. Must be. Nibro peSyg had known that ever since he had been old enough to realize what the trouble was with Nidor.

Nidor was a single small continent surrounded by an endless sea. A layer of clouds cloaked the planet without break, hiding the bright sun and providing only the warm glow known and worshiped as the Great Light.

Ever since the legendary Cataclysm of four thousand years before, the people of Nidor had lived together peacefully, quietly, in utter stability, governed by the Law and the Way of the Ancestors.

Until the Earthmen came.

With the coming of the Earthmen, a hundred thirty-three years before, Nidor had entered into an era of unrest and trouble, of doubt and ambivalence.

The Earthmen had been accepted as emissaries of the Great Light by the priesthood that ruled Nidor; they had founded a school, the Bel-rogas School of Divine Law, and for a century had taught Nidor's finest minds at their school. And with them had come the Plague of the Hugl, the economic failure of the Edris-makers, a curious crumbling of Nidor's most hallowed traditions, and then the Great Panic caused by the overproduction of peych-beans, Nidor's staple crop. Like a series of body blows to the Nidorian civilization, each had left its bruising mark.

And then, after a hundred years of their interference, the Earthmen 'had been driven off Nidor by an army led by the Great Martyr, Kris peKym Yorgen, who had shown the Earthmen up as the demons they were.

Kris peKym had not lasted long as Director; he had been struck down by an assassin's bullet not long after taking control of Nidor away from the Council. But his successor, Ganz peDel Vyless, had taken over smoothly, and begun rebuilding. For the first twenty-five years, he had done well, but his evident grief over the death of his Secretary, Norvis peKrin Dmorno, had reduced him to a useless nonentity five years before.

Now, reasoned Nibro, it was time the Council of Elders reasserted their age-old prerogative and took control of the government away from the Directorate.

The time of troubles was over; it was time to return to the Way and the Law.

After all, the Directorate could not function without the Council, could it? No law or edict was legal until it had been passed by the Council of Elders.

For thirty years, however; the Council had been packed with yes-men for the Directorate. But now that the Directorate was useless, that was no longer so. The Council could—and would—rule Nidor without its aid.

And the first thing to do in reasserting the power of the priesthood was to remind the peoples of the Five Provinces of their religious duties—and of the unquestionable spiritual leadership of their priests.

The Great Temple of Holy Gelusar, which had stood for four thousand years until its gutting by fire thirty years before, would again become the spiritual center of Nidor, just as the Holy City of Gelusar was its economic center.

After the new Elder Ghevin had spoken, the Council deliberated—for all of five minutes.

And the project was begun.

Within three weeks, the orders had gone out. The people of Nidor had been told of the glorious project and had been exhorted to aid and support the rebuilding of Nidor's greatest and most honored monument to the supernal glory of the Great Light.

And, at the end of the third week, a visitor came to the small Kivar Temple where the Council had its offices.

Elder Leader Nibro peSyg looked up from his desk as he heard the timid rap of one of the acolytes at the door of his office.

"Yes? What is it?"

The door opened and the young acolyte stepped in. "There's a man to see you, Elder Leader," he said. There was an odd expression on his face.

Nibro scowled. "A man? That doesn't tell me much. Be explicit. What is his name and business?"

"He says ... he says he's the New Lawyer."

Nibro peSyg's eyes narrowed. For more than two cycles, a man calling himself the New Lawyer had been going about the country, preaching a return to the honest worship of the Great Light. But, although he had never come out against the priesthood directly, his teachings tended to undermine the authority of the Council of Elders.

"What's he like?" Nibro asked.

The acolyte gestured uncertainly. "I don't know. He seems harmless. Gives blessings as though he were a priest. I told him you had more pressing business, but he told me to announce him immediately."

"And you obeyed," the Elder Leader said. "That's rather presumptuous, isn't it?"

The acolyte swallowed. "He ... he said he had news of a rebellion and would speak only to you."

Nibro thought a moment. He really had no time for every stray country preacher who came along, but this one might prove amusing. Besides, if he had information—

"Send him in," Nibro said.

The acolyte closed the door behind him. A few minutes later, it opened again. Nibro looked up, ready to give a tongue-lashing to whoever had opened the door without knocking. He never gave it.

Before him stood a true Elder. He was tall and lean, almost gaunt, without an ounce of superfluous flesh on his body. The down that covered his body was still of normal thickness, but it had become a pure silvery white. There was an unsettling stern brilliance about his fixed eyes as he stared at Nibro peSyg.

He was old. More than that—he was ancient. He looked as though he had seen everything and done everything and knew everything. Nibro had the peculiar feeling that the old man was laughing at him, although there was no smile on the wise, aged face.

"You are the Elder Ghevin?" he asked. His voice was a deep bass that would have been a credit to a man of thirty.

"I am," Nibro answered. "And you are the man who calls himself the New Lawyer."

The oldster nodded silently and closed the door behind him. When it was closed he said: "Others call me the New Lawyer, Elder Ghevin. I call myself only Bel-rogas peBel-rogas Yorgen." He wrapped gnarled fingers about his staff and looked steadily at Nibro.

The old man had a nerve, Nibro admitted to himself. It would take nerve to call oneself by the name of the legendary Bel-rogas Yorgen who, four thousand years before, had written the Law and part of the Scripture.

"A flamboyant name, Ancient One," he said. "But I doubt whether it is your own."

"Perhaps not," said the New Lawyer, "but I have as much right to it as you have to yours."

Nibro frowned. The old man wasn't quite clear—was that an insult or ...

The old man strode across the room to stand in front of the Elder Ghevin's desk. In one hand he carried a long bronzewood staff, but it was obvious that he didn't need it for support. His robes were cut like those of a priest, but they were dead black instead of the blue which symbolized the color of the sky that surrounded the Great Light at midday.

Nibro leaned back in his chair, realized that it looked as though he were shrinking from the aged one, and leaned forward again. He started to say something, but the Lawyer's voice cut in.

"What my name was no longer matters—nor does yours, Elder Ghevin. True, I went under another name when I studied with the Earthmen, these three cycles past. Now, however, I call myself what I please."

"Well enough," said the Elder Leader. "Now, what do you want with me? I have very little time."

The oldster's glittering eyes met Nibro's. "Just a chat. As one great leader to another."

"You presume, Bel-rogas peBel-rogas."

"The privilege of age," said the New Lawyer. Casually he asked: "How is your new project coming? Having forced an issue in the Council by bribery and blackmail, how have you done with it thus far?"

"What ... how did you—?" Nibro clamped his teeth shut to keep from sputtering.

"About the blackmail? I know many things," the New Lawyer said sonorously. "But enough. Let us get back to the rebuilding of the Temple. You intend to go through with it. But you will fail, Elder Ghevin. And you will not re-unite Nidor."

Nibro spluttered angrily. "I won't? Is there any doubt? Once the Temple is rebuilt, the people will return again to Holy Gelusar as the center of worship. And I will rebuild it. I shall—"

"Who pays?" the old one interrupted.

"The people will contribute as they feel urged to do so by their devout consciences. And the Banks will be instructed to adjust their interest rates so that a greater surplus will be accumulated. The surplus will be turned over to the Council for the purpose of the Temple." Nibro felt vaguely angry at the old one and at himself. He had been put on the defensive and had accepted the role.

A strange smile appeared on the silver face. "You see no farther than the end of your nose, Elder Ghevin. You see today. You do not look at yesterday, and you cannot see tomorrow."

"Tomorrow hasn't happened yet," Nibro snapped in irritation.

"No, Elder Ghevin. But it will happen. And you are powerless to stop it."

Nibro shrugged. "I am powerless to stop tomorrow from happening. I cannot prevent the Great Light from showing His face. But what I do today will have its effect on tomorrow. Surely you agree with that."

"Oh, indeed," agreed the Lawyer. "But keep it in mind that what happened yesterday affected today."

Nibro patted the ends of his fingers on the desk in a gesture of irritation. "You speak in circles, Bel-rogas peBel-rogas. I have little time. Come to the point."

The stern old face did not change. "I know what I know. At the Bel-rogas School, I studied the anatomy of animals and of men. I looked at their tissues under a microscope. I know how they are built and what causes them to grow and evolve—and die.

"Living things are composed of cells, Elder Ghevin. And societies are composed of people. There are similarities, Elder Ghevin—great similarities."

"What in the Holy Name of the Great Light are you talking about?" Nibro said exasperatedly. "I think you had better leave. You're wasting my time."

The end of the New Lawyer's bronzewood staff struck the tile floor resoundingly, making Nibro jump. "I will say what I must say, Nibro peSyg! Listen attentively, so that as much as possible will seep into your well-armored brain!

"I see into tomorrow and the day after tomorrow. I see that and more." He grasped the bronzewood staff with both gnarled hands and leaned forward a little. His voice became softer, almost confidential.

"You know what you're going to do, Elder Ghevin? You're going to have trouble. You'll find that the people won't contribute nearly enough for this project, so you'll put too much pressure on the Banks. None of them will like it. One of them will rebel—refuse to pay.

"So you'll do the obvious thing. You'll get yourself an armed group of men. You'll take the Hundred Men, since they are the most available. And then you'll march to the rebelling province only to find that they resist with greater energy than you expected. More than that, you'll find that the other provinces will pick up the idea. If one can rebel, then all can. And you'll be left with nothing, Elder Ghevin."

"I will, will I?" Nibro's voice held contempt. "And now that you've warned me, what is to prevent me from doing just the opposite?"

"You, yourself," said the ancient succinctly. "You've started it; you'll have to carry it out to the very end. In the first place, you don't believe me; therefore, you will go on with your plans. You will ignore me and pay no attention to my warning."

"In that case, why warn me?"

"Because that enforces it. You will continue your course because you cannot admit that an old fool like myself is right. So you will go on and on, doing your best to prove me wrong." His smile became irritatingly superior. "Even the explanation I just gave will have its effect, you see. Up to a certain point, the process of prophecy is cumulative with a mind like yours."

"You're completely mad!" said Nibro vehemently.

"You think all who tell you the truth are mad. I have simply told you what the consequences of your actions will be. And you'll ignore me. And you'll think you have gone on as though I have never been here.

"But good prophecy brings its own success. You see, what you are doing is really the best course in the long run. I take the long-range view. I see what is going to happen and what should happen. And you are the instrument.

"You have a role in the game that's unfolding, a great and important role—play it, Nibro, play it!"

Nibro stood up, his fists clenched. "You have raved enough! Get out of here before I have you thrown out!"

The New Lawyer inclined his head the barest fraction of an inch. "I have said my say, Elder Ghevin."

He turned and walked regally to the door. He had it partly opened when Nibro called after him.

"I'll have you know, old fool," he said caustically, "that I can and will do what I want to do, and no one will tell me differently. I am the Elder Leader, not you. I will do things my way, not yours. I will do exactly as I please!"

The old man turned slowly to face the desk again. There was a sardonic smile on his lips. "I know, Elder Leader. That's exactly what I said you would do."

"Get out!" snarled Nibro peSyg. "Get out!"

Korvin peKorvin Danoy grinned wryly as he looked over his books—the real account books, not the ones he kept on hand for priestly busy-bodies to read.

As Keeper of the Bank of Sugon, it was his duty to see that the interest on the money loaned out minus the interest on cobalt deposits was kept at the proper level. Well, he admitted to himself, it had been kept at a proper level—proper for him, that is. The profit, minus his salary, was supposed to be sent by courier south from the northern province of Sugon, over the Ancestral Mountains, to the priestly treasury in Holy Gelusar.

The books before him indicated as a matter of record that the money sent south wasn't exactly what it should be. In fact, it was a devil of a lot less.

He closed the heavy ledger, sighed, stood up behind his desk, and turned to look out the window at Lidacor, the northern province's largest seaport and leading city.

He was somewhat shorter than the average Nidorian, fortyish, with a pronounced paunch that stretched his green vest-coat in front, and a faint touch of silver-gray in the golden body-down that covered his skin. His stocky face reflected quiet humor, but his dark amber eyes showed shrewd, calculating intelligence.

The city itself had changed in the past several decades. It was not like the southern seaports. Sugon's soil was rocky, and made poor farmland; most of Sugon's wealth had come from mining—metals, building stone, and gems. And, of course, the manufacturing that had begun since the Lidacor School of Engineering had started to turn out graduate technicians. Here and there over the city, several chimneys poured out wood smoke from the fires that drove the factories' steam engines.

Sugon, poor in farm resources, had found a way to supplement its income—thanks to Korvin peKorvin. He was a well-loved man in Sugon, a public benefactor. Priests and people alike hailed him on the streets; he had diverted money into the expansion program of the Temple of Lidacor; he had aided in the growth of the Sugon School of Divine Law and Sciences; he had immeasurably increased Sugon's wealth and standard of living to cover his thoughtful mismanagement of Bank funds.

No one would begrudge him the few weights of cobalt that now and then found their way into his own pocket.

Wearily, he picked up the phone that connected with the outer office. "Has that priest from Gelusar come back yet?"

"Yes, Korvin peKorvin," his secretary's voice said. "The Grandfather is waiting in the vestibule for you. Should I send him in?"

"You might as well," Korvin peKorvin said.

There was no reason why a priest from Gelusar should have come up at this time of year. Six months ago, one of the Council's lackeys had brought word of the new edict handed down by the Council and signed by the Elder Ghevin. The loan interest rates had been raised, and the deposit interests had been lowered.

Korvin peKorvin Danoy had obediently promulgated the change in rate—little as he liked it—and had juggled the bank's books and accounts in such a way that life proceeded as usual in Sugon.

Two months before, he had sent the quarterly tithe to Gelusar. He had not expected to hear from the Council for another month yet.

The door of his office opened. A square-shouldered young man in a priest's blue tunic entered. His body-down was coated with road dust; he had ridden long and hard it seemed.

Some day, Korvin thought, we'll build a railroad across the mountains, like the one they're building between Gelusar and Sundacor.

"What can I do for you, Grandfather?" he said aloud.

"My name is Drelk peShawm Brajjyd," the young priest said. "Are you Korvin peKorvin Danoy, Keeper of the Bank of Sugon?"

"That's my name, Grandfather," Korvin admitted amiably. "And my title. Have a good trip from Gelusar?"

"Not very. The road was dry—as you can see from the half-ton of dust I've picked up."

"You must have been dry, too," Korvin peKorvin remarked. "My secretary tells me you arrived half an hour ago, while I was out—and, seeing I was out, you set off in search of the nearest place of refreshment. I think you'll find our peych-beer poorly, Grandfather; Sugon is not noted for its agriculture."

"Enough conversation," the priest said. His voice was hard and cold; Korvin peKorvin eyed him uneasily, wondering what was coming.

"I have been sent by the Elder Ghevin, in whose retinue I count myself."

"Ah, yes; I'm acquainted with him. Nibro peSyg Sesom was born right here in Sugon."

"Nibro peSyg Ghevin." An ugly expression crossed the priest's face. "As you probably are aware, the Elder Ghevin is engaged in the task of rebuilding the Holy Temple at Gelusar. This requires money, Korvin peKorvin."

"I'm aware of that. I deal in money."

"Six months ago, there was an adjustment in the interest rates of the five Banks," the priest went on. "In four of the provinces, there was an immediate and noticeable increase in the revenue derived. In Sugon, sorry to say, we noticed only a slight upturn—one which scarcely reflected the change in interest rates. Do you follow me?"

"With incredible clarity." Korvin peKorvin sat stiffly behind his desk, waiting. His nerves were tense, but he tried to maintain an outward appearance of calm. He had a fairly good idea of what was coming. He wondered how he was going to get out of it.

The priest frowned at him severely. "Without any prejudice against you or your bank, Korvin peKorvin, we decided to send an investigator to Lidacor to confer with the Uncle of Public Records there and ... ah ... examine your books. Our investigator returned to Gelusar last week in great confusion."

"Oh?"

"It seemed that the books you had on deposit at the Uncle of Public Records made no sense," the priest said crisply. "They were fine-looking books, neatly written, well bound. But when one added the columns, made totals, performed subtractions"—the priest wrinkled his forehead—"there were, shall we say, inconsistencies?"

Korvin peKorvin said, "Do go on."

"The investigator's report was so confused that the Elder Ghevin chose someone higher in his retinue to conduct further investigation. Me. I spent this morning with the Uncle of Public Records, going over the books you've placed on file with him." He shook his head pityingly. "Those are very eccentric books, Korvin peKorvin."

"Are you suggesting that there have been irregularities in my—"

"I suggest nothing. I merely want explanation."

Korvin peKorvin felt sudden dizziness. "On such short notice, I'm afraid—"

"Of course. I didn't expect you to reply immediately," Drelk peShawm said. "I'll give you a night to prepare your statement. I'll return tomorrow." The coldness of his eyes left little doubt that he was looking forward to the next day's interview with sadistic glee.

"Many thanks, Grandfather," Korvin peKorvin said humbly. "I'll endeavor to alleviate your confusion."

"Light's blessings," the priest said curtly. "This door out?"

After the young priest was gone, Korvin peKorvin sat quietly, drumming his fingertips against his desk, trying to organize his plans.

So Gelusar had caught on, eh? Well, it had been bound to happen, and he was half glad it had finally come. Gelusar and its tithes had been draining Sugon long enough; the province could not really afford to support a priesthood in the remote central province on its meager income.

The immediate problem was burly young Drelk peShawm, emissary of the Elder Ghevin. These tough young Gelusar priests, Korvin thought reflectively. They need to be taught a lesson.

He smiled and tapped his ledgers. He'd be ready for Drelk peShawm, when he returned.

Nibro peSyg Sesom, Elder Ghevin, stood silently on the edge of the littered Square of Holy Light, watching the workers clear away rubble and clean the black soot from stone which had not been cracked by the heat of the burning thirty years before. On either side of the Elder stood a tall, sharp-eyed priest, one of the numerous ones Nibro peSyg had enrolled in the priesthood since his own accession to power. Each had a heavy handgun in his belt, hidden by the folds of the blue tunics they wore.

Nearby stood Gorm peFulda Hebylla, Gelusar's Uncle of Public Works, who was supervising the rebuilding:

Slowly but surely, the Great Temple of Holy Gelusar was coming to life again. It would not be long now, Nibro thought, before throngs swarmed the Square, before the Great Light glittered from the mighty lens, before once again the priesthood held sway in Gelusar as it had done before the coming of the Earthmen and the coming of the chaos.

Back—back—

Nibro smiled confidently. It would be as it had been, despite the gloomy fulminations of that old madman the New Lawyer. The Temple was going to be rebuilt, wasn't it? Despite the New Lawyer's prophecies, there would be no catastrophe. The plan was smooth.

One thing troubled Nibro, though. Bel-rogas peBel-rogas was a potential troublemaker; not long after their interview, Nibro had decided to have the Lawyer picked up and put out of circulation, lest his "prophecies" disturb the people. But Bel-rogas peBel-rogas had disappeared somewhere out Thyvash way, and there was no finding him. Nibro had a team of priests on the New Lawyer's trail even now—so far, without success.

He turned to the Uncle of Public Works.

"Have any more pieces of the Great Lens been found in the ruins?" Nibro asked the Uncle.

Gorm peFulda shook his head. "No, Elder Leader. Evidently the heat cracked it, and when it fell it hit the stone floor good and hard. That finished the job. The seven pieces we found were all there were."

Nibro thought for a moment, then said, "Find nine more pieces. Of any size; it doesn't matter. I think it might make good propaganda if we could tell the people that the new Lens was made from sixteen pieces of the old—symbolic of the Sixteen Clans."

"But—"

"Find them!"

"Very well, Elder Leader. We can find them."

The Uncle strode off toward the area where the men were working on the Temple.

Nibro smiled to himself. Even if the Uncle never did find the pieces, it would be reported that they had been found, and that was all that was needed.

He strode up and down, impatient for the rise of the new Temple, urging a workman on with blunt, snapped commands, doing everything but actually taking part in the work himself. That, for an Elder Leader, would be unforgivable—though he longed to lend a hand himself. Anything to speed the task of rebuilding.

"Elder Ghevin, could I have a moment?"

Nibro turned. It was his Chief Acolyte, Gwyl peDrang. The smaller man had a somewhat worried expression on his face. Nibro stepped out of earshot of his guards.

"What is it, Gwyl?"

"Trouble."

"Eh?"

"Elder Lokness," Gwyl said. "He's taking the boat downriver to Tammulcor this afternoon. That's definite."

Nibro nodded. "It doesn't overly surprise me. He and Director Ganz used to be quite friendly." He put one foot up on a fragment of stone and leaned forward, peering anxiously out at the city. He nibbled his lip. "What did your spies say?"

"Lokness hasn't had a chance to reach the Director yet. Our men have done such a good job of blocking him off that he's decided to go in person."

"He's had no contact at all with Ganz?"

"I'm pretty sure none of his personal messages have gotten to Tammulcor. And I'm completely sure that the phone lines have been down between here and there all week."

"Good. Let me think, now."

Nibro scowled and tightened his lips. Lokness had sent quite a number of messages to Director Ganz peDel Vyless, and all of them—Nibro hoped—had reached no farther out of Gelusar than the office of the Elder Leader.

The Elder Lokness was trying to warn Ganz that Nibro peSyg was usurping his power. That was obvious. Ganz, thus far, had ignored what the Council was doing, but if Elder Lokness succeeded in stirring him up, the Director might yet prove troublesome. Nibro knew only too well what had happened thirty years before, when the Great Martyr Kris peKym Yorgen had ridden into Gelusar with his Hundred Men.

"So he's going himself, eh?" Nibro thought aloud. "Well, excellent. It is not our business to hinder the comings and goings of an Elder of the Council. He'll undoubtedly go incognito, sneaking out quietly so that none will see him leave." He paused for a moment, then added in an ominously flat tone, "I sincerely hope the Elder Lokness meets with no accidents on the river packet. Eh?"

He stared meaningfully into Gwyl peDrang's gray eyes. The little man seemed to shiver a little as the Elder's deep eyes bored into his, as if he did not like to recognize what he saw there. Then he nodded.

"I understand, Elder Leader."

The riverboat Krand II paddled its way with slow dignity through the murky night, its huge, powerful sidewheels churning the dark water of the mighty Tammul River into streams of white foam.

The gentle rain that fell nightly on Nidor pattered thumpingly on the awnings that covered the main decks, but its soft sound was drowned out by the throb of the big steam engines and the splash of water as it cascaded from the giant paddle-wheels.

Inside the lounge, a quartet of musicians was playing, improvising freely on traditional folk melodies. The soft tootling of a zootibar mingled with the high silvery vibrations of the quiodets. An enthusiastic group of passengers was gathered round, stamping their feet in approval, murmuring occasionally when a particular fine bit of contrapuntal note-spinning was evident, from time to time throwing a weight or two tinklingly to the deck at the musician's feet.

Elder Grandfather Lokness stood in the darkness of the side deck, feeling the muggy warmth of the night drift in around him, listening abstractedly to the sounds of the players and the distant cries of the sea lizards skimming over the water. He ignored these sounds; he was absorbed in thoughts known only to himself.

A footstep sounded beside him, but he paid no attention. There were several people strolling on the deck, some of the men arm-in-arm with their wives, others merely lonely passengers such as himself.

"An unpleasant night, eh, Elder Grandfather?" said a faintly rasping voice.

Lokness jerked his head around and stared at the drab little man at his side, struggling to place him. At last, he remembered. A contemptuous sneer crossed his face.

"Well, if it isn't the Elder Leader's lackey. What are you doing on this trip, Gwyl peDrang? I didn't notice you this afternoon."

Gwyl smiled and said nothing. He had ridden by fast deest downriver to the next port below Gelusar in order to avoid boarding the Krand II in the great city. He would leave at the, next port if possible—the one after, if necessary. It all depended—

"I got on quietly," said Gwyl after a moment. "I wasn't anxious to have the Elder Leader know where I was going."

"Oh? And where are you going?" A vaguely puzzled note crept into Lokness' voice; he had little inclination to carry on a conversation with Gwyl peDrang, but it was easier to continue talking to the little man than to make an escape.

"I'm going with you," Gwyl said candidly. "There are spies in your office, you know. You're heading for Tammulcor to talk to the Director. You might want someone to back up your story."

Lokness was a little startled. "Spies ... yes, of course I knew. But ... hold on a moment! What do you mean, 'back up my story'?"

Gwyl said, "I'll be frank with you. I would like to enter the priesthood, but the Elder Leader says I'm only fit to be an acolyte. That's a personal reason. And I think the Elder Leader is taking too much on himself. Within a year, the Council will have no power at all. That's what might be termed a patriotic reason. Do you follow?"

Lokness' eyes narrowed. "I follow. You're saying that you'll tell the Director all you know about Nibro peSyg's machinations. Right?"

Gwyl nodded. "That's right. With the implied provision, naturally, that you'll do your best to get me into the priesthood."

Lokness was silent, staring out at the rain-spattered water. He considered the proposition.

He didn't trust the acolyte—but his story sounded good. Pure altruism from Gwyl peDrang, the Elder thought, would have been ridiculous—but personal gain was entirely within the man's character.

And a witness would be of value—

He tossed the matter back and forth in his mind for a few more moments, eyes fixed on a distant point cloaked by darkness. He had nearly made up his mind to accept the acolyte's offer when the moment came.

The deck on that side of the river-boat was entirely innocent of witnesses; there was no one in sight. Lokness was leaning over the rail, peering at the swiftly-flowing water as if it held the answer to everything.

A hard, heavy club smashed into the back of the Elder's head. He grunted, started to topple.

A quick heave, and the body tumbled over into the river, to be caught by the churning paddlewheel. There was a faint scream, barely audible beneath the thunder of the mechanism.

For a moment, the white foam was tinged with color. Then that, too, was gone.

When Drelk peShawm Brajjyd of Gelusar returned to the offices of the Keeper of the Bank of Sugon to hear what, if any, explanation Korvin peKorvin planned to proffer, there were several other men in the office besides the Keeper.

The tall young priest paused uncertainly at the door. "I didn't know this was to be a public meeting, Keeper Korvin," he said stiffly, tapping his fingers on his thigh in an irritated gesture. "Just who are all these people?"

The Keeper rose slowly from behind his desk. "Just some of the townspeople, Grandfather," he said pleasantly. "They have heard some of the ... ah ... charges against me, and they asked to be allowed to attend the meeting. Surely you don't object?"

Drelk peShawm glanced around. "I see no objection," he said after a moment. "If you want to make your activities public—" He shrugged. "Who are they?"

"Permit me to introduce them," Korvin peKorvin said. His voice remained polite. "This is Grang peDorg Dmorno, Chairman of the Board of our local school—Sugon Divine Law and Science. This gentleman is Gwylim peGanz Vyless, who heads our local Merchant's Council here in the city of Lidacor. Gils peKlin Sesom, over here, is a representative of the Seamen's Guild who bases his operations in Sugon. My friend to the left is Rahn peDom Dmorno, Uncle of Public Peace. And this is Grandfather Fulda peDrogh Brajjyd, Priest-Mayor of Lidacor.

"Gentlemen, Grandfather Drelk peShawm Brajjyd, who represents the Council at Gelusar."

The young priest glanced quickly down the row of seated Sugonese. Some were smiling, some were not, but none of their expressions were easy to read. The array of names, rattled off one right after another had confused him—which was exactly what Korvin peKorvin wanted.

Korvin kept smiling, but he watched the younger man closely.

"I hadn't expected quite so much of a crowd," Drelk peShawm began hesitantly, evidently to cover his own momentary loss of mental balance, "however, I think—"

"Would you mind explaining to all of us the exact nature of this patently fantastic charge against our Keeper?" interrupted the Priest-Mayor in a sharp, brittle voice.

"I'm just getting to that!" Drelk peShawm snapped harshly. Then he realized that it was a priest who had spoken, and frowned unhappily.

"As I explained to Keeper Korvin peKorvin yesterday," he continued in a more subdued voice, "there has been a certain regrettable lack of weight in the shipment of money from Sugon to Gelusar. As you know, we are now engaged in rebuilding the Great Temple of Holy Gelusar, and at this time it is extremely important that the Council Treasury be able to handle the vast expenses thus occurred. For this reason, we decided that it had become necessary to investigate the books of the Bank of Sugon."

The man from the Seaman's Guild said: "Sugon is not a rich province—never has been. If there isn't much money, it's because we haven't got much, not because of any alleged dishonesty of our Bank Keeper."

"I have reason to think he's lying," snapped Drelk peShawm.

"You don't trust our Keeper's word?" the Merchant's Council representative interjected. "Ridiculous! The Bank Keepers have always been among our most trusted citizens. We have known him all our lives; if we can't trust him, we can trust no one."

Furrows appeared on the priest's brow as he struggled to recall the name of the man who had spoken. Finally, he resorted to "Sir" and said: "A fine and noble attitude, sir, but not a sound one. Things have changed in the past generation. There was a time when one automatically assumed that money stored in a bank was safe—until the devil Earthmen proved otherwise when they cleared out the Bank of Dimay years ago. No, I'm afraid we can't take your Keeper's word at face value."

"Outrageous!" Gwylim peGanz said. "Why, we always trust our Keeper! He's as honest as ... as the Great Light Himself!"

An irritated smile burst out on the priest's face. "You think so. I have evidence here ... here in these record books ... that your beloved Keeper of the Bank has been swindling money for years! That he's been diverting sacred monies from Gelusar for his own gain! That—"

"These things are flatly impossible," said the Priest-Mayor. "Korvin peKorvin is one of our most admired citizens. This can't be."

"Look in the books!" Drelk peShawm half-screamed. "I don't have to waste words here. The man is plainly guilty; you can see that the moment you examine his records. They make no sense except on superficial first glance. Add his columns—"

The Priest-Mayor shoved away the ledger Drelk peShawm had thrust in his face.

"I'm no accountant; looking at columns of figures would be a waste of time. I'm perfectly willing to take the word of a man known to be a reliable authority. I have sufficient faith in Korvin peKorvin. I refuse to insult him by considering even the possibility of his dishonesty."

"Aye!" bellowed the seaman, and the others in the room nodded approval. Korvin peKorvin merely smiled beamingly at the Gelusar priest.

Drelk peShawm looked around a trifle wildly. Then, calming himself visibly, he said, "All right. We'll ignore the question of whether you interlopers care to look at the evidence or not. I've seen the evidence. Korvin peKorvin, have you anything to say in your own defense?"

"So I've been tried and found guilty so soon?" the Keeper asked. "You've yet to demonstrate that my books are not in order."

The priest scowled and ignored that. "I've computed the amount deemed owing the Council of Elders by you, and, including charges for delinquency and other minor fines, it comes to the sum of ... ah ... eleven thousand, four hundred eighty-two weights and six, exactly. I'll expect this sum at once."

The Priest-Mayor rose solemnly from his seat. "You would take more than eleven thousand weights with you to Gelusar on this trumped-up charge? I see. That's the whole purpose of this nonsense! You've placed these wild charges as a pretext for extorting money from Sugon! Well, you won't get it. It's out of the question!"

"You keep out of this!" Drelk peShawm shouted.

But the Priest-Mayor would not keep out of it. He turned on the young priest and said, "May I remind you that I am the Priest-Mayor of Lidacor, that I am considerably your elder in the priesthood, and that I am your superior in your own Clan! I will have to ask you to restrain your tone, or we'll declare this hearing at an end at once."

"But—"

"Furthermore," the Priest-Mayor went on, "rebuilding the Temple at Gelusar is a worthy notion indeed—but the temple here at Lidacor is in need of repair as well. We feel it unjust to send money to Gelusar when it is so badly needed here."

"And," said the head of the Merchant Council, "this drain of coins would parch our economy. Money is flowing freely in Sugon for the first time in many decades—and you would skim eleven and a half thousand weights from us? Never!"

"How could we support our shipping?" demanded the Seamen's Guild representative.

"And our schools?" said the man from the college.

"Enough!" Drelk peShawm roared. "I'll hear no more of this chatter!"

He fumbled in his cloak and drew out an embossed sheet of paper. "The sum of eleven thousand, four hundred eighty-two weights and six is owing to the Council. I have with me an authorization signed by the Elder Leader Ghevin himself, instructing me to collect the delinquent sum." He tossed the document insultingly on the desk before the Priest-Mayor. "There! Would you defy the Elder Leader?"

The Priest-Mayor picked the paper up with exaggerated care. He examined it, squinting myopically, rubbing his old fingers along the surface of the paper to feel its texture. "The Elder Leader, eh? Nibro peSyg Ghevin is the name?"

"You see his signature."

"Indeed I do," the Priest-Mayor said. "But how do I know it is genuine? The Elder Ghevin is newly-elected—he has held his post no more than a year, if that much. I'm not yet familiar with his handwriting."

"I have heard," said Korvin peKorvin, "that this Elder Ghevin is a former local priest of Sugon, who was known here as a member of the Sesom clan. Odd that a Sesom should head the Clan Ghevin, isn't it?"

The Priest-Mayor folded the document slowly. "This is undoubtedly a forgery. We certainly can't turn any money over to you on the basis of this."

He flipped it casually forward. It fluttered to the ground at Drelk peShawm's feet.

The priest stared at it incredulously for a moment. "This is a conspiracy," he said huskily. "You've arranged this between yourselves, all of you. You planned it!"

He stared at Korvin peKorvin. "And you're the one who started it! I should never have allowed you that day of grace! I—"

He plunged forward suddenly, hands groping for Korvin's throat, and started to vault over the desk.

Abruptly Rahn peDom Dmorno, Uncle of Public Peace, who had been silent throughout the entire course of the conversation, rose smoothly from his seat and snared the young priest with one massive hand. Rahn peDom was a man of middle age, but of giant stature; he held the squirming Drelk peShawm for a moment, then released him, giving him a contemptuous shove that sent him staggering across the room.

"Violence!" the priest said harshly. "Laying violent hands on a priest!"

"You've forgotten who began it," the Uncle of Public Peace pointed out. "I think it's time you left Lidacor, young man."

"Impossible! Nibro peSyg ... the Council of Elders has ordered—"

"The Council of Elders is in extremely bad odor in Sugon this morning," the Uncle said. "Get aboard your deest and get going." There was a menacing glitter in his eyes.

Drelk peShawm backed toward the door. "You'll pay for what you've done today. Not merely eleven thousand weights. Nibro peSyg will handle this, you can be sure. The Council will—"

"Out of Lidacor in an hour," the Uncle boomed. "And if you're found in the province by nightfall—"

But Drelk peShawm did not remain to hear the threat. He was out of the Bank and running at top speed toward the stable where he had boarded his deest.

A procession of armed, colorfully-clad men moved down the broad, turf-covered highway that ran between Gelusar and the southern port of Tammulcor. In the lead was the Elder Grandfather Nibro peSyg Ghevin, Leader of the Council of Elders.

Nearby was the Elder Grandfather Gwyl peDrang Lokness, formerly of the Clan Sesom. He rode at the right of his former master Nibro peSyg. Gwyl peDrang was newly-elevated to the priesthood and the Council, due to the unfortunate demise of the former Elder Lokness, who had' accidentally fallen from a river packet.

The late Elder's body had been recovered several days after the accident, and full honors had been given the late Elder before a new man was chosen for his place.

On the Elder Ghevin's left rode Grandfather Drelk peShawm Brajjyd, and behind them followed a group of armed priests and acolytes. It made for an imposing sight.

"We haven't far to go," said the new Elder Lokness. "That's Tammulcor ahead."

Nibro peSyg nodded, saying nothing.

"Do you think the Director's going to give us what we ask?" Drelk peShawm asked.

"I hardly see how he can refuse," Nibro peSyg replied without looking around. "He's taken an oath by the Great Light Himself. Besides, such a thing as this Sugon revolt changes the picture entirely. The petty squabbles between the Directorate and the Council are nothing in comparison to something that threatens the peace and stability of all Nidor."

They rounded a bend in the river, and before them lay the great Bay of Tammulcor, filled with sailing vessels of all descriptions. Nibro peSyg's sharp eye picked out the curious bulk of one of the new seagoing steamers as well.

The procession made its way around the shore road to the city and headed directly for the bulky building which housed the Director, Ganz peDel Vyless. Silently, Nibro peSyg hoped the old man wouldn't give them much trouble.

The Director had been informed that the Elder Leader was coming. "It was remarkable," Nibro peSyg said to Gwyl peDrang, "how the long-distance wires to Tammulcor, which had been out of order for the late Lokness, had been miraculously repaired-when I found it necessary to use them to call Ganz."

"The Great Light provides for those who keep His ways," Gwyl peDrang said ostentatiously.

So it was as they approached the Directorate Building, they found the way lined with an honor guard in the striking black uniform of the Director's Hundred Men. Nibro studied them curiously as his retinue passed. They held themselves proudly erect, but—

They were old!

They were certainly not men in the fighting prime of their lives!

The Elder Leader shrugged. Doubtlessly they had chosen the oldest men to constitute the honor guard. Evidently they were still clinging to the outmoded idea that age in itself was enough to make a man more honored.

Well, that was none of his business; he wasn't interested in the honor guard. The Director could keep his old men here in Tammulcor; Nibro wanted the young fighters.

The Elder Leader and his men dismounted in front of the building. A ridiculously potbellied man in the black uniform of the Hundred stood there, bowing politely.

"We are honored by your visit, Elder Leader. The Director has asked me to show you to your rooms so that you can cleanse yourselves. The dust of the road—"

"I'll bathe later," Nibro peSyg snapped. "The business I have with the Director is too important to wait. Tell him I'll see him at once."

The officer bowed again. "He suspected as much. Come with me, please."

He turned, walking with a clumsy pigeon-toed tread, and Nibro peSyg followed him into the Directorate Building.

They went down a long hall to a large bronzewood door at the rear. The Directorate's offices, thought Nibro peSyg, were not unduly magnificent.

The officer rapped on the door. "The Elder Leader is here," he said.

"Let him come in," said a curious-sounding voice from within.

Nibro opened the door and stepped inside.

The room was large and ornate. On the far side, a broad desk stood beneath a wide window. And behind it sat an old man.

Nibro was actually shocked. Ganz peDel should be in his late forties or early fifties, but he looked older—much older.

"Sit down, Elder Leader," said Ganz peDel in a husky, tired voice. "Sit down. Tell me what it is you have ridden so far to say."

Nibro peSyg took the indicated seat, feeling rather awkward in the presence of the old man. He had to remind himself that Ganz was only fifteen—perhaps twenty—years older than himself.

"Director," he began, "I'll come to the point at once. As you may have heard, the northern province of Sugon has rebelled—or, at least, several of its leaders have committed an act of treason against the Council."

The old man smiled. It was an odd smile—kindly, understanding, and yet—somehow—it was bitter.

"I have heard. It's not the first time there have been rebellions in Nidor—nor will it be the last."

"You have heard? And yet you have done nothing?" Nibro was startled; the Director's calm, unquestioning acceptance of the fact of the Sugonese rebellion took him totally by surprise.

"I could have done something," Ganz said. "I still could, I suppose. But I won't, because it will make no difference in the long run."

Nibro scowled. "No difference? I'm afraid I'm not following your train of thought."

"There was a time, Elder Ghevin," the Director said, "when you would have wasted the first ten minutes of our conference making the proper forms of obeisance to me, because I happen to be older than you. Or, contrariwise, I would have been making the ceremonial speeches to you because, according to custom, the Elder Leader was always the oldest priest on Nidor. But those times have gone forever."

Nibro peSyg flexed his shoulders beneath the blue cloak. "Not forever, Director," he said. "I intend to see that Nidor returns to the Law of the Scriptures and the Way of our Ancestors. That's why I've come to you. The Council needs the Hundred Men; Sugon must be shown who rules in Nidor." Nibro peSyg clenched his fists. "Kris peKym Yorgen, the Great Martyr, showed the devil Earthmen that they could not interfere with the Way. I intend to do the same with the rebellious Sugonese! We shall have order and the ancient Way again!"

The chuckle that came from Ganz peDel Vyless was soft but sardonic. "I have never heard so many mistakes in one set of sentences. Kris peKym may have been a martyr, but he was also a fool. He fancied himself the only dangerous man on Nidor. I fear you are making the same mistake."

Nibro's face darkened, and the Director patted the air with a hand. "Oh, no, Elder Leader. Not I. I am not in the least dangerous. I have seen the futility of action. I merely wait. Please—let me continue.

"Neither did Kris peKym, as you put it, 'show the devil Earthmen that they could not interfere with the Way.' He was far too late. They had already done their work. They had not only interfered with the Way—they had completely, utterly, and absolutely smashed Nidorian culture forever!"

Nibro peSyg's sudden wave of anger at such a stupidly ridiculous—almost blasphemous—statement was quickly suppressed by the realization of what had happened to the Director. Lie had tried to put Nidor to rights again and had failed. He had failed because he was weak and incompetent, and that failure had made him old before his time. He was to be pitied, not vilified.

But Ganz peDel was smiling again, his patient, tolerant, bitter smile. "I know what you think," he said. "I know what I thought at your age. Shall I tell you a story?"

The sudden change of subject caught Nibro by surprise. He blinked. "A story? Uh ... well ... go ahead."

Ganz folded his hands and settled back in his chair. He was silent for a moment, deep in thought. Then, abruptly, he began: "Perhaps you know of my secretary? Yes—Norvis peKrin Dmorno—dead these five years and more.

"For twenty-five years, he had dropped hints now and then about an unusual experience—as though he knew something that no other Nidorian had ever learned. I think he told his children—perhaps his wife, though I doubt it. But he told no one else.

"But he was an old man when he died, and delirious towards the end. He didn't know I was around most of the time. He babbled. Sometimes he made no sense at all. But part of what he said very definitely did make sense.

"He saw the Earthmen after they had supposedly been driven from Nidor. They took him up to the sky—past the sky and beyond. He saw the Great Light Himself."

He paused, as though expecting some sort of reaction from Nibro. But there was none forthcoming; the Elder Leader had already made up his own mind.

Ganz peDel shrugged almost imperceptibly and went on. "The Earth-men told Norvis that they had deliberately smashed Nidorian civilization. It had been static and unchanging for too long, so they forced us to change. As long as Nidor had a relatively unchanging and homogeneous population, we could remain as we were—stable, but static. But the Earthmen concentrated our best minds in the Bel-rogas School of Divine Law for a hundred years—more than six cycles. The concentration upset the balance. Our society toppled and broke. It can never be rebuilt."

Nibro smiled at Ganz peDel's words—a half sneering smile. "Am I to understand," he said slowly, "that you have based your theory of inaction on the mad ravings of a dying underling—a man who claimed to have had some mystical experience with the Great Light Himself? Ridiculous!"

Ganz peDel's steady smile did not change. "Perhaps. But bear in mind that I tried for twenty-five years to repair the damage—and I only succeeded in doing more. Now I have ceased to act, and the damage increases at the same rate. The deterioration of Nidor has proceeded steadily, unchanged, whether I act or not."

Nibro said nothing, but his expression was easy to read.

"I may have been incompetent," Ganz peDel confessed. "I am old enough now so that I do not flinch at realizing that I have limitations.

"But I, too, thought of rebuilding the Temple. In my youth, I hated the priesthood, but later I realized that the priesthood could weld the people together again. And still later, I realized that nothing would do any good."

He paused, and his smile vanished as he looked directly into the Elder Leader's eyes. "No man likes to be told he is a puppet, helpless in the grip of forces he cannot control. But let me warn you, Elder Grandfather: you cannot change the flow of the tide! I won't say you can do nothing; I'll simply say it doesn't matter what you do.

"If the priesthood becomes weaker, Nidor will fall apart into warring factions; if you try to strengthen the priesthood, you will force Nidor apart, as you are already beginning to do; if the priesthood becomes neither weaker nor stronger, then someone else will take control.

"I did not rebuild the Temple. So you tried. And if you had not, some other priest would have, tried. Or perhaps someone else would have, a Bank Keeper or a wealthy merchant. It doesn't matter."

Nibro shrugged. "That, I think, is a matter of opinion."

"Exactly!" said Ganz. And for the first time, there was a touch of excitement in his voice. "Exactly! You have put your finger on it! It is a matter of opinion!"

Nibro looked startled. Now he was quite sure the old man was mad. He was oddly reminded of the New Lawyer.

You think all who tell the truth are mad!

He pushed the memory from his mind as Ganz went on.

"For four thousand years—two hundred and fifty cycles—everyone on Nidor knew what his opinion should be. If he was a farmer, he farmed in the Way of our Ancestors. If he was a merchant, he bought and sold according to the same rules. There was no question as to whether or not it was right in his opinion. Everyone had the same opinion.

"And now? Everyone has a right to his own opinion, just as he did then. But now the opinions differ—and who is to say who is right? Each is of the opinion that he is right.

"And what can you or I or anyone do about that? Can you change everyone's opinion? No! And that leaves you as helpless as everyone else!"

Nibro's smile had become somewhat similar to Ganz peDel's. It was tolerant, but instead of a touch of bitterness, it was stained with a faint sneer. "It seems to me that you are trying to change my opinion. You want me to do what you have done—sit around and watch Nidor go to pieces. You want me to loaf and twiddle my fingers and look down my nose as you do. You want me to give up, too."

He stood up suddenly, and slammed his fist on the desk. "But I won't! I see through your stall! You have no intention of relinquishing control of your armed men, and you have no intention of leading them yourself!

"But I warn you! I am Elder Leader! I want those men!"

Ganz didn't even look excited. "I hate to see men lose their lives in useless battles. And these are older men—men with families and children."

Nibro was taken aback. "Old men! But why? The men who followed the Great Martyr weren't old men!" he shouted. "Why have you no young fighters?"

"We do have—a few. Those who couldn't get employment elsewhere." A glint came in the old man's eyes. "Why should young men join? What have we to fight? Kris peKym had something to fight! He was doing what he thought was right to save Nidor; he had a menace to combat! But for nearly two cycles there has been nothing."

"There's something now," Nibro said harshly. "There's a rebellion to put down. And this isn't the kind of rebellion Kris peKym led. This is a rebellion against the Council, against the Directorate, against the rightful rulers of Nidor!"

Ganz peDel attempted to say something, but Nibro continued without interruption. "I tell you, Ganz peDel, this thing has got to be stopped right here! A group of northern mountaineers led by an embezzling criminal cannot be allowed to override proper authority—or we will have no authority at all! If this is allowed to continue, Nidor will be in the throes of chaotic anarchy within no more than fifty days!

"And in the face of that, you refuse to give me the men to fight with because you think I should do nothing!"

Nibro had to stop temporarily for breath, and Ganz said: "You misunderstand me. I'm not refusing to give you the men. I'll sign the papers, give them their orders. They'll obey you as well as they would me."

Nibro blinked. He felt as though he'd been trying to push down a stone wall only to have it turn to fog. The sudden lack of resistance almost overbalanced him.

"You didn't listen," Ganz went on. "I didn't say that you should do nothing. I said it doesn't matter what you do."

The procession of priests and acolytes trotted northward, augmented this time by a complement of a hundred and fifty black-clad armed men.

Northward they went, their deests eating up distance with their easy, loping gait. The procession followed the broad highway that ran along the western banks of the mighty river Tammul, from Tammulcor to Gelusar. At Holy Gelusar, they crossed the Bridge of Klid to the eastern shore and headed northward, toward the headwaters of the Tammul, deep in the Ancestral Mountains, where the Sumay Pass gave access to the Province of Sugon.

Elder Leader Nibro peSyg. Ghevin rode at the head of the procession, staring squarely ahead. He felt quite confident. There was no need for a battle, really—and so it made no difference that the men of his army were somewhat past their prime.

They were able men, and the threat alone should be more than sufficient to silence the handful of men who had defied the Council.

The next project, Nibro thought, would be to get rid of the Directorate, and then—

Nibro peSyg chuckled softly to himself.

It was a lovely vision: the Temple proud and new in the heart of Gelusar, the Five Provinces sending their tithes, the Council supreme and Nibro peSyg controlling the Council—in the name of the Great Light, of course.

During the warmth of the day, the army rode steadily northward toward Sugon. At night, they sheltered themselves from the evening rains and made camp on the bank of the Tammul. This far north the Tammul was no longer a broad, easily navigable river, but a narrow winding trickle coming down from the mountains rearing ahead.

It was a few hours after dawn when the band approached the gap in the; foothills that led to Sumay Pass.

Grandfather Drelk peShawm said, "Do you think there will be much fighting, Elder Leader?"

Nibro shook his head. "None, I should say. Or, at least, very little. No one but a fool will fight in the face of an overwhelming group of armed and determined men."

It was a sentence destined to haunt him, to drift back mockingly a few hours later.

The longest electric communications line on Nidor was the line that ran from Holy Gelusar to Tammulcor; it had been constructed after the establishment of the Directorate, in order to keep the secular government in touch with the Council of Elders. Most "long distance" lines simply ran short distances to the villages surrounding large cities.

Across that line had come a communication to the Council, informing them that Elder Leader Nibro peSyg Ghevin was starting north at the head of an army.

A certain acolyte, on hearing the news, went quietly into the city. He spoke to another man.

Twenty minutes later, that man was on a fast deest, spurring his mount up the banks of the Tammul. He rode hard and fast, stopping only once to change animals at a small village near the foothills of the Ancestral Mountains. Then he rode through the Sumay Pass into the Province of Sugon.

When he reached his destination—a small Peacemen's Office at a mountainous Sugonese village—he dismounted and. ran in.

Within that building was the second longest line on Nidor—one which had existed only for a matter of a few days.

"Get the Keeper on the line!" he yelled. "The Elder Leader, is on his way north with two hundred men." The number had become exaggerated in the telling. "Get Korvin peKorvin!"

Ten minutes later, Korvin peKorvin Danoy, Keeper of the Bank of Sugon, had heard the message. He replaced the microphone of his instrument and smiled unworriedly. Then he lifted it again, "Get me the Priest-Mayor," he snapped.

There was a pause while the channels were linked. "Hoy, Grandfather. They're on their way. Yes. Yes, that's right. Fine. You've heard from Vashcor? Good. I thought so; those Pelvash seacoasters are a pretty independent bunch. Good! That should time it about right.

"Now get this: we'll leave within an hour. Everything else here is ready to go. Good. Light bless you, Grandfather."

He lowered the microphone again. His smile had become even broader.

Elder Leader Nibro peSyg pulled up short on the reins of his deest and raised one hand.

"Powers of Dark! What's that?"

He pointed one long golden finger down the road that slanted upward toward the pass.

Drelk peShawm stared. The young priest said, "Someone has put a barrier of stones across the pass."

"That's fairly obvious," Nibro said acidly. "Was this the road you traveled when you journeyed to Sugon the time before?"

"Yes ... yes, of course. That barricade wasn't up last time I went by here."

Ahead, a wall of piled-up stones completely blocked the pass except for one small opening, barely wide enough to admit a single deest.

"There are men standing behind it," said Drelk peShawm. "I can see their heads and shoulders."

"Let's go up and take a look," said Nibro.

He turned around and called to the black-uniformed men behind. "This looks like trouble. Get ready. If they think they can stop us with a wall, they're out of their minds. Our animals can take that barrier easily."

The Officer-in-Charge nodded. There was a loud chorus of clicking rifle-bolts as the weapons were loaded. Then they moved forward, toward the barrier.

As they approached, Nibro noticed rifles lowered over the ramparts of the stone barricade. His face, already bleak with anger, became icy.

"Stop!" bellowed a voice. "Proceed no further!"

"What is the meaning of this?" Nibro shouted. "Who in Light's name are you?"

"Rahn peDom Dmorno, Uncle of Public Peace for the Province of Sugon!" came the stentorian answer. "And who are you?"

Nibro impatiently scowled at the foolish question, and ignored it. "Uncle of Public Peace for an entire province?" he repealed. "What nonsense is this? There is no such office! You are an impostor!"

"No more so than you—!" came the bellowed reply.

Nibro peSyg felt his face reddening. "I am Elder Grandfather Nibro peSyg Ghevin, Leader of the Council of Elders of Nidor!" he roared at the invisible speaker. "I demand that you let us pass!"

Raucous laughter drifted out of the barricade. "You're no Ghevin! I know for a fact that you're a Sesom from Sugon! You have no right to bring armed men into a peaceful province!"

"You have no authority here!" returned Nibro peSyg. "This is Dimay Province."

"Not beyond these mountains, it isn't!"

"We're going to pass!"

"Try it," said the Uncle of Public Peace, "and we'll fire."

Nibro peSyg's jaw sagged. "Would you fire on priests?" he asked incredulously. Such a thought had never occurred to him before. The body of a priest was sacrosanct.

"We would fire on impostors!" Rahn peDom shouted in reply. "You, and that other Sesom who calls himself a Lokness! And if others are hurt, is that our fault?"

Nibro scowled. "What do you want? Do you think we will turn from our rightful duty simply because a bunch of rabble stand in our way?"

The Uncle said, "That will be seen. Also, who of us is the rabble. Our Keeper would have a word with you. He will meet you outside the wall here."

Unpleasant visions of martyrdom flickered through Nibro peSyg's mind. He had no desire to share the fate of the legendary Kris peKym Yorgen.

He turned to Gwyl peDrang. "I'm going to see him." He smiled nervously. "If I get shot, you shoot him, and be sure you don't miss. It's fair enough. If he dies, the whole uprising will collapse."

Gwyl nodded. "I understand, Elder Leader. I will be ready."

Nibro's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "On second thought, I believe you ought to come out there with me. The two of us will be a better match for this criminal."

Gwyl peDrang shrugged. "As you say, Elder Leader."

"Let's go then," said Nibro. It was not that he distrusted Gwyl peDrang; it was simply that he feared the acolyte might take it into his head to shoot Korvin peKorvin without provocation. If that happened, the Sugonese would surely strike down Nibro where he stood. And that might suit Gwyl peDrang all too well, since it would leave the way open for him to become Elder Leader.

Nibro cupped his hand to his mouth and faced the barricade. "We will speak with the rebel Keeper," he shouted.

"Advance!"

Nibro and Gwyl trotted their deests toward the wall, under the watchful muzzles of a dozen rifles.

"Dismount," called the Uncle, of Public Peace.

"Easy on the trigger finger," Nibro cautioned softly, as he leaped from his mount. Gwyl peDrang clambered from his deest and stood at his side. They waited, expectantly, facing twelve rifle-snouts.

After what seemed like minutes, Keeper Korvin peKorvin and the Priest-Mayor stepped through the narrow opening, Korvin ahead of the Grandfather.

Before the Keeper had a chance to say anything, Nibro snarled: "What in Darkness do you mean by staging this armed uprising?"

The Keeper's face assumed an expression of wounded innocence. "Armed uprising?" he repeated quizzically. "Oh, no, Elder Leader. That term is wholly unjust. We're merely doing our duty—which is, as we see it, to preserve the peace of Sugon."

"As you wish to call it," Nibro barked. "It still remains an armed uprising. You're under arrest!"

"Oh? And the charges?"

"High treason, blasphemy, sacrilege, threatening the life of a priest, embezzlement, and conspiracy to do harm to the peace of Nidor. There are more charges, but these ought to do." Nibro's eyes were cold.

The Keeper smiled blandly. "Very well. I plead not guilty to all charges."

Immediately, the Priest-Mayor of Lidacor turned to the armed men behind the pajrapet and made a ritual gesture of designation.

"As Priest-Mayor, I am entitled to the position of judge in this case. So says the Law. Acting within my rights, I appoint you men as fit judges-in-aide. What do you say? Call out your verdict!"

"Not guilty!" came a somewhat ragged but hearty chorus. "Not guilty! Not guilty!"

"So be it," Priest-Mayor Fulda peDrogh said. "Acquitted. Case dismissed."

Nibro had barely had time to open his mouth during the entire trial. Angrily, he realized that they were making sport of him.

"This is a farce!" he howled. "This mockery of a trial is not legal in any sense!"

"It is in Sugon," said the Priest-Mayor calmly.

"But—"

"No buts!" snapped the older priest. "You have no legal right to invade Sugon with armed men. I'd advise you, you young upstart, to get back to Gelusar and spend your time ranting at your false, sycophantic Council instead of at honest, law-abiding men. We of Sugon have no need of you, Sesom that calls yourself a Ghevin. Go!"

Beneath his golden facial down, Nibro peSyg's face became suffused with the crimson of anger. In a strangling tone he said, "I'll take my men into Sugon and put a stop to this nonsense!"

"Will you?" asked Korvin peKorvin. For the first time, there was no smile on the Keeper's pleasant face, and his voice was cold and metallic. "Do you think that because you see only a dozen men, that there are only a dozen men to be had?" He chuckled unamiably. "Don't be a fool, Nibro peSyg Sesom. The crags of the pass are lined with my men. Trapped in that narrow gorge, your army wouldn't last five minutes—and you, Nibro peSyg, would be the first to die. You have no legal authority in the Province of Sugon. Now go."

He turned his back and walked through the narrow gate in the barricade without another word.

"You have heard our Keeper," said the Priest-Mayor. "And you have heard me. Your way lies clear, Nibro peSyg." And then he, too, was gone.

Nibro peSyg glared malevolently at the muzzles of the leveled rifles before him, and mounted his deest, his teeth clenched in silent rage.

They rode darkly through the countryside, back from the barricade. Nibro peSyg was in a black mood, and no one dared approach him.

Finally, when they were well away from the barricade, Drelk peShawm matched the pace of his deest with Nibro's, drew alongside, and asked, "What can we do now, Elder Leader?"

"There's more than one way through to Sugon," snarled Nibro. "We'll go around the Mountains of the Morning, and move up through Pelvash Province. Sugon is wide open from that angle. And we'll get money for a bigger army. I'll see Korvin peKorvin's head mounted on the palisade round the new Temple before the season's end!"

"Very good, sir."

"Have Drosh peMarn ride with me," Nibro said. "I want to make sure he understands where we're heading and why, the old fool."

Drelk peShawm dropped back, and a few moments later Drosh peMarn Yorgen, the Officer-in-Charge, drew near the Elder Leader.

"Light's blessings, Nibro peSyg."

"Oh ... it's you. Listen, Drosh peMarn, here's the plan by which I mean to thrash Sugon. We—"

"Sir," the elderly soldier interrupted. "Uh ... Elder Leader ... uh, well, the men have been talking to me."

"So?"

"Uh ... well, if you intend to go back through that pass, Nibro peSyg, you'll have to go by yourself." Drosh peMarn took a deep breath and added decisively, "They feel it would be certain death for us to go, but maybe they wouldn't fire on a priest."

Livid with rage, Nibro lashed out with his fist, knocking the older man from his saddle. Drosh peMarn went spinning to the ground, landing fairly skillfully despite his years, and sat in an insulted-looking heap at the feet of his deest.

"Ignorant, stupid old fool!" Nibro raged. "Of course I won't go through that pass! Mount up! You're not hurt!"

Behind him, he heard a steady, insistent murmuring; the black-clad soldiers obviously did not care to have their Officer-in-Charge thrashed before their eyes. Nibro wheeled his deest around and signaled for a halt.

"We're heading for Pelvash!"

Later that afternoon, someone spotted a dust cloud on the road ahead.

A rider galloped up. He was clad in the robes of an acolyte, but they were damp with perspiration and gray with dust. He had ridden hard and long.

"Well? You have a message for me?" Nibro asked impatiently. He was still smarting from his defeat at the Pass, and expressed his irritation at every chance he had.

The acolyte's voice came in a hoarse gasp. "I was afraid you had gone on to Sugon, Elder Leader. I did not know—"

"We return from Sugon," Nibro said. "Speak up!"

"It is well that you have finished your work in Sugon, then," the messenger said.

"What do you mean?"

"You must ride for Pelvash immediately!"

"We are going to Pelvash!"

The acolyte smiled in relief. "Then you have heard, Elder Ghevin?"

"Heard? Heard what?"

Fright crossed the messenger's face. His eyes widened. "The Keeper of the Bank of Pelvash has said that he does not intend to carry more than his share of the cost of building the Temple," the acolyte stammered. "If Sugon won't pay—he says—he won't pay, either."

Nibro blinked in astonishment. His poise deserted him for a moment, and in a pained whisper he said, "Pelvash, too? And after that the other provinces must go!"

"The Keeper of the Bank of Pelvash has given his orders," said the acolyte. "They've cut off every road between the Mountains of the Morning and the sea!"

Nibro was stunned.

Drosh peMarn turned to look at the Elder Leader as he heard the words. The swelling on one cheek twisted his angry smile.

"You have botched everything, Elder Leader," the old soldier said bitterly. "We of the Hundred have had enough of this crusade. We're going home to Tammulcor."

Nibro spun and summoned what little authority he had left. He snapped a quick, crisp order to Gwyl peDrang: "Shoot me that traitor!"

Gwyl went for his gun.

Drosh peMarn, though, was ready for the attack. Gwyl's pistol was scarcely out of his belt when the weapon of the Officer-in-Charge roared out a cloud of flame and smoke. The deests whinnied in terror; Nibro was hard put to keep his tired animal under control.

A spreading stain of blood appeared on Gwyl peDrang's chest. He held himself upright in his saddle for a moment, still groping for his own weapon, and then toppled heavily to the road. The ex-acolyte twitched a moment, and lay still. The Clan Lokness was again without an Elder.

"Well, Nibro peSyg?" asked Drosh peMarn. "Your decision?"

Nibro peSyg did not turn. He knew what was behind him: the leveled muskets of the black-clad men, anxiously defending their Officer-in-Charge against the bungling Council leader.

He did not need to turn. The pistol muzzle of Drosh peMarn was plainly visible—and the Officer-in-Charge seemed perfectly ready to fire again.

Nibro realized with a sudden cold chill that these men had lived through a period which was only history to him. These were men of the original Hundred, men who had helped to slaughter priests and acolytes alike during the Burning of the Temple. They would not stay their hands when it came to killing him.

He glared at the acolyte who had brought the fatal message. There had been a time when Nibro peSyg would order a man shot for shouting such news aloud. Now, he knew, if he raised a hand against the acolyte his own men would cut him down.

It was a bitter moment for the enterprising Sugonese priest. He had clawed his way to the highest power in Nidor—and, now that he had attained it, he had found it was no power at all. He was a ruler of words; words had no effect without backing.

First Sugon, now Pelvash, slipping from his grasp as positively as if they had glided from the continent and drifted off into the shoreless sea. No doubt within hours word would come from the other provinces that they had done the same. Fie would be supreme only in Dimay, and even there his rule would be shaky.

Could I have avoided this? He wasn't sure. The words of the New Lawyer, half-forgotten, buried deep in his mind, now stood out in awful clarity. The disaster could not have been avoided. Whatever course of action he had undertaken, Sugon would have rebelled. He had never been free to act; he was the slave of implacable forces outside him.

His fingers tightened on the reins. There would be no new temples built in Gelusar. The old ways were forever dead. The chaos of the last five generations could not be undone.

Well, he thought, I tried. And, in trying, merely hastened the process along its irreversible course. Thanks to his attempt at wielding power, Nibro peSyg thought gloomily, a wedge had been driven between the Five Provinces.

"Very well," he said slowly. "We will not march to Pelvash. We will return to Gelusar." He threw back his shoulders, looking very proud and straight in the saddle of his deest. "To the Holy City of Gelusar—and the Great Temple that was."

He said it, but it didn't really matter what he did.

The End