Oh! search
them swiftly, that I may find her and--kill her if I can."
"Aye, if you can," answered the Shaman, "and if she lives to kill. But
say, where shall we begin our quest? Now, this letter from the Mountain
that the head-priest Oros sent to your court a while ago?"--and he
selected a parchment from a pile which lay upon the table and looked at
her.
"Read," she said, "I would hear it again."
So he read: "From the Hesea of the House of Fire, to Atene, Khania of
Kaloon.
"My sister--Warning has reached me that two strangers of a western
race journey to your land, seeking my Oracle, of which they would ask a
question. On the first day of the next moon, I command that you and with
you Simbri, your great-uncle, the wise Shaman, Guardian of the Gate,
shall be watching the river in the gulf at the foot of the ancient road,
for by that steep path the strangers travel. Aid them in all things and
bring them safely to the Mountain, knowing that in this matter I shall
hold him and you to account. Myself I will not meet them, since to do so
would be to break the pact between our powers, which says that the Hesea
of the Sanctuary visits not the territory of Kaloon, save in war. Also
their coming is otherwise appointed."
"It would seem," said Simbri, laying down the parchment, "that these are
no chance wanderers, since Hes awaits them.
Pages:
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132