[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
fought for me shall be free and unmolested, on equal grounds with those who
have fought with you and with those who have not fought?"
"By Kathal Sargthan, I swear that." Drunnel nodded.
"By Kathal Sargthan you swear that we shall have trial before the Mother, as
the law of the Sarn
demands?"
Drunnel laughed, eyes flashing in the light of the flames. "Aye if you want
that so badly, Grayth, you and Bartel shall surrender to me, and together you
shall appear before the Mother. And by the Mother's name, I'll have you there
at the morning audience, too!"
Page 20
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Bartel's figure merged from the dark entranceway of a building, striding
forward to join Grayth. Grayth snapped off the tiny stud of his crown as
Drunnel came forward, took it from his head and re-stored the
silver-and-enamel disk of the Mother's slaves. Drunnel took it from his hands,
eyes bright, white teeth flashing in an almost friendly smile of triumph. The
game was played out; Grayth and Bartel were no longer obstacles in his path to
power.
The Sarn stood in solidly massed ranks leading up to the high, golden throne
of the Sarn Mother. The great hall of audience was quiet, a hush so deep the
faint rustle of the atom-flame projectors far above in the lofty dome trickled
down to them like the rustle of autumn's falling leaves. Grayth and Bartel
stood side by side before the Mother, their official crimson cloaks stripped
from them, draped instead over the tall forms of Drunnel and Rendan standing
close behind. A long, slanting ray of morning sunlight stabbed through a
window to wash on the crimson cloth, rebounding in reddening glare.
For long minutes the motionless, slitted eyes of the Mother looked into
Grayth's calm face. Her line-thin mouth seemed scarcely to move as she spoke.
"You told us that the law of the Sarn could not be enforced, and that you were
unable to enforce it. Therefore, Grayth, it was my desire that you be removed.
"By the Law of the Sarn, the inefficient administrator is worthy of removal,
and the rebellious administrator is worthy of death.
"By the common law of the humans, the inefficient are removed, and the
treasonous are worthy of death.
"By the Law of the Sarn and the law of man, you have earned no appeal to me.
Why then do you protest your ancient privilege of appeal to the Mother of laws
and justice?"
"By the Law of Sarn and humans, the inefficient should be re-moved and the
rebellious or treasonous destroyed,"
Grayth ac-knowledged. His voice was low and clear, its tones dying slowly in
the vast hall. "If these things are proved against me, I am guilty. But no man
has accused me of inefficiency, for I am not inefficient in failing to do that
which the law forbids me to do. The Law of the Sarn forbids that the spokesman
of man be also the commander of the legion, or that he raise a police power
for his office. The law of the humans forbids the spokesman of men doing other
than offer advice. I have given the Mother advice, as the laws require; the
laws of the Sarn cannot be forced onto humanity without destruc-tion. You
ordered that I enforce them, yet the Law of Sarn and of man forbids my raising
the power I
must have to do this. Had I done so, I would have rebelled against the Law of
the Sarn and been traitorous to human law. I did not do so; therein I am not
trai-torous, nor am I inefficient."
"The word of the Mother is the Law of the Sarn." The Sarn Mother's masking,
translucent lids slid across her eyes for a mo-ment. "There is no law above
it. The decisions of the Mother are the law of the Earth; there is no law
above them. You have acted inefficiently, or rebelliously. I find your actions
rebellious. The law defines the manner of your death.
"So, also, I find Bartel rebellious. The law defines the manner of your
death." The unwinking eyes swung slowly to
Bartel and held him for a moment. Then, suddenly, they moved from his face, to
look down the long hall of audiences to the great entranceway. The
expressionless face remained unchanged, the line-thin slit of her lips did not
move. But in the silence the breath whistled softly into her nostrils. Grayth
turned slowly to follow the unmoving stare of the Sarn Mother.
In the bright radiance of the atom flames, across lancing beams of early
sunlight, a vague, amorphous thing moved, a thing of utter blackness. Shifting
suggestions of blocky, heavy legs moved it for-ward. Slowly, in the sunlight
and the radiance of the projectors, it seemed to solidify, condensing upon
itself. A gigantic, manlike figure looming twelve feet a figure not in black,
but of blackness, a sheer absence of all vision, a solid shadow of utter
night.
Page 21
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
As it moved closer in ponderous, soundless strides, the conden-sation and [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl exclamation.htw.pl
fought for me shall be free and unmolested, on equal grounds with those who
have fought with you and with those who have not fought?"
"By Kathal Sargthan, I swear that." Drunnel nodded.
"By Kathal Sargthan you swear that we shall have trial before the Mother, as
the law of the Sarn
demands?"
Drunnel laughed, eyes flashing in the light of the flames. "Aye if you want
that so badly, Grayth, you and Bartel shall surrender to me, and together you
shall appear before the Mother. And by the Mother's name, I'll have you there
at the morning audience, too!"
Page 20
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Bartel's figure merged from the dark entranceway of a building, striding
forward to join Grayth. Grayth snapped off the tiny stud of his crown as
Drunnel came forward, took it from his head and re-stored the
silver-and-enamel disk of the Mother's slaves. Drunnel took it from his hands,
eyes bright, white teeth flashing in an almost friendly smile of triumph. The
game was played out; Grayth and Bartel were no longer obstacles in his path to
power.
The Sarn stood in solidly massed ranks leading up to the high, golden throne
of the Sarn Mother. The great hall of audience was quiet, a hush so deep the
faint rustle of the atom-flame projectors far above in the lofty dome trickled
down to them like the rustle of autumn's falling leaves. Grayth and Bartel
stood side by side before the Mother, their official crimson cloaks stripped
from them, draped instead over the tall forms of Drunnel and Rendan standing
close behind. A long, slanting ray of morning sunlight stabbed through a
window to wash on the crimson cloth, rebounding in reddening glare.
For long minutes the motionless, slitted eyes of the Mother looked into
Grayth's calm face. Her line-thin mouth seemed scarcely to move as she spoke.
"You told us that the law of the Sarn could not be enforced, and that you were
unable to enforce it. Therefore, Grayth, it was my desire that you be removed.
"By the Law of the Sarn, the inefficient administrator is worthy of removal,
and the rebellious administrator is worthy of death.
"By the common law of the humans, the inefficient are removed, and the
treasonous are worthy of death.
"By the Law of the Sarn and the law of man, you have earned no appeal to me.
Why then do you protest your ancient privilege of appeal to the Mother of laws
and justice?"
"By the Law of Sarn and humans, the inefficient should be re-moved and the
rebellious or treasonous destroyed,"
Grayth ac-knowledged. His voice was low and clear, its tones dying slowly in
the vast hall. "If these things are proved against me, I am guilty. But no man
has accused me of inefficiency, for I am not inefficient in failing to do that
which the law forbids me to do. The Law of the Sarn forbids that the spokesman
of man be also the commander of the legion, or that he raise a police power
for his office. The law of the humans forbids the spokesman of men doing other
than offer advice. I have given the Mother advice, as the laws require; the
laws of the Sarn cannot be forced onto humanity without destruc-tion. You
ordered that I enforce them, yet the Law of Sarn and of man forbids my raising
the power I
must have to do this. Had I done so, I would have rebelled against the Law of
the Sarn and been traitorous to human law. I did not do so; therein I am not
trai-torous, nor am I inefficient."
"The word of the Mother is the Law of the Sarn." The Sarn Mother's masking,
translucent lids slid across her eyes for a mo-ment. "There is no law above
it. The decisions of the Mother are the law of the Earth; there is no law
above them. You have acted inefficiently, or rebelliously. I find your actions
rebellious. The law defines the manner of your death.
"So, also, I find Bartel rebellious. The law defines the manner of your
death." The unwinking eyes swung slowly to
Bartel and held him for a moment. Then, suddenly, they moved from his face, to
look down the long hall of audiences to the great entranceway. The
expressionless face remained unchanged, the line-thin slit of her lips did not
move. But in the silence the breath whistled softly into her nostrils. Grayth
turned slowly to follow the unmoving stare of the Sarn Mother.
In the bright radiance of the atom flames, across lancing beams of early
sunlight, a vague, amorphous thing moved, a thing of utter blackness. Shifting
suggestions of blocky, heavy legs moved it for-ward. Slowly, in the sunlight
and the radiance of the projectors, it seemed to solidify, condensing upon
itself. A gigantic, manlike figure looming twelve feet a figure not in black,
but of blackness, a sheer absence of all vision, a solid shadow of utter
night.
Page 21
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
As it moved closer in ponderous, soundless strides, the conden-sation and [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]