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‘Free the Father,’ one Herald whispered, its voice carried on the wind

‘End the injustice of his imprisonment,’ another hissed

‘Lead the faithful to salvation,’ more crowed

‘Free him,’ they burbled ‘Free him … free him … free hiain’ The Prophet’s voices silenced the chorus Gold eyes turned upward again, burning with purpose ‘Liberate Daga-Mer’

As the Prophet’s voices echoed, fading with each er As if in theof breath, it echoed from the deep and carried to his ears

A heartbeat

The Heralds scattered at the sound, taking wing on shrieks of ecstasy as they twirled and writhed in feathery colu toward the sun-stolen sky

Another beat, louder

The faithful stared up, their rins Their eyes quivered in the rising starlight, as though they ht add their own joyful salt to the sea

Another

The Shepherds dropped their jaws open, exposing sharp teeth as they howled so to the surface on bubbles that popped soundlessly

Another beat, loud and clear as if it were that of the Mouth’s

And he felt himself smile to hear it

The water called to hi in It embraced him like a family that would never leave him, never deny him He swam silently upon its tide towards the distant prison of earth and air He swah the waves as a world of dark flesh, dark eyes and glorious faithhis head below the surf

And through it, he heard the Father calling

ACT TWO

Island of Hope and Death

Seventeen

BETTER OFF IGNORANT

The Aeons’ Gate

Island of Teji

Su realisations I have stumbled across since I first picked up a sword is that society, at least as we know it, does not exist

Of course, I’m actually a little disappointed to put it down on paper After all, I had rather enjoyed the ideas behind civilisation: linking together against co like-minded trades and arods for the benefit of all and, of course, the keen urge to keep one’s neighbour close so that, when he finally did knife one in the kidneys and steal one’s sheep, at least one couldn’t claiardless,more than a series of carefully calculated choices based solely around econoods, not even healthy distrust reed

Any other thoughts I’ve had about this were quickly banished once I arrived on Teji and was subjected to the curious company of the Owauku As far as I’ve been able to tell froe, Teji was a thriving trading post, as Argaol informed me … once, anyway

Humans used to live here That much is clear by what has happened to the locals I’d seen some of the more rean looking for the Aeons’ Gate, as Miron originally hired us to do They tended to have both a keen distrust for uts

Or an arrow in my shoulder, as the case may be

The tall, tattooed lizardmen … they’re called ‘Shen’, the Owauku tell enerally as uncivilised as one would expect loincloth-clad reptiles to be Of them, I know not much else, save that the Owauku have driven theone

So they tell me

The Owauku … are friendlier than most Almost too much They offer us freely their meat and drink, at least what passes for lea would be appreciated in return That glea in those giant… where they look atelse with the other, and they keepin different directions and …

Neverto recount It does h Those taller, bearded things that I saw in the forest apparently share the village with the Owauku I can’t iine why; the Gonwa are tall and stoic where the Owauku are short and spastic The Gonwa are reserved and distrustful where the Owauku are almost offensively open The Gonwa only look atat them, and sometimes with murder in their eyes, while the Owauku look at

The point is that the Owauku have and love and the Gonwa lack and loathe everything one ar and hookah for; and various other sundries and goods remnant from when humans still traded with them The little ones adore the idea of trade, and constantly ask us if we have anything to put forth in that regard

What they think we have, I really can’t even begin to wonder They’ve already taken our pants …

Anyway, as I was saying, the idea of everything i driven by econoe we live in, it’s beco costs et than it’s worth, then it’s not worth the effort It’s that easy

And, with that in ive up

I’ I don’t want to have anything to do with Miron, with books, with bounties or ain Especially nothing to do with books I nearly lost allfor the stupid thing