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"I do not understand"

"It’s a sito this world to take life or to give it?"

"What do you mean?"

"What do I mean? Isn’t it clear? I ask you to make a choice: life or death Which do you worship?"

"I don’t…that is…I want…I don’t know! I don’t knohat you ood answer to her question I suddenly knew that I was in very great danger, the sort of danger that lasts not a moment but an eternity, and threatens not the body but the soul All I wanted was to go back to my oorld, to beThe answer came to me too late I had no chance to utter a syllable

"I shall have to find out for you, I think Live or die, soldier’s son"

The roots parted and the bridge opened undertendrils did not break; they opened their network to allow ed forward, running over roots that gave way beneath round

I fell short Suddenly there was nothing under my feet My left hand scrabbled at roots that squirrip All the roots had fled, had opened wide a gap in their web, leaving only bare stone cliff before round, which the tip of the blade could barely reach

It sank in, with a jolt that sent a shock up iven way before it It defied all physical laws I knew, and the fright of that was stunning The tree woasped, in surprise or pain, I don’t knohich But I was still falling, and in foolish desperation I grabbed the blade of ht caers, but that pain was nothing co into that abyss In an instant I’d wrappedthere, the weight ofthat carefully honed edge, the toes of ainst the undercut cliff I kneould soon be over My ive way to pain or be futile when I’d severed ers from my hands

"Helpdown at me mercilessly, nor to Dewara, who had sentuniverse, a desperate plea that so bit of life

The pain was agonizing and the blade was slippery with o with one hand and try for a handhold on the bluish stone, but it was s to see ed to my doom

"Shall I take you up?" the tree woed suddenly, no longer caring if she was friend or foe She was my sole chance for survival My eyes flew open She had co down atfroently, iasped

"Please take you up?" she asked, as if she had to be certain she had heard e and complete it?"

"Please! Takedown e of the blade had found the joints in h theers did not detach

She was iive you the choice You can say you wish to die, rather than have your life taken up If you so choose, so shall it be But if you wish to be taken up to this life, then you ainst his will Do you choose the bridge?" She knelt at the edge of the cliff, leaning over me but still out of led in a sickening richness

"I…choose…life!" My heart was pounding in et the words out I could clai, but a part ofof death and life as I knew it; those words conveyed soled there longer, and demanded that she explain herself I feared Imy life at some hideous expense that I could not yet coes of ain did not seem an option I would live first, and then do whatever I ht