[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

tone and his expression. When he spoke, his words carried a simple ease and a
self assurance. Apparently, he found no offense in being questioned over his
age and revealed no hesitation in making an explanation.
"People have said I was born with a gift. I do not wish to make any such
judgments. I will simply say that Godson wishes to reveal the secrets of his
prophecies, the secrets of the future, to the followers of his word. I have
been chosen for that task. When I was very young, perhaps nothing more than an
infant in your eyes, I sensed things before they happened. Everyone around me
wanted to take advantage of what I could do. I was pushed and prodded. I faced
constant demands. I began to hate what I was and what I could do. But that's a
Page 127
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
boring story, filled with self pity. Luckily, I realized I was allowed my
ability for a greater purpose than to make others wealthy and famous. Now, I
accept my fate, though I would appreciate it if you do not throw my name about
with casual ease. You never know who might remember me. As for now, I simply
move with the path that Godson makes for me.
"That's a rather simple summary of my life, but its enough to get my
point across. You wonder how someone so young could be able to provide the
insight necessary to understand the prophecies. I tell you it has nothing to
do with what I have learned or what I have done. It is the will of Godson and
He doesn't seem to care how old I am. I was led to this task and
theChurchofGodson just as I was led to you now."
Mappel raised an eyebrow. "Why would you say that? It was the messenger
sent by Matthew that called your attention here. What makes you think it is
the will of Godson?"
"I never spoke to any messenger," Stephen responded flatly.
Mappel turned a questioning glance towards the reader. His expression
made it very clear he expected confirmation of such a statement.
Matthew answered the unspoken question. "It's true. None of my messengers
returned with him. In fact, I wondered how he could have gotten here so soon.
We only sent word out this morning. I thought it might have just been pure
luck that one of them came across him in a nearby town, but that's not the
case. He began his trip several days ago."
Mappel turned his attention back to the interpreter.
"Why?" It was spoken cold and hard.
The bubbling happiness in the interpreter dimmed ever so slightly. "I
know what's happening. In my mind, I can see the sphere. Even now, it is still
in the midst of Sanctum. It has broken the reflectors which cast the energies
back into its center. It's sending out magic at will through a long break in
the wall of the mountain. It will continue to do so until it is stopped. I can
see this as I saw other things just as significant. I sensed your meeting with
the delver. The reader tells me his name is Ryson Acumen. I can tell you this,
that delver's importance to us all has not ended. Keep him with you in
whatever you do."
Mappel suddenly released a surprising burst of anger and impatience. He
had given no warning to such an eruption, but he boiled over with demands. "Do
not dare talk in riddles to me! Tell me what you know of my meeting and Ryson
Acumen. Tell me the importance of the delver. If you truly understand what we
face, then you know the danger as well. I will not stand here and play games
with you. If you are blessed by Godson then you will happily reveal to me what
to do and how this tragedy will unravel. If you wish to test me with riddles,
I will mark you as a messenger of dark creatures, of those that wish to bring
turmoil to the land rather than save it, or perhaps even of the sphere
itself!"
Mappel stared holes through the young man. He could not say if it was his
tense dealing with the mayor or his growing anxiety over the poison magic
which filled the air, but he knew his patience had worn thin. He would not
stand there with this boy and play a guessing game over what was important and
what was not. If the boy could see the outcome of this trial, he would know of
it now.
Page 128
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Any last trace of a smile left the interpreter's face. Sadness and guilt
replaced the sparkle in his previously bright eyes. He exhaled once heavily.
He spoke with his own frustration and sadness. "I'm sorry. It wasn't my
intention to leave you with riddles. I'm not doing it on purpose anyway. I
know it sounded like that, but sometimes I just don't know how to put things.
The truth is that I don't know the exact importance of Ryson Acumen, not yet
anyway. And I don't know what you should do, or what anyone of us should do,
or how this will end up. My ability to understand what will happen or what can
happen is limited. I'm allowed to see what I'm allowed to see. I only know
that this delver remains important to us all."
The elder elf looked deeply into the interpreter. With a grunt, he
accepted Stephen's explanation. His tone, however, remained as dubious as
ever. "So because of this insight of yours, you knew I was coming to Connel in
hopes of finding a way to enter Sanctum safely and destroy the sphere?"
"That's right."
"Do you see anything else?" It was spoken more of a command than a
request.
The interpreter spoke openly of what he knew. "I see that you will bring
all the races together here. Each race knows that something is terribly wrong.
They will all meet with you."
Mappel found hope in those words and chose to seize upon it. "Will they
assist; will they reveal the secrets of Sanctum?"
"I don't know, but I know only a small party will enter the mountain. I
can't tell you what that means."
Mappel brought a hand to his chin and stroked it as he considered the
thought. He brought his stare back to the interpreter. "How sure of this are
you?"
"It will happen."
"I see. You seem to be very sure of this, which brings me to another
question. In my talks with Matthew, he had revealed that you predicted every
important event which would affect the people of this church. Why did you miss
this most important occurrence?"
"I don't know, but I have a theory."
"I would like to know it." Again, it was spoken as a command.
Stephen hesitated for the first time. He repositioned himself in his
chair as if something was poking him in the back. His discomfort seemed to
grow as he spoke. "I don't believe this was supposed to happen. For some
reason, I think it might actually be defying even the will of Godson.
Understand; it is very hard for me to say that. I have gone through life
believing that nothing could defy that will, that the prophesies would be ours
without doubt. Now, I'm not so sure, and that scares me."
Mappel pressed beyond Stephen's hesitancies. "As well it should, but what
makes you believe this? Even Matthew admits that he can not find the
prophesies which point to this moment, but he himself stated the races would
reunite. This is causing that re-unification."
"No, it isn't," Stephen said resolutely.
Page 129
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Mappel was taken aback by this determined response. "What makes you say
that? You yourself said that the races will all unite here at Connel. Are you
now saying that prediction may not unfold?"
"No, they will all be here, but this will not cause a re-unification.
It's only temporary. It will not end the true separation. It will only serve
as a reminder for the humans that other races exist. However this turns out,
the races will again go their separate ways." Stephen noted the probing eyes
of the elder elf. He continued with his explanation as clearly as possible. "I [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]