BOOK EIGHT
THE BOOK OF BROWN GOAT
Chapter One
Now, in the eight-hundred-and-sixty-ninth Year From The Beginning there
was born in a village near the city of Eastern a boy child, to the clan
of The Butting Goat.
2 And his parents were extremely proud of him, for he was a wise and wondrous child, and showed signs of wisdom.
3 But as he grew to be a young man, his mother became concerned. For as
she bathed him, she noticed his manhood grew not, but stayed like that
of a child. And she spoke to her mate. "I fear he might have some
sickness of the loins. Let us take him to a Healer, so he may examine
him."
4 So it was, they took him to the Healer, and after the Healer examined
him, he came to the parents. "What we thought," he explained, "at his
birth was a manhood, is in reality what we Healers call a 'falsity.'
Girls are sometimes born with these falsities, and they have to be
removed to reveal their womanhood underneath. But there is no womanhood
beneath THIS falsity, there is nothing at all!
5 He has neither that that makes him a man, nor that that makes him a
woman. If you wish I can open him to be sure. It would not cause him
much discomfort. But I can tell you now, he will never burn, nor, will
he ever desire to know a woman."
6 The boy's mother began to weep. "Why have The Lords done to us this
terrible jest? They have given us neither a son NOR a daughter, but
something that cannot be either. What evil have we done to deserve such
a punishment?"
7 "My beloved woman," answered her mate, "how