Chapter Four
One day an ox cart left The Land of The Oneness and began its slow
journey north. It reached Northern and its driver, a raggedly dressed
young man, asked audience of The First Speaker. "Tell him," the young
man insisted , "if he does not see me, thousands and thousands of his
people will die. The information I have is beyond value, but I will
have to be given a good price for it."
2 Brown Goat was curious. "Send the young man in," he commanded.
3 When he was brought in, the young man smiled and bowed politely.
"Sir," he began, "the Oneness has developed a terrible new weapon
called the gun. They have made thousands of them, and are preparing to
launch attacks on their neighbors in the south as soon as the summer
winds start to blow.
4 I know the secret of this new weapon. I can show it to you, and tell
you the secret of its power, but for this I demand a price."
5 "What price do you demand?" asked The First Speaker.
6 "I want a fine estate," the young man answered, "with land to rent,
cattle and sheep, and five-hundred gold. Plus that, I want a bride ...a
fair-looking woman who will be faithful to me, and make me a good home."
7 Brown Goat shook his head. "The land and gold we can give you," he
answered, "the woman we cannot. In our Land unlike yours, women are not
bought and sold like cattle."
8 ''Even to save thousands of your peoples' lives?" argued the man.
9 "Even at that price," insisted Brown Goat.
10 "Then we have no bargain," sighed the young man.