93 "Yes," the woman answered, "to the copper
mines, on The Western River. But wherever he goes, I would go
with him."
94 The Speaker nodded. "If it is your wish,"
he agreed, "you may share his cell, but you will not be a
prisoner. You may come and go as you wish.
95 But while you are at the prison you will
have to work to earn your bread and meat. The food at the prison
is wholesome, but it is plain. No money is spent for seasoning.
Do you understand all this?"
96 "I understand," the woman agreed.
97 "As long as you do," The Speaker told her, "you may go."
98 She followed her mate as he was led away.
99 The Voice was pleased, yet unpleased.
His failure to find more workers in the city troubled him. But
the good manner in which the city was run filled him with joy.
100 For several more days he taught in the
city and in the surrounding villages, then one night he dreamed a
Dream. He stood on a mountaintop, and a great Speaker stood
beside him. They looked upon all the places he had been.
101 The Speaker counted the Workers in each
place, and when he was done, said, "Numbered and acceptable for the
place they are in." When he came to The City of The Old Fox, he
counted those there and said, "Though they are short in number their
quality is good. Numbered and acceptable in the place where they
are in."
102 He went on to the cities that The Voice
was yet to visit, and in each but the last, the number of Workers was
short, but acceptable for the place they were in.
103 When The Speaker was done counting, he
banged his staff on the ground. "Those who serve The Lords," he
cried, "have been counted and found acceptable. The land is redeemed,
and back in The Lords Service."
104 With that, he began to glow with a golden
light that completely filled him until you could only see his
outline. When the glow passed away, he was gone.
105 The Voice awoke, knowing that it was time
to leave. He told Gray Boar that that day he would speak one more time
in The Temple, but in the morning he would have to depart. That
all was good in their city, and for him to be at peace.
106 The following morning their ox cart was
loaded, and all came to wish The Voice farewell. Even Yellow
Blossom, in her uniform for a change, was at the gate. The Voice
smiled at her as they parted.
107 For many days he and his party made their
way through the narrow passages. Though over the years it had
been widened, it was still a long, tiring trip.
108 But finally they emerged and began to
journey through the villages in the wilderness, towards Ti. They
made several stops along the way for most of these villages were
inhabited by The Children Of Spirit.
109 As they journeyed one day, The Voice
topped a rise. In the distance was a small village with two Temple
banners; one of Spirit and one of The One.
110 The Voice was about to turn toward it,
when he heard from the opposite direction, a hideous cry...not a
person, not an animal, something terrible!
111 He shivered, turned in the direction of the sound, and marched on.
112 His guards looked at him strangely,
as he listened. "Lord," one of them asked, "what do you hear?"
113 "Do you not hear it," asked The Voice, "that wailing, that horrid cry?"
114 His companions shook their heads. "We hear
nothing, Lord," they said, "not even the wind. All is quiet."
115 In the distance they could see a farm, its
fields ripe with grain. But as The Voice approached, he shivered, and
held back, as if some great wind was pushing him. "There is
something here," he said, "something horrible, something terrible,
something that does not belong in our world."
116 Above the gate to the farm was the symbol
of The One, and below that, the family's symbol. There was a
worker by the gate, and he looked at The Voice strangely.
117 As they stood there, there came a horrible
cry from a small building about half-way from the gate to the house.
118 This time the guards heard it, too.
A moment later a deep male voice called out, "Go away, Voice of The
Lords, there is nothing for you here! Begone!"
119 The man by the gate fell to his knees and
began to shiver. The Voice reached for the latch of the gate, but
the man jumped up. "No, Lord," he cried, "no! Do not enter!
You are a holy man of your people, and this place is evil. That
which is kept in that prison is foul beyond belief.. It destroys
all around it!"
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