93 "Praise be to my humble inn!" the man
said. "It is late. You cannot make the city. Stay with me,
Lord, I pray. I have ample beds, and there are no bugs in my house."
94 He clapped his hands. "Boy! Boy!" he
cried. A young man quickly appeared. "Take that ox cart,"
he ordered. "Store it away. See to the animal." The chubby little
man clapped his hands. "Oh, what a night THIS is going to be!" he
laughed. "You two gentlemen stay, too!" he demanded. "Everything
is on me. Excuse me! I must go speak to the cook, and make
some other arrangements!"
95 The Voice turned to the larger of the two
men. "It looks like," he said, "we are going to be sharing a room.
What's your name, good sir?"
96 "I am Strong Dog," the other answered,
"Warlock now in transition. And this is my brother, Silent Dog.
You'll have to excuse him for not speaking. When he was young, he
fell from a roof and struck his throat. To save his life The Healers
had to take his voice."
97 The smaller man made the signs with his hands, and The Voice answered.
98 "You know the language of the silent?" asked Strong Dog.
99 "A girl in our village was struck by
lightning and rendered deaf. We all learned to talk with our
hands, so we could speak with her." The Voice replied.
100 He made some more signs with his
hands. "He says he is your servant," inquired The Voice, "but
wants to be a Warlock like you, or a Speaker. What does he mean,
no one will teach him?"
101 "Simply that, Lord," Strong Dog told him.
"I know he dreams Dreams, and one day he saw a vision that saved my
life. But every Speaker we have approached to train him, has not
known how to speak with him, and has said 'What good would a Speaker be
anyway, that can't speak?'"
102 "For those who can't speak or hear," cried
The Voice, "he would be the best possible Speaker! By The Lords,
I will train him! Where are you going?"
103 "I am going to Western, Lord," Strong Dog
told him. "I have just been assigned there. There is much trouble in
the city."
104 "What kind of trouble?" asked The Voice
105 "Any kind that you want!" the other man
told him. "I'm sure the people there have been praying for your
arrival for many months."
106 The Inkeeper emerged. "All is ready,
gentlemen," he cried, "come in. Sit down. The evening meal will be
ready in two hours. If you are hungry before then, I have honey
cakes, crackers, cheese, fresh squeezed juice to hold you until the
main meal. Then, there will be rock hens, river lizard, or if you
like, a rare treat! I have some bush serpents that can be on the
spits in minutes!"
107 "What you are already preparing,"
complimented The Voice, "is a precious meal indeed! What more
could we desire?"
108 The Inkeeper smiled. "I love contented guests!" he said. "I love contented guests!"
109 The Voice, his guards, and their new
friends made themselves comfortable. Soon, other travelers availed
themselves of the inn's services and the common room began to
fill. The evening was passed with a fine meal and pleasant
conversation. They were given a room with eight beds, and a young man
and his new mate joined them.
110 The woman's company softened their man
talk, and all enjoyed a good night's sleep. The Voice rose first in the
morning, went to the showers behind the inn, and enjoyed the morning
air before the others rose. "A few hour's peace," he thought,
"before what is to come."
111 It was decided Strong Dog and Silent Dog
should enter the city before them, that it was best it not be known for
now, that they knew The Voice.
112 As The Voice neared the city gate, he noticed
fighting people turning small groups of people away, and motioning them
back into the city. He noticed also, that all ox carts were being
checked that entered the city.
113 As they got in line, a fighting person
approached. "Who are you, sir," he asked, "and what is your
business in our city?"
114 "I am The Voice of The Lords," came the answer. "I have come to speak in The Temple."
115 "You have come to cause trouble,"
interrupted a Warlock as he walked up "to encourage the people to
insurrection and to disobedience of The Law. We know what you
have done in other cities, and we will have none of it here! You
and your friends may turn around now, and depart. Now, just turn
your ox cart and begone! We don't need your kind, here!"
Page 232