"Did the people from the village cut these steps?" he asked.
Hath shook his head, "no," he said, "the steps have always been here. Torga made them so his people could find the way. They have been here as long as any can remember, and as far back as our legends go. The legends say the steps led the first Torgai to Torga, and only then did they become real people; before they were little better than the animals we hunt, scattered over the land without permanent villages.
But that was long, long ago. When the gods walked the land, and the Torgai hid in the mountains and forests. When our ancestors found the way we became Torgai." Glancing over at Eric, Hath added after a pause, "maybe now, since you have been asked to climb the stairs to the council place, and maybe even be taken to Torga, you will become a Torgai like our ancestors. But now," Hath said rising to his feet, "we must start again if we are to arrive before dark."
Eric slowly following suite, thigh muscles aching, following Hath up the trail toward the cloud wreathed summit. By the time they reached the top Eric's legs were wobbling, the sun only occasionally visible through the low-hanging clouds which surrounded them. Following a brief rest they started down, the descent proving much easier once Eric mastered the trick of loping from step to step at a half trot. Within minutes they broke through the clouds and the scene below was in full view. Stopping, Eric felt his heart quicken at the sight below. They appeared to be entering the crater of a dormant volcano of immense size, with a large lake of the deepest blue containing a single flat-topped cone in the center. Between the lake and the crater walls was lush grassland and scattered trees. But that wasn't what drew Eric's full attention. In the distance, bordering the far side of the lake, were the ruins of a city. Even from this distance Eric could make out huge, pillared stone buildings in various stages of ruin extending along the shore and back to the crater wall. Other smaller sets of ruins were scattered in other locations bordering the lake. Eric lowered himself to a sitting position on one of the steps, and gazed on the panorama below. He was speechless with awe.
Hath climbed back up to where Eric sat, and lowered himself to a crouch beside him. Eric pointed in the direction of the ruins, and looked at Hath questioningly.
Spreading his hands before him, Hath said, "they are the home of spirits, a haunted place."
Eric gazed at the sight, then after a lengthy pause, asked, "how long have the ruins been there? Who built them, and why were they abandoned?"
Hath shook his head, "no one remembers anymore. Our legends say they were built by our ancestors long ago, but other legends say they were always there. No one goes there. It is a dead place."
Hath thought for several seconds, then started again, "our legends say that after the Torgai came here they grew in numbers until they had hundreds of villages, some much larger than even that of Suth, and learned how to grow food and to make and understand the symbols we still sometimes use. They lived in villages above the ground and not in the dens in the ground like we do now. But we are fewer now, and have forgotten much of what we knew then." The minutes passed as both Eric and Hath watched the sight below in silence.
Finally, Eric asked, "where is the Grand Council held?"
Hath pointed to what looked like a hill topped with pillars at the near edge of the lake. "There," he said.
Eric screened his eyes. On the platform he could make out some figures, some sitting quietly, others moving around, and at the center the rising smoke of a fire. While the distance was great, the clarity of the air made it appear much closer. Near the platform were a number of other Torgai near what looked like a temporary camp with cooking fires, some Torgai moving around while others appeared to be relaxing on the ground.
"And the House of Torga?" he asked.
Hath turned his head and looked at Eric, before responding, "the House of Torga is sacred, and only the shamen have been there. Only the most senior shamen know where it is, and I haven't been told." Following Hath as he rose to his feet, the two started the rest of their descent into the crater below.
CHAPTER 17: The Grand Council
(November 13, Year 2); Eric sat at the edge of the platform where the council was in progress, his back against a stone pillar, watching the group of assembled Torgai who occupied the central area. The breeze from the lake behind him had increased in strength as the afternoon progressed, raising eddies of fine dust which skittered intermittently across the platform. Near the platform the same breeze caused the few remaining leaves to leave their moorings and drop in twisting arcs to the ground, where they were blown into piles at the base of the platform. The nearly bare branches of the nearby trees gave the area a stark appearance, highlighted by the grotesque shapes formed by the lengthening shadows.
What Eric had thought was a leveled off hill with the remnants of a building was actually an artificially constructed circular stone platform 50 or more meters in diameter at the top, with sloping, stepped sides. Built at the edge of the lake the platform was constructed of carefully dressed and fitted stone blocks, with the top encircled by what once had been elaborately decorated circular stone pillars. There was no sign that the pillars had been used to support a roof, since no roof debris was evident, and Eric assumed they had been purely decorative. The platform was obviously very old, worn by time and the elements, with most of the pillars now fallen, many broken into sections; those still standing heavily weathered with the carvings only partially visible. When first escorted to the top of the platform earlier this morning, Eric had been free to carefully examine the structure, and for over an hour before the formal council started had wandered around examining his surroundings.
The platform itself, Eric realized, represented a major construction achievement. The large blocks from which it was constructed must weigh many tons. Closely fitted so scarcely a knife blade could fit between, they were far beyond the ability of the Torgai of today to construct or move. The pillars, however, soon became the focus of Eric's attention. Covered with beautifully carved glyphs from top to bottom, Eric assumed they were intended as a written text, or if not text at least symbols meant to convey meaning. Many of the figures were worn almost smooth from the elements, and parts had broken off from the effects of frost, but what remained showed a high level of workmanship. While Eric could recognize certain of the glyphs from the limited decorative arts of the Torgai, the text was indecipherable to him, and apparently also to the Torgai. When questioned Hath had professed ignorance of what they told.
But the council platform was nothing compared to what Eric could see in the distance bordering the far side of the lake. For over a kilometer ruins covered the shoreline, extending a distance inland, and, while reduced to rubble by time and weather they were clearly of an ancient city fallen into ruins. In some ways it reminded Eric of the ruins of the old Greek or Roman cities on Earth, mostly because of the many fallen or still standing pillars.
Eric wished he were allowed to visit the city and examine the ruins, but that was apparently taboo, and Eric could but wonder at the civilization that had constructed it. How it had been missed in the orbital surveys was a question; perhaps because of seasonal cloud cover. If it had at one time been a Torgai city how far they had fallen from what must have been a glorious past. And if not a Torgai city?
Eric's attention was brought back to the group of Torgai occupying the center of the platform, where one was gesturing and speaking in an exaggerated fashion, apparently in excitement; unusual for the sedate, self-contained Torgai. The Torgai was one Eric didn't recognize, and was most likely a headman from one of the other villages. The group of Torgai on the platform was composed of the village headmen and shamen, and must have numbered nearly 150 to represent the 50 to 75 delegations at the gathering. Eric could make out only part of what the Torgai who was speaking was saying, but what he said was being listened to with rapt attention by the others. His tone was clearly angry. Part of his complaint seemed to be that some of his people had died at the manhood ceremony this year, and he was angry because th
eir sacred place had been profaned.
As the speaker continued, Eric began to understand more of what he was saying. His complaint was against the humans of New Athens. The humans had done something that had interrupted the manhood ceremony, and he wanted the humans punished. He argued for a war to wipe out New Athens.
Eric felt a chill. The reason for the Grand Council was suddenly clear. An expedition from New Athens had come across the place where the manhood ceremony was held and a battle had resulted, with many Torgai killed. As the Torgai continued it was evident that it wasn't a limited incident related only to his village, but that many had died from many of the villages. Everything began to fall in place in Eric's mind. The coldness from Hath and the other villagers. The missing hunters. The absence of Hath-Boc. And the sudden calling of a Grand Council. The Grand Council had been called to decide the life or death of the colony, and possibly of Eric.
November 14, Year 2
Eric sat hunched at the edge of the platform in the same location he had been the day before, his eyes shifting restlessly from Torgai to Torgai, trying to sense their mood. Some appeared agitated, but mostly they sat in stoic calm, listening quietly to the speaker. Last night he had sat with Hath and Barco, and they had finally told him the story of what had happened at the sacred place, and the question the Grand Council was to resolve. Eric had been stunned by what they had told him, and the implications. Over 50 of the Torgai had been killed, Hath-Boc among them, although they had never retuned to search for his body.
The Grand Council hadn't decided what to do as yet, but a majority appeared to be in favor of destroying the humans. While his clan hadn't been directly affected by the actions at the island, leading the proponents of war was Suth, who as headman of the ancestral village had great influence. That was why Eric was here. Today or tomorrow, Hath said, Eric would be given an opportunity to talk to the Grand Council and plead the case of the humans.
Barco and Hath had explained to Eric the workings of the council and how the decision would be made. Each village had two votes, one for the headman and one for the shaman; and the majority vote would prevail unless the senior shaman, Cormandai, interceded.
But certain of the Torgai carried much more weight in the council than others and could influence many of the votes. Barco was very influential since he was second in age of all the shamen, and someday could replace Cormandai. But Cormandai, as shaman of the ancestral village and chief shaman of all the Torgai, was the one who interpreted the wishes of Torga, and the council would never contradict those wishes. While Cormandai had not indicated whether he would speak or intercede, Barco had held long private discussions with him, and was concerned that Cormandai had as yet not disclosed how he was leaning. As the chief shaman his would be the last voice heard.
Barco had coached Eric in the things he must emphasize when given the opportunity to speak. What, he said, would influence the decision most was if the humans were presented as a people with strong beliefs in a supreme being, since that fit with Torgai beliefs. He must stress the humans posed no threat to the Torgai. Barco strongly suggested that he not dwell on the strength of the humans since that would only anger the more warlike of the Torgai; especially Suth. Suth had been blunt in his opinion of the humans; he felt they were a greater threat than the Kraa had been. He argued that, if action wasn't taken now, the humans would grow even stronger until they couldn't be defeated at all and would then destroy the Torgai. His speech appeared to influence many of the Torgai and echoed the views of many of the preceding speakers. Right now, Hath had said, if a vote was taken, it would probably be in favor of war. How Eric presented himself was of extreme importance. Above all it was Cormandai he must influence; if he ‘invoked’ a certain decision as the wish of Torga it would decide the issue, and only he could interpret those wishes.
Eric's attention was drawn back to the speakers, as Hath stood and began a long, quiet description of their experience with Eric, and related the stories Eric had told him of Earth and the reasons why the humans had left. Hath also recounted his experience at the gathering, and the surprise he and the others present had felt when the humans had been seen. How they had chased them, and only then had the humans used their weapons to kill the Torgai. He asked, "were the humans just frightened of us, and thought we meant them harm? Would we have done the same if something strange chased us?"
The sun was high in the sky when Hath finished, and Barco was helped to his feet, supported on each side by one of the younger Torgai. Barco also spoke well of Eric, but dwelt mostly on his belief that they were a 'people', like the Torgai, and that every effort be made to make a peaceful contact. He stressed that the humans appeared to believe in a higher being, which made them different from animals. Barco also stressed that if a war started the humans, with their advanced weapons, only some of which they had seen, might destroy the Torgai. When Barco resumed his seat the Torgai sat silently, no one else standing to take his place. Only Eric and Cormandai remained to speak to the council.
After a period of several minutes in which the Torgai talked quietly among themselves, Hath got to his feet and came over to where Eric sat, motioning him to his feet, and leading him to the center of the group of Torgai. Leaving Eric standing Hath stood beside him to aid in translation when needed. Now was the time for Eric to make the most important speech of his life, and he felt strongly the limitation he was under by his limited grasp of the language. Eric looked silently at the expressionless faces around him. He stood without speaking, and then, looking directly at Cormandai, began, with Hath interpreting for him where he was unclear.
He told them of Earth, of the planet crowded with people, with cities and buildings reaching to the sky, and of the ships and airplanes traveling between cities and countries. He told them of the many nations and their differing religious beliefs, but with a common thread between most of them, and of the aspirations of the people. But above all he told them of the group of people at New Athens and how they had come across the distance of space by traveling for several years to create a new home on a planet that they thought was uninhabited. And the shock they must have felt on finding at the island that others also lived on the planet. And now, finding it inhabited, they had no way to return to their original home. And since they could not return home, they must and would learn to live with the Torgai, each learning from and helping the other.
When Eric finished the sun was far advanced. His final plea was for understanding of how the surprise of the humans at the ceremonial island, coupled with fear of the unknown, had caused them to act in a manner which didn't reflect their true nature. Just as it could have happened to the Torgai in a similar situation, and that the humans wanted only to live in peace. He reminded the Torgai that when they had first encountered a human, himself, they had also been surprised and attacked and captured him. With that, Eric stood silently until Hath escorted him to the edge of the platform. No further speeches were made by the Torgai that day, and the day's session was at an end.
November 15, Year 2
Today the Grand Council would not meet. Only Cormandai remained to speak and present his recommendation. Barco and other senior shamen had left the group during the night and would not return until later, perhaps that night and perhaps not for several days. They had gone to consult with Torga himself.
When the shamen returned Cormandai would either address the council, or perhaps remain silent if Torga chose not to give him a message. Hath had said that only on things of the greatest importance was Torga consulted directly; the last time at the Grand Council when Torga had directed them to unite all the clans and make war on the Kraa, and that was before his time.
November 16, Year 2
The assembled Torgai waited patiently for Cormandai to speak. It was early afternoon and the Grand Council had just now assembled after the return of the shamen the night before. After returning Cormandai had slept the night and the morning, and just minutes earlier been carried up the steps to the council
platform on his litter; the assembly waiting respectfully, not speaking or moving. Cormandai lay motionless, as if still asleep, or at least deep in thought. Eric stood watching intently at the edge of the platform. After several minutes Cormandai raised a hand and motioned two of his apprentices for assistance, and was helped to his feet, where he stood supported on each side. Obviously very weak and tired, Eric wondered whether he would be able to stay upright at all. Beginning in a weak, reedy voice, Cormandai spoke.
"Brother Torgai," he began, "the will of Torga has been made known to me, and in his wisdom he has told us the path we must follow. The words of Torga will not be welcome to many of you, but he has spoken, and as Torgai we are bound to follow his wishes."
"While the humans are not a people of Torga, Torga wants them to become his own. They are the people of a brother to Torga who resides far away on their world, and Torga brings them under his own protection as a Torgai visiting another village comes under the protection of that village.
Whether the humans have moved away from Torga's brother he does not know, he only knows that, if what the human Eric says is true, they remain his brother's people and now become one with Torga." Cormandai continued, "it is the will of Torga that leaders of the Torgai go to the village of the humans and talk with them. If they remain people of his brother, this visit will be met in peace by the humans; but if upon meeting with and seeing how the humans act it is clear they no longer follow the ways of his brother, they are to be destroyed."
After a pause, "but we must remember the ways of the humans are different, and their ways of showing respect to my brother may be unknown to us. We cannot act rashly in making a decision."
Cormandai concluded by saying in an exhausted voice, "now, having heard the will of Torga, the Grand Council must vote." With this, Cormandai was again helped to his litter. The vote of the Grand Council was unanimous, the humans would be contacted in peace. A group of Torgai leaders, led by Suth, Hath, and Barco would go to the human's village on the shore of the western sea and hold council with them. Cormandai was too weak for the journey, so Barco would act in his stead. With them would go Eric, to act as interpreter and to show their peaceful intentions.
The First Colony: Book I: Settlement Chronicals Page 19