Quest

by Shannah Jay

  'I thought they'd already agreed to send a replacement for me.'

  'The latest bul etin said there was no chance of any new staff getting out to this sector until things settle down.'

  'So the violence is still escalating?'

  'Yes. We've just lost another planet.'

  'Which one?'

  'Stavreth VI.'

  Davred closed his eyes for a moment in anguish. He had enjoyed a rec-leave once on that planet, noted for the friendliness of its citizens. 'May the God in His Wisdom preserve us all!'

  QUEST Shannah Jay 99

  'It's a miracle that any consignments of supplies are getting through at all,' Soo went on, trying not to show surprise at his exclamation. 'That last one took twice as long as usual to get here. Of course we can live on the emergency hydroponics, but only as long as the equipment functions and we don't run out of spare parts.'

  'The God be praised, then, that you managed to get the new consignment of stasis cubes and send them down to us.

  Al the temples are now safe, at least. Confex must have listened to your report and not Robler's.'

  This time Soo let her surprise show. 'Davred, you're beginning to talk like the Sisters. You say "The God be praised"

  as if you mean it!'

  'I do mean it.'

  She stared at him, thinking: and you smile knowingly sometimes, just as Herra and Katia do. 'Don't you mind the way you're changing?'

  'Why should I? It was my own choice to come down here, after all. I couldn't expect to stay the same, could I? I’m fortunate that they've made me so welcome - and even more fortunate that I met my Katia.' He gave her a wry smile.

  'But I will admit that it's been hard at times, a bit like going back to pre-university studies, especially having to learn the Disciplines with the novices. That's no small task, I can tell you. They've got young, supple bodies. Mine ached for weeks when I first started!'

  'Is the planet as interesting and the knowledge as valuable as you thought it would be?'

  'The knowledge the temple offers is far more valuable than I'd expected, but I haven't been able to get outside much to see the planet. It's becoming unpleasant, and sometimes dangerous, for anyone connected with the temple to go into the city. There's even danger now for any person who openly supports the Sisterhood.'

  'Do you really believe in this God of theirs, Davred?'

  'Not in the sense of a primitive deity, no, but as a focus for gathering together goodness and wisdom, yes, Soo, with all my heart. And I think Herra and Katia see it that way, too.'

  'What! Are you sure? That's far too sophisticated a concept for people at their stage of development. I thought they simply believed that their Brother the God was somewhere in the sky, keeping watch over them.'

  'The more ignorant of their followers do, and the less gifted of the Sisters, but most don't have such simplistic beliefs.'

  'But that sort of sophisticated reasoning doesn't fit in with the stage of development of this planet at all. Even I know that!' She stared at him in bafflement. 'Sometimes I think that nothing seems to fit on Sunrise.'

  'That's what I keep telling you - the stages of development here can't be judged by any previous standards we set up.

  People may seem primitive in some ways, but there are glaring anomalies, aspects in which they're far more advanced than the Confederation worlds. Take the Gift of Healing, for instance. I've seen them repeat their "magic" times without number since Herra healed my broken leg.'

  'I can't believe some of the reports you've sent up.'

  'Believe them. There's no need to invent wonders here on Sunrise. They happen all the time. I hope you're keeping my evidence to you safe, now that I'm out of direct touch with Confex. We of the Sisterhood are rather relying on you, Soo.'

  'I'm doing my best, but I'm no anthropologist. I'm only a com-engineer.'

  He made a fluid gesture of dismissal with his fingers. ' To do your best is to do all.'

  When he spoke in that tone, she knew he was quoting another of the Maxims of the God. Soo never knew how to answer such remarks, so changed the subject. 'Are you happy down there, Davred? This is one of the rare times I've seen you on your own. I didn't like to ask in front of your wife.'

  He smiled. 'Very happy, Soo. And you can ask anything you like. I keep no secrets from Katia. She's an integral part of me. I wish you two could meet properly. I'm sure you'd like each other. As for the Sisterhood, I believe that they have something which the Confederation has lost, something which gives a meaning to my life.

  QUEST Shannah Jay 100

  And Soo . . . I still think the key to stopping the violence and discord in the Confederation is to be found here. I haven't stopped being a Cathartic Agent, you know, nor have I lost my loyalty to Confex, whatever Robler says. In fact, being a CA is rather similar to being a Manifestation of the God - two sides of the same coin. So if I can help the citizens of the Confederation back to their true path, as well as pursue the Quest for Wisdom here, then of course I shall . . . '

  Again Soo could not think what to say. Sometimes this warm, friendly man seemed so different, so alien to the cool, withdrawn Davred she’d known on the satellite. When she spoke to him she could recognise the power growing in him. And that wasn’t just her imagination. Mak, too, sensed it, and people from Delta Macros were not at all prone to imagining things.

  Davred indicated the papers in front of him. 'Soo, I've brought some of the history of the Sisterhood to show you. Herra gave me permission to bring up a few pages from the Archives for you to microscan. It's a very great honour, the first time these pages have been allowed out of the Archive Cellars in centuries. I'll hold them up to the screen one by one. Will you put them under the finest microscan there is? I know it takes a bit longer, but this is important. You can send copies of the scan back to Confex Central afterwards for expert analysis. Don't let Robler stop you. I can't emphasise too strongly how important it all is. There won't be another chance to do this. Discord is spreading, and soon, even Temple Tenebrak will have to go under stasis.' And then, he thought, we shall have to leave its shelter and start our journey, our personal quest.

  Soo nodded. 'Don't worry. Robler hasn't the power to stop us sending transmissions to Confex, though he can send adverse reports on what we're doing. But Mak's keeping careful watch now and he'll give me warning if our dear Exec so much as pokes his nose outside his quarters.'

  She smiled as she added, 'And if Robler has anyone else monitoring what I'm doing, that person will be very bored, I promise you. I arranged for another recording to be played while we were talking. It will look as if I'm sitting studying a screen of calculations. It was very tedious making the recording, I can tell you.'

  'What if Robler tries to deny you access to the com-room?'

  'I've also set up a direct com-link in my quarters, so there's no chance we can be prevented from keeping in touch, as long as you keep your com-unit safe. Robler doesn't know about my personal com-link and he couldn't touch it, even if he did. He's no engineer. But I couldn't run a microscan from there, or magnify parts of the images, so I'll use the main com-room whenever I can.'

  'Only you could manage to fool Robler like that. You're the best com-engineer I've ever heard of.'

  'Don't waste time. Let's get on with this scan.'

  'Very well.' Davred's smile was warm. Compliments always embarrassed Soo. He’d often teased her about her awkwardness when being praised. 'Soo, the first of these manuscripts is over twenty thousand years old. We must find the secret of their paper. It would be perfect for permanent art prints. It outlasts anything we can make, yet it's fine and silky, a pleasure to handle. And the ink hasn't faded at all. It's another anomaly that a civilisation allegedly more primitive than ours can produce something we can't.'

  She nodded, then looked at her chrono-implant. 'We'd better hurry. Running a microscan takes a while. '

  Reverently Davred placed the pieces of parchment in front of the viewer one by one, exp
laining as much as he could about each while it was being scanned. 'I didn't have time to be very selective, so Herra helped me. I've hardly begun to read through the manuscripts. There are so many! The Archive Cellars are enormous. The Sisters not only keep their Archives down there, but the Encyclopedia and the Memoirs as well, not to mention the Portrait Folios, and who knows what else.'

  He smoothed a piece of paper out gently. 'You'll notice that the language has changed a little, but not nearly as much as one would have expected. This is the very first entry of all in the Archives. If it's genuine, as I believe, then it's priceless.'

  TENEBRAK:YEAR 1, SPRING,DAY 1

  QUEST Shannah Jay 101

  This day was chosen for the consecration of our first temple, built on the ridge above the town of Tenebrak.

  From this day forth, we have decided to start a new calendar. Thus we look ahead, not behind us.

  Our Brother the God has seen fit to end the troubled years. After her sad losses in the Discord Wars, our Sister Karialla and her husband Deverith dreamed of the temple we would one day build, a home for our novitiate and a centre of learning for all people, but especially a place for training healers. It is important that knowledge not pass away as time sweeps our descendants along the path of life. Since the Ingress, so much has been lost. Blessed are those who live in this time of peace!

  The townsfolk have made us a feast to celebrate the end of the long years of toil on the temple. Tonight we shall sing and dance together. Tomorrow the last group of those who came to help with the building will start their journey home, happy to have served the God our Brother.

  Best of all, we now have a real home. For this, we are grateful to the Illustrious Deverith. Without him, it would not have been possible. Though he did not live to see the temple finished, we have not forgotten his words and teachings, and this Sister will write down all she remembers of his wisdom, so that everyone shall benefit from it.

  How delighted we are to welcome to the shelter of these walls the incoming novices and healer-apprentices.

  Three years has Karialla been away in search of others to join us, and during that time she has gathered together a fine group of young people - though some of them have been travelling with her for so long that they are truly beyond being called novices.

  When people across the claims heard of the building of Temple Tenebrak, and of Karialla's quest for novices, every village brought forth its young people, that she might choose the ones who have the Gifts to learn our skills. For it is her own Gift to recognise such people.

  Great is the love between us and the people of this, the land of Tenebron. Some healers once resident in the former Healers' Courts and then sadly scattered across the countryside by danger have come back here to join us; others have sent their good wishes and gifts of all kinds. Tenebrak-trained healers are again respected everywhere and we remember the Illustrious Deverith with joy for preserving so much of the lore of healing. And we are grateful for the other Gifts passed on through his line. May the God our Brother continue to preserve them in us.

  This Sister is one who has travelled all over the land. Great were the dangers to face when Discord ruled. It is recorded elsewhere what sorrow Discord brought, so that we may learn from it and not tread that path again.

  The special vellum upon which these Archives are written was brought here by Garia, a gift from her family. The secret of its manufacture did she bring also, and that is precious knowledge indeed.

  This Sister was honoured to receive a vision from our Brother the God that she should be Keeper of the Archives, and that one day our Archives would help to turn this world and many others from the path of Discord.

  All of this vision we cannot understand, but it has been written in a Book of Prophecies, so that it may be preserved for those who will one day have the wisdom to fathom its meaning.

  All honour to Tiannik, the carver, who came here from the Plains of Peneth. He, too, wandered for many years while Discord stalked the land, and he gained greatly by it in wisdom and knowledge. After much travel, he found refuge with the stoneworkers of Garsh and there learned to develop his finest Gift, the art of carving. He has vowed his life to the temple in order to create beauty in the stone of our walls, so that we may feed the eyes of our souls and praise our Brother the God in joy, as our Forebears decreed. But, like this Sister, Tiannik is growing old, for the temple was many years in the building. We must all pass on our skills to our novices now, lest we lose the Disciplines. None who dwell in our temple shall be allowed to live in unlettered ignorance. This Sister has had the honoured task of writing down for posterity all knowledge, all wisdom and all the histories of our times that she could garner. And that task shall pass from one to another, the Honoured Keepers of the Archives, so that all who come after us may know the path we have taken, and not turn in ignorance down a false trail.

  Most precious of all is our Elder Sister. Great wisdom has been given to her, as well as the Gifts of Choosing, Healing and Prophecy. Never has a novice chosen by Karialla failed to develop a Gift or a Skill. Old she is now, far beyond the years of other people, but carries her years lightly. With her this time she has brought back a great-granddaughter, recently chosen, one Herra, a child of great promise. Thus shall the line of Karialla and Deverith QUEST Shannah Jay 102

  continue to serve our Brother.

  Niam, Keeper of the Archives

  'I wish I could understand what it all means.' Davred looked longingly at the cream-coloured parchment. 'Who were these Forebears and what was the Ingress? Did they come here from some other planet, do you think? That would explain the unsettled continents. How could one find out after all this time? You might ask Confex to research spaceships lost in this Sector, Soo.

  And what was that first Herra like? There have been eight Herras recorded in the Archives, you know, all of them exceptional women. Ours is the ninth of that name and line.'

  Soo shook her head. 'No use wasting your time on speculations, Davred. You'll have enough trouble getting Central to believe the things which you can prove.'

  'What I desperately want to do is find out what the Archives have to say about all the Manifestations of the God -

  when I have more time - if I ever do have time to spare! But Herra insists that I develop my skills first and allows me only occasional visits to the Archives. She won't let me investigate the Manifestations of the God. She says it is not now the time.' He laughed. 'Don't think I'm having an easy life here, my friend. I'm not! Herra works everyone to the utmost limits of their capacities.' His joyous laughter was stranger than any other change in him. She couldn't remember Davred laughing aloud like that in all the years they had worked together on the satellite.

  'Don't you miss the comforts of civ- I mean, of the satellite?'

  'No. In a climate as mild as Tenebron, the physical side of life is pleasant enough. And now that I've seen what Discord does to people, I'm even more committed to the Quest. I think, I hope, that I shall never have to leave this planet again.'

  'You can't mean that!'

  'I do. I'm needed here so desperately. It isn't the same to see things on a screen. You can't feel the hurt caused by Those of the Serpent from so far away. Or see the beauty of a three-moon night, when the kushlan flowers are in bloom. It is my Quest as well, now, Soo.'

  'How can you base your life on something so nebulous?'

  Davred shrugged, another slightly alien gesture, accompanied by a flutter of the fingers, then smiled at Soo. 'The Quest is a search for everything that's good. Wisdom, love, beauty - and most of all, for those who live in this age, for a way to end of Discord. Is that so different to the knowledge we were seeking in Confex?'

  Soo didn’t answer. She was studying Davred's eyes, which seemed to glow with an inner serenity, a thing she greatly envied him. Life on the satellite in the standard year and a half since he'd left had been anything but serene.

  Robler made the atmosphere unpleasant and contact with the Sisterhood v
ery difficult. She kept the microscan on Davred's face. The differences in expression should surely reveal something to a probing analysis.

  'In fact,' Davred went on, 'the true title is not the Quest for Wisdom, but the Quest for the Path of Wisdom.

  Perhaps the searching itself is important, as well as the goal. Perhaps there isn't a finished, final state of wisdom.

  Perhaps the wisdom needed changes with circumstances down through the ages.'

  'A permanent process of change, you mean? Or - a permanent quest?'

  'Both, perhaps. Anyway, we don’t have time for a philosophical debate now, do we?' He held up the next manuscript. 'I did find reference to one of the other Manifestations of the God for you, Soo, the second one, the Lord Terraccalliss . . . He's the best known and the best loved of them all.'

  TENEBRAK:YEAR 829, SUMMER,DAY 50

  This Midsummer's Day departed Lord Terraccalliss, beloved Manifestation of our God. He is of the Precursors, who were here long before us. He disappeared into the sky in his flying chariot, which had lain in the wildwoods to QUEST Shannah Jay 103

  the west of Tenebrak for over two hundred years. Great is our grief. No more will he fly around our temple like a golden bird dancing in the sun. No more will his wings beat out the rhythm of our dances.

  This Sister is desolate that she must henceforth live her life outside his shadow. He has been with us ever since the year 607, before this Sister was born, and has left us with much new knowledge and many Disciplines which are hard indeed to learn, but which bear rich fruit. Greatest of all, however, was the joy of his presence, which filled us all with happiness. This Lord of the Sun helped to bring an end to Discord, though the struggle was onerous, and then taught us to rebuild our lives.

  Henceforth we must continue our Quest alone. But the days are dark and the way not clear without the Lord Terraccalliss. This Sister will not weep, for he forbade that, but she will miss the joy of his presence more than anyone else will, for she was honoured with the precious gift of his love, out of which she bore him a son and three daughters. Oh, that they had their father's wings and could dance in the skies! But alas, like their mother, they are earthbound.