Chapter Fourteen

"THE GODSTONE," SELMER SAID IN A HOARSE

whisper.

Paul couldn't take his eyes off the metal disk in Selmer's hand and the engraved image of the insectoid creature.

"There must be dozens of 'em," Selmer said wonderingly. He reached out toward the other disks that were scattered along the edge of the chauka, then drew his hand back without touching them.

"They're Tal Tahir artifacts," Karyn said slowly. Paul knew she was trying hard to keep her voice steady. "That's all they are—just artifacts."

"Not quite," Selmer said. "Paul said High Elder Brill used the Godstone to activate the chauka.'"

"Leave them where they are," Karyn said. "Let's see what else we can find."

Selmer placed the disk back on the chauka.

"Check the roof," Karyn said to Jacque. He nodded and turned to go through the narrow

doorway that led to the stairs.

While the others were poking through the vegeta147

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tion that covered the floor and exploring the outer corridor, Paul decided to take a closer look at the chauka. The large dish wasn't exactly flat, he realized. It rose slightly at the outer edges to form a shallow bowl about two meters across, and was attached to a solid base that was flared at each end to give it a slight hourglass shape. He walked slowly around it. Tiny oval designs were spaced closely together around the perimeter. Protruding from under the lip on one side was a slender rod. Paul stared at the rod, his mind going back to the sacred chamber. High Elder Brill had touched the end of the rod with the Godstone ...

He turned at the sound of boots clumping down the stairs. Jacque appeared in the archway.

"The roof is in pretty good shape," he said.

"Gives a view all the way to the temple. There's a road out there." He waved a hand through the archway. "Comes to within about twenty meters. Broke up in places, but passable."

"Can we get to it?" Karyn asked.

"Sure. Brush ain't too thick on that side. Anyway, it'd be easier than going back along the river."

"We'll go out that way, then," she said. "Go back to the roof for now and keep an eye out."

"Sure." Jacque turned and went along the corridor to the stairway.

"Looks like the place is empty," Karyn said. Then her eyes went to the chauka. "Except for that."

Dorland had returned to the chauka to pick up one of the metal disks. Now he spoke for the first time since they had entered the building. The words were soft, barely audible:

"We were always told that only one Godstone existed."

"Obviously not true," Karyn said. "That isn't the first time the Holy Order lied to us."

"High Elder Brill used his Godstone to summon Lord Tern."

She looked thoughtfully at the disk in Dorland's hand; then her eyes returned to the chauka. "You think we should try it?"

Paul's head jerked around to her. "Try what?" Karyn nodded toward the chauka. "We have that, and we have some Godstones. Maybe we

could use them to call Lord Tern." She must have read the expression on Paul's face, because she went on quickly. "We came here to find out as much as we could about the Tal Tahir." Paul found his voice at last. He forced himself to speak calmly and reasonably, and tried to ease the rapid beating of his heart. "You can't leam anything from Lord Tern. He doesn't even speak Basic. There wouldn't be any way to communicate with him."

"Look at this," Selmer said. He had gathered up several of the silver disks. Now he held out a few for the others to see. "They're all different." Paul took one of the disks and looked more

closely at it, then at the others Selmer held. He realized Selmer was right. Although the disks were all the same size and faded silvery color, each had a different image engraved on its face. The image on the one Paul held was similar to that of Lord Tern—an insectoid creature with a face that belonged in a nightmare. But another one depicted a cone-shaped object. Only when he saw the facial features grouped in the upper tapered end did Paul realize this was a living creature. Small appendages that might have been arms hung at the sides. The creature was positioned so that it seemed to be looking directly out at the viewer.

"Maybe we should try that one," Karyn said. "It doesn't look anything like Lord Tern." That sounded better to Paul, but he still had William Greenleaf

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reservations. "For all we know, that one might be worse than Lord Tern. It's too risky—"

"We're accustomed to taking risks."

"Besides, we don't know how the chauka works—"

"Sure we do," Selmer said. He took one of the disks over to the protruding rod. "You saw High Elder Brill do it. You touch the Godstone to the end of the rod like this, and—"

Snap\

Selmer jerked back, looking at the disk in his hand, then at the rod.

"Are you all right?" Karyn asked.

"Yeah," Selmer said. He sounded shaken.

"Didn't expect that, is all."

Paul's eyes had gone to the dish of the chauka. He realized he was holding his breath and released it, then drew another. Nothing was happening.

"This one doesn't work," Karyn said. "Or maybe there's more to it than the Godstone." She looked up at Paul. "You said High Elder Brill chanted and waved his arms. Do you think he really accomplished anything with that?"

"I doubt it," Paul answered without taking his eyes off the chauka. Brill's actions had held more than a hint of ceremony, and probably were meant to impress the deacons and the other elders with his power. Logic said that the silver disk was the key.

"But I didn't—"

Then his breath caught in his throat. A glow was beginning to form above the chauka. A sharp intake of air came from someone behind him. Shadowy forms gathered amid the haze and distortion. Paul felt something touch him inside.

Suddenly the shadows above the chauka came

together and a creature emerged. Paul watched, unable to move. The creature swayed gently back and forth-above the chauka. It wasn't at all like Lord Tern, but instead had the appearance of the