initiate rose from his throne, and went slowly to the altar and climbed the steps. He bowed thrice to the Sardar and then turned to face the congregation.
"Let them enter the palace of Priest-Kings," he said
I now heard the singing, the chanting, of initiates from outside the door. Twelve of them had gone down to the ship, with candles, to escort the body of Ivar Forkbeard to the temple. Two now entered, holding candles. All eyes craned to see the procession which now, slowly, the initiates singing, entered the incense-filled temple.
Four huge men of Torvaldsland, in long cloaks, clasped about their necks, heads down, bearded, with braided hair, entered, bearing on their shoulders a platform of crossed spears. On this platform, covered with a white shroud, lay a body, a large body. Ivar Forkbeard, I thought to myself, must have been a large man.
"I want to see him," whispered the blond girl to the woman with whom she stood.
"Be silent," hushed the woman.
I am tall, and found it not difficult to look over the heads of many in the crowd.
So this is the end, I thought to myself, of the great Ivar Forkbeard.
He comes in death to the temple of Priest-Kings, that his bones may be anointed with the grease of Priest-Kings.
It was his last will, now loyally, doggedly, carried out by his saddened men.
Somehow I regretted that Ivar Forkbeard was dead.
The initiates, chanting, now filed into the temple with their candles. The chant was taken up by the initiates, too, within the sanctuary. Behind the platform of crossed spears, heads down, filed the crew of Forkbeard. They wore long cloaks; they carried no weapons; no shields; they wore no helmets.
Weapons, I knew were not to be carried within the temple of Priest-Kings.
They seemed beaten, saddened dogs. They were not as I had expected the men of Torvaldsland to be.
"Are those truly men of Torvaldsland?" asked the blonde girl, of the older woman, obviously disappointed.
"Hush," said the older woman. "Show reverence for this place, for Priest-Kings."
"I thought they would be other than that," sniffed the girl.
"Hush," said the older woman.
"Very well," said the girl; irritably. "What weaklings they seem."
To the amazement of the crowd, at a sign from the High Initiate of Kassau, two lesser initiates opened the gate to the white rail.
Another initiate, sleek, fat, his shaved head oiled, shining in the light of the candles, carrying a small golden vessel of thickened chrism went to each of the four men of Torvaldsland, making on their foreheads the sign of the Priest-Kings, the circle of eternity.
The crowd gasped. It was incredible honour that was being shown to these men, that they might, themselves, on the platform of crossed spears, carry the body of Ivar Forkbeard, in death penitent, to the high steps of the great altar. It was the chrism of temporary permission, which, in the teachings of initiates, allows one not consecrated to the service of Priest-Kings to enter the sanctuary. In a sense it is counted an anointing, though an inferior one, and of temporary efficacy. It was first used at roadside shrines, to permit civil authorities to enter and slay fugitives who had taken sanctuary at the altars. It is also used for workmen and artists, who may be employed to practice their craft within the rail, to the enhancement of the temple and the Priest-king's glory.
Ivar Forkbeard's body was not anointed as it was carried through the gate in the
"Let them enter the palace of Priest-Kings," he said
I now heard the singing, the chanting, of initiates from outside the door. Twelve of them had gone down to the ship, with candles, to escort the body of Ivar Forkbeard to the temple. Two now entered, holding candles. All eyes craned to see the procession which now, slowly, the initiates singing, entered the incense-filled temple.
Four huge men of Torvaldsland, in long cloaks, clasped about their necks, heads down, bearded, with braided hair, entered, bearing on their shoulders a platform of crossed spears. On this platform, covered with a white shroud, lay a body, a large body. Ivar Forkbeard, I thought to myself, must have been a large man.
"I want to see him," whispered the blond girl to the woman with whom she stood.
"Be silent," hushed the woman.
I am tall, and found it not difficult to look over the heads of many in the crowd.
So this is the end, I thought to myself, of the great Ivar Forkbeard.
He comes in death to the temple of Priest-Kings, that his bones may be anointed with the grease of Priest-Kings.
It was his last will, now loyally, doggedly, carried out by his saddened men.
Somehow I regretted that Ivar Forkbeard was dead.
The initiates, chanting, now filed into the temple with their candles. The chant was taken up by the initiates, too, within the sanctuary. Behind the platform of crossed spears, heads down, filed the crew of Forkbeard. They wore long cloaks; they carried no weapons; no shields; they wore no helmets.
Weapons, I knew were not to be carried within the temple of Priest-Kings.
They seemed beaten, saddened dogs. They were not as I had expected the men of Torvaldsland to be.
"Are those truly men of Torvaldsland?" asked the blonde girl, of the older woman, obviously disappointed.
"Hush," said the older woman. "Show reverence for this place, for Priest-Kings."
"I thought they would be other than that," sniffed the girl.
"Hush," said the older woman.
"Very well," said the girl; irritably. "What weaklings they seem."
To the amazement of the crowd, at a sign from the High Initiate of Kassau, two lesser initiates opened the gate to the white rail.
Another initiate, sleek, fat, his shaved head oiled, shining in the light of the candles, carrying a small golden vessel of thickened chrism went to each of the four men of Torvaldsland, making on their foreheads the sign of the Priest-Kings, the circle of eternity.
The crowd gasped. It was incredible honour that was being shown to these men, that they might, themselves, on the platform of crossed spears, carry the body of Ivar Forkbeard, in death penitent, to the high steps of the great altar. It was the chrism of temporary permission, which, in the teachings of initiates, allows one not consecrated to the service of Priest-Kings to enter the sanctuary. In a sense it is counted an anointing, though an inferior one, and of temporary efficacy. It was first used at roadside shrines, to permit civil authorities to enter and slay fugitives who had taken sanctuary at the altars. It is also used for workmen and artists, who may be employed to practice their craft within the rail, to the enhancement of the temple and the Priest-king's glory.
Ivar Forkbeard's body was not anointed as it was carried through the gate in the
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