other two, but there would be time later for
that. It was done in only two or three minutes, in spite of the tactlessness of Kurt and Lisa. Now they were on their way to Bamah-but to
do what? To rescue a king? Would he be in Bamah, or someplace else?
How would they know where? How would they rescue him once they
did know? Would their search begin in Bamah?
They rode two by two, first Alleophaz and Wesley, then Kurt and
Lisa, followed by the two pack animals and Gerachti and Belak.
The road slowly descended ahead of them. On their right the forest
sloped downward, but it rose on their left up a steep incline. There
was little or no undergrowth, and the ground was covered with a thick
carpet of moss.
Wesley's thoughts were interrupted as Alleophaz began to speak to
him. "You do well to take us on trust. But I'm sure you would like to
know who we are and why we are here."
"My lord, your face makes it easy for us to trust you-"
"You mean Gerachti's does not?"
"Well-I didn't mean that exactly, but-"
"I am teasing you. However, I feel I must give an account of our
presence and our mission. We are philosophers."
Wesley had only the vaguest notion what philosophers did, but he
said nothing.
"We search for truth. I, Lord Alleophaz of Enophen in the land of Glason, am the leader of a small group of disciples who search for
truth-truth about the world, about the universe and about mankind-where we come from and what our destiny is. I am descended
from kings, and among our family possessions there is a stone that
has existed, or so they say, from before the time when the worlds were
created. It is called the Stone of Truth, and legend has it that it will
one day reveal to us the key to truth and the key to life."
"What does it look like? I mean, what does the stone look like?"
"It is smooth, gray in color, and weighs several pounds. It is plain,
and does not look like any animal or bird or created thing. No hidden
lights shine from it. In short, there really is nothing remarkable about
it. Yet I have spent many hours staring at it, touching it, wondering
about it. Often I concluded the legend must be false, but again and
again I would go back to it and stare again, not knowing what drew
me.
"About two years ago I did this when I was very tired, weary of the
endless arguments of my disciples. We sought vainly for a truth that
was unshakable, unanswerable. We sought the basis of all truth. Late
in the night I sat and stared at the stone, and cried out to the gods,
saying,'If gods there be-come to my aid and give me understanding!
Lighten my darkness, I pray!' But there was no answer."
Wesley looked at the lean face, and saw that the man's eyes were
focused in the distance and that his face was filled with emotion. After
a moment Alleophaz continued.
"I began to get drowsy-indeed, my head began to nod, for it was
after midnight. Suddenly, overwhelmed by a weariness I could not
control, I fell forward, my arms sliding down either side of the stone.
I remember hearing the sound of my forehead striking the rock, and
even of saying in astonishment to myself, 'Why-that was my head!'
Instantly I was snatched from the room into some place of beauty of
a kind I had never even before imagined.
"It was as though I had been translated to the most lovely palace
in the world. The palace was utterly real. I was not dreaming, but
really was inside a wonderful building. I stood on gold pavement, surrounded by pillars of gold-but clear gold, gold into whose amber
depths my eyes could penetrate, gold that shone gently from its very
depths with the light of the sun.
"And before I was aware of anything else in my surroundings I saw
a living column of smoke approaching me from a distance. I say living
smoke because that is how I thought of it, and as it drew nearer, it
seemed to glow with inner fires of pale blue. It approached until it
hovered a yard or so from me. I began to tremble. Then its form
that. It was done in only two or three minutes, in spite of the tactlessness of Kurt and Lisa. Now they were on their way to Bamah-but to
do what? To rescue a king? Would he be in Bamah, or someplace else?
How would they know where? How would they rescue him once they
did know? Would their search begin in Bamah?
They rode two by two, first Alleophaz and Wesley, then Kurt and
Lisa, followed by the two pack animals and Gerachti and Belak.
The road slowly descended ahead of them. On their right the forest
sloped downward, but it rose on their left up a steep incline. There
was little or no undergrowth, and the ground was covered with a thick
carpet of moss.
Wesley's thoughts were interrupted as Alleophaz began to speak to
him. "You do well to take us on trust. But I'm sure you would like to
know who we are and why we are here."
"My lord, your face makes it easy for us to trust you-"
"You mean Gerachti's does not?"
"Well-I didn't mean that exactly, but-"
"I am teasing you. However, I feel I must give an account of our
presence and our mission. We are philosophers."
Wesley had only the vaguest notion what philosophers did, but he
said nothing.
"We search for truth. I, Lord Alleophaz of Enophen in the land of Glason, am the leader of a small group of disciples who search for
truth-truth about the world, about the universe and about mankind-where we come from and what our destiny is. I am descended
from kings, and among our family possessions there is a stone that
has existed, or so they say, from before the time when the worlds were
created. It is called the Stone of Truth, and legend has it that it will
one day reveal to us the key to truth and the key to life."
"What does it look like? I mean, what does the stone look like?"
"It is smooth, gray in color, and weighs several pounds. It is plain,
and does not look like any animal or bird or created thing. No hidden
lights shine from it. In short, there really is nothing remarkable about
it. Yet I have spent many hours staring at it, touching it, wondering
about it. Often I concluded the legend must be false, but again and
again I would go back to it and stare again, not knowing what drew
me.
"About two years ago I did this when I was very tired, weary of the
endless arguments of my disciples. We sought vainly for a truth that
was unshakable, unanswerable. We sought the basis of all truth. Late
in the night I sat and stared at the stone, and cried out to the gods,
saying,'If gods there be-come to my aid and give me understanding!
Lighten my darkness, I pray!' But there was no answer."
Wesley looked at the lean face, and saw that the man's eyes were
focused in the distance and that his face was filled with emotion. After
a moment Alleophaz continued.
"I began to get drowsy-indeed, my head began to nod, for it was
after midnight. Suddenly, overwhelmed by a weariness I could not
control, I fell forward, my arms sliding down either side of the stone.
I remember hearing the sound of my forehead striking the rock, and
even of saying in astonishment to myself, 'Why-that was my head!'
Instantly I was snatched from the room into some place of beauty of
a kind I had never even before imagined.
"It was as though I had been translated to the most lovely palace
in the world. The palace was utterly real. I was not dreaming, but
really was inside a wonderful building. I stood on gold pavement, surrounded by pillars of gold-but clear gold, gold into whose amber
depths my eyes could penetrate, gold that shone gently from its very
depths with the light of the sun.
"And before I was aware of anything else in my surroundings I saw
a living column of smoke approaching me from a distance. I say living
smoke because that is how I thought of it, and as it drew nearer, it
seemed to glow with inner fires of pale blue. It approached until it
hovered a yard or so from me. I began to tremble. Then its form
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