Read Online Waking Olympus (The Singers of the Dark Book 1) by Peter Yard - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Peter Yard
Tags: Science-Fiction
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you think will be achieved by that?"
"It's better than slowly going downhill! This situation enslaves us all. We are running out of options. We will all end up paupers." She said.
"By we do you include the commoners? There is no need to share knowledge with them, the more ignorant they are the more compliant they will be, I would not be surprised if that is the Center's rationale for its aloofness. There will always be the rulers, and the ruled. Just remember your place. You must cease this little project of yours, yes I know of it. Let it die. Go now, you have your orders."
She bowed, and walked out, smiling. He clearly didn't know anything about her 'project' otherwise she would be dead by now, she thought as she left the building. I know my place, boy. Don't get too used to that throne.
She laughed.
six
Eastward Ho!
Morning prayers are a traditional Bethor practice which takes place when the sun is at fifteen degrees above the horizon. The Traders also follow a version of the ritual praying to the gods usually at sunrise but sometimes when the sun is at the thirty degree mark. The Bethorese had water clocks and other more precise mechanisms, purchased from Lind to work out these important times on overcast days but the Wizards themselves only used them for more practical tasks.
There was a brisk morning breeze kicking up a little dust, blowing from behind as he faced the rising sun, probably a sea breeze. The sun was rising through the Gap; at a few degrees above the horizon the effect was deserving of worship, beautiful almost divine. He had been here early enough to see it, but for some reason that was not the time when most of the worship occurred. He turned to the west, he was facing the gateway to the Caravanserai, he was wary about entering, mostly because he didn’t know if there were some customs that forbade Wizards and their minions intruding on periods of worship; he remembered the rumors about Wizards told to him by his mother and the darker ones from his uncle. He had almost laughed at the mention of 'minions', just as well he had some sense. The tales about Wizards seemed so bizarre, thinking of them as a Wizard himself. Such legends did affect the attitudes of others and the taboos that they would impose, best to keep his identity secret. He smiled inwardly, he was acting just like some of the legends, going 'hidden amongst the ordinary folk', however not because of power but because of vulnerability.
He started walking and entered the Caravanserai. He noticed that there were groups clustered here and there, offering prayers to different deities, represented by figurines on the tops of poles. There were Neochristians and similar, Buddhists, and inevitably prayers to Zeus. There were the familiar Pantheists of Lind and Tanten, hence the sunrise worship. Mikel himself had tasted various religions while growing up but had come to the conclusion that any real god would be more impressed by him acting as a decent human being than mumbling formulaic words at the local patch of sky.
The Caravanserai itself was an odd arrangement, it was a rough wooden palisade on the outside, more of a formal border marker than anything else, and inside were tents, wooden huts, some larger wooden structures, all looked temporary as if it could disappear overnight and leave nothing but a dusty field by next morning.
When time had just passed for the morning prayers he proceeded in the direction of the hexayurt. He had never seen the design before and thought it must be a Trader invention though Tei would later tell him it was an ancient design from Earth.
Approaching the yurt he noticed unfamiliar Traders inside. He was about to enter, there was nowhere to knock, when he heard Tei behind him.
“Psst. Mikel. Over here.” She was about ten meters behind him.
“I am only the Ambassador when meeting you for the first time. Now my mission requires me to be merely a Trader. Others now have the role of Ambassador. We meet
"It's better than slowly going downhill! This situation enslaves us all. We are running out of options. We will all end up paupers." She said.
"By we do you include the commoners? There is no need to share knowledge with them, the more ignorant they are the more compliant they will be, I would not be surprised if that is the Center's rationale for its aloofness. There will always be the rulers, and the ruled. Just remember your place. You must cease this little project of yours, yes I know of it. Let it die. Go now, you have your orders."
She bowed, and walked out, smiling. He clearly didn't know anything about her 'project' otherwise she would be dead by now, she thought as she left the building. I know my place, boy. Don't get too used to that throne.
She laughed.
six
Eastward Ho!
Morning prayers are a traditional Bethor practice which takes place when the sun is at fifteen degrees above the horizon. The Traders also follow a version of the ritual praying to the gods usually at sunrise but sometimes when the sun is at the thirty degree mark. The Bethorese had water clocks and other more precise mechanisms, purchased from Lind to work out these important times on overcast days but the Wizards themselves only used them for more practical tasks.
There was a brisk morning breeze kicking up a little dust, blowing from behind as he faced the rising sun, probably a sea breeze. The sun was rising through the Gap; at a few degrees above the horizon the effect was deserving of worship, beautiful almost divine. He had been here early enough to see it, but for some reason that was not the time when most of the worship occurred. He turned to the west, he was facing the gateway to the Caravanserai, he was wary about entering, mostly because he didn’t know if there were some customs that forbade Wizards and their minions intruding on periods of worship; he remembered the rumors about Wizards told to him by his mother and the darker ones from his uncle. He had almost laughed at the mention of 'minions', just as well he had some sense. The tales about Wizards seemed so bizarre, thinking of them as a Wizard himself. Such legends did affect the attitudes of others and the taboos that they would impose, best to keep his identity secret. He smiled inwardly, he was acting just like some of the legends, going 'hidden amongst the ordinary folk', however not because of power but because of vulnerability.
He started walking and entered the Caravanserai. He noticed that there were groups clustered here and there, offering prayers to different deities, represented by figurines on the tops of poles. There were Neochristians and similar, Buddhists, and inevitably prayers to Zeus. There were the familiar Pantheists of Lind and Tanten, hence the sunrise worship. Mikel himself had tasted various religions while growing up but had come to the conclusion that any real god would be more impressed by him acting as a decent human being than mumbling formulaic words at the local patch of sky.
The Caravanserai itself was an odd arrangement, it was a rough wooden palisade on the outside, more of a formal border marker than anything else, and inside were tents, wooden huts, some larger wooden structures, all looked temporary as if it could disappear overnight and leave nothing but a dusty field by next morning.
When time had just passed for the morning prayers he proceeded in the direction of the hexayurt. He had never seen the design before and thought it must be a Trader invention though Tei would later tell him it was an ancient design from Earth.
Approaching the yurt he noticed unfamiliar Traders inside. He was about to enter, there was nowhere to knock, when he heard Tei behind him.
“Psst. Mikel. Over here.” She was about ten meters behind him.
“I am only the Ambassador when meeting you for the first time. Now my mission requires me to be merely a Trader. Others now have the role of Ambassador. We meet
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