I stood before the
golem Shivetya, basking in his mild impatience. I was impatient
myself. But the distractions of the world still had their hold on
me.
That part of Gunni philosophy is solidly founded. Before you can
achieve more than the lowest possible order of spiritual focus you
have to learn to put all worldly distractions aside. All of them.
Right now. Never mind what. Otherwise there will always be that one
more critical thing that just absolutely has to be handled before
you can move forward.
My one more thing was Lady. My wife. Who continued to wobble on
the brink of the abyss without ever quite slipping over. To me it
was evident that the missing medicine now was any will to battle
on. And the white crow agreed with me.
“Let me work on her,” the bird told me. “Ten
minutes and I’ll have her so pissed off she’ll melt
mountains trying to get close enough to spank me.”
“No doubt. But I like things the way they are. Except for
how long it’s taking.”
Suvrin seemed to be taking forever making any headway coming
south. Though he was covering ground much faster than we had headed
north. Nobody was trying to slow him down.
I whiled my time exploring the expansive wonders of
Shivetya’s memories—but avoiding those including Khatovar.
Khatovar was a dessert I meant to save until there were no
distractions at all. Khatovar was a special treat for a time when
every flavor could be savored.
Eventually, I yielded to the inevitable and sent the girls to
bring Lady to me. Maybe my big pal on the wooden throne could give
me a hint or two how to goose her into getting going again.
The Nef appeared almost as soon as the girls popped out of the
hole in the roof. They were in a black humor, eager for a fight,
and because I could not communicate with them my mood soon turned
just as dark. I hunted up One-Eye’s spear. If it could handle
a Goddess it ought to be able to polish off three obnoxious,
nagging spooks.
Shivetya stopped me. He could communicate with the Nef. He
indicated that he would calm them down with an explanation of what
we were doing here. His liberation would not sentence them to
extinction. In fact, they were about to enter a new phase of
existence. They were going to get work maintaining the glittering
plain. There were scores of odd jobs and cleanups that needed
special attention.
Shivetya and I were now so connected I could see the plain in my
mind almost at will and the rest of the world, through his eyes,
with only a little more effort. For a while I watched the girls
race northward, each occasionally finding a moment to have fun
flying.
I slept for a few hours. Or a week. When I awakened I picked up
a lamp and walked over to the throne. I carried One-Eye’s
spear under my other arm, on the bad hand side. Shivetya and I
stared at each other for a while.
“Is it time?” I asked. And, “You think
we’re ready to manage without the daggers, now? Yeah? Just
one more little thing, then. I need to leave a note for my
girls.” That turned into a letter. Trust the Annalist to go
on and on.
A very clear thought. Have you finished now? Are you certain you
are done?
“It’s time.”
My bridesmaids, the Nef, drifted in out of the darkness. They
seemed more substantial than ever before. They like me just fine,
now.
I am putting the pen down.
I stood before the
golem Shivetya, basking in his mild impatience. I was impatient
myself. But the distractions of the world still had their hold on
me.
That part of Gunni philosophy is solidly founded. Before you can
achieve more than the lowest possible order of spiritual focus you
have to learn to put all worldly distractions aside. All of them.
Right now. Never mind what. Otherwise there will always be that one
more critical thing that just absolutely has to be handled before
you can move forward.
My one more thing was Lady. My wife. Who continued to wobble on
the brink of the abyss without ever quite slipping over. To me it
was evident that the missing medicine now was any will to battle
on. And the white crow agreed with me.
“Let me work on her,” the bird told me. “Ten
minutes and I’ll have her so pissed off she’ll melt
mountains trying to get close enough to spank me.”
“No doubt. But I like things the way they are. Except for
how long it’s taking.”
Suvrin seemed to be taking forever making any headway coming
south. Though he was covering ground much faster than we had headed
north. Nobody was trying to slow him down.
I whiled my time exploring the expansive wonders of
Shivetya’s memories—but avoiding those including Khatovar.
Khatovar was a dessert I meant to save until there were no
distractions at all. Khatovar was a special treat for a time when
every flavor could be savored.
Eventually, I yielded to the inevitable and sent the girls to
bring Lady to me. Maybe my big pal on the wooden throne could give
me a hint or two how to goose her into getting going again.
The Nef appeared almost as soon as the girls popped out of the
hole in the roof. They were in a black humor, eager for a fight,
and because I could not communicate with them my mood soon turned
just as dark. I hunted up One-Eye’s spear. If it could handle
a Goddess it ought to be able to polish off three obnoxious,
nagging spooks.
Shivetya stopped me. He could communicate with the Nef. He
indicated that he would calm them down with an explanation of what
we were doing here. His liberation would not sentence them to
extinction. In fact, they were about to enter a new phase of
existence. They were going to get work maintaining the glittering
plain. There were scores of odd jobs and cleanups that needed
special attention.
Shivetya and I were now so connected I could see the plain in my
mind almost at will and the rest of the world, through his eyes,
with only a little more effort. For a while I watched the girls
race northward, each occasionally finding a moment to have fun
flying.
I slept for a few hours. Or a week. When I awakened I picked up
a lamp and walked over to the throne. I carried One-Eye’s
spear under my other arm, on the bad hand side. Shivetya and I
stared at each other for a while.
“Is it time?” I asked. And, “You think
we’re ready to manage without the daggers, now? Yeah? Just
one more little thing, then. I need to leave a note for my
girls.” That turned into a letter. Trust the Annalist to go
on and on.
A very clear thought. Have you finished now? Are you certain you
are done?
“It’s time.”
My bridesmaids, the Nef, drifted in out of the darkness. They
seemed more substantial than ever before. They like me just fine,
now.
I am putting the pen down.