Princess of Amathar (16 page)

"Close the sword." It came as almost a complete thought.

I closed and wrapped the hilt, sheathed the blade, and started back toward the great plaza. It took me far longer to get out than it had to get in, because I got lost. One cannot overestimate the importance of astronomical observation in guiding one's course. Unfortunately in Ecos, there was only one astronomical object, and it always stayed right above us. Finally, I found my bearings and reached the great gate at the entrance to the garden.

Standing at the entrance, looking quite unhappy, was Vena Remontar. As soon a she saw me passing through the structure, she began shouting and trying to push me back.

"You can't give up so soon!" she shouted. "Go back. You cannot accept failure so quickly."

"But I didn't fail," I tried to explain.

"Give me your weapon," said one of the templars, stepping forward. I drew my sword to hand it to him. The way he lunged toward the sword though, made me realize that his was not a friendly act. Before I could move to defend myself the new soul in my sword sprang to life in a fantastically bright blaze of blue white. The man jumped back, eyes wide. His companions began to mutter to themselves and scribble furiously on their little note pads. The first fellow I must say recovered himself well. After making sure his hand was intact, he bowed low to me.

"Forgive me, Remiant Alexander Ashton," he said.

"How did you know my name?" I asked, nodding back.

"It is the business of the Holy Order to know who enters and leaves the Garden of Souls. You are requested to visit the High Templar at your convenience."

"I cannot believe it," Vena Remontar gave me a hug. "That is the fastest presentation that I have ever heard of. You barely entered the garden, and you are already back with your soul." She hugged me again.

"I am sure that it seemed a much shorter time to you than it did to anyone else," I asserted.

"Come knight," she laughed. "Let's get something to eat." This she led me to the restaurant, and this time I followed. We sat and talked, though I recall nothing of what we said, and I don't remember what we ate either. There was a lot going through my mind. Here I was, a stranger in a strange land, and surrounded by millions of people from an alien culture, trapped in a strange world, and in love with a woman I had never met. Now I was somehow attached to a tiny energy creature that had as yet unknown powers.

Chapter Sixteen: The Temple of Amath

After we had eaten, we walked across the great plaza to the stepped pyramid which was the Temple of Amath. Vena Remontar told me that an invitation from the High Templar was something to be acted upon promptly. The great structure was most impressive. It was more than a mile wide, and was over two thousand feet tall. It looked as though it had been built by a giant boy playing with his blocks, placing successively smaller blocks one atop another until he had built a pyramid of steps. Each of the steps was over one hundred feet tall, and there were twenty one of them. The entire surface was carved in intricate designs, so finely detailed that not a single inch of blank wall could be found on the outside. Running up the front of the temple was a set of broad steps which led to the tenth level, where there was a large, dark entrance.

My friend and I walked up the many steps to the doorway. Waiting here was a small crowd of templars, each with his bald head. Some were writing in their pads, others were about other business. It may seem odd that the templars were engaged in so much writing, until one considers the extent to which Amatharians in general were fond of the written word. Amatharians had no telephone, but wrote letters every day, even to friends they were likely to see often. To a certain extent, the spoken language of these people was divorced from the written, and the written form allowed them much more freedom of expression.

One of the shaven fellows took charge, or had been left in charge, and guided us from the open greeting area, into a large chamber. It was much like one would expect a very large church or cathedral to look like, not that I'm an expert, but it had no rows of pews or any other seating. The walls were colorfully decorated and large bright banners hung from the ceiling. Of course huge numbers of templars buzzed here and there, taking notes, examining the scenes depicted on the walls, and staring at the shrine in the center of the hall.

The shrine took my breath away. Not because it was big, though it was that. Not because it was carefully inlaid with precious stones and highly polished gold and silver, though it was. It quite knocked the breath from my lungs because the symbol on the great shrine was an A. I don't mean it was an Amatharian A. It was an honest to god, Greco-Roman, American English, Times font type A!

"That's an A!" I shouted.

The entire population of the hall turned and looked at us.

"That's an A," I said.

"Show some respect, knight," growled Vena Remontar. "Keep your voice down."

"That's an A," I whispered.

"You are correct, knight." A voice came from behind us.

We turned to see an older Amatharian man dressed in the brown robes of the templars, and wearing a large silver medallion with the letter A on it. Vena Remontar bowed low and I followed suit.

"I am Kurar Ka Remiant Oldon Domintus," said the man, identifying himself as an overlord. "I am the High Templar."

"It is an honor to meet you, I'm sure," I said. "That is an A?"

"Yes, you are quite correct. That is an A."

"Well. How did it get here?"

"Before we answer any of your questions," the Overlord said, "you have a great many things to do for us."

Oldon Domintus turned and led the two of us across the great hall to a doorway opposite that through which we had come. Beyond the chamber was a great long corridor. This hallway was lined with pictures painted in the bright colors: pictures of Amatharian knights engaged in battles, pictures of templars performing rituals in the great plaza, pictures of great buildings being constructed in Amathar. The High Templar maintained the image of a man showing friends around his home.

"Has Vena Remontar told you about our temple?"

"I'm afraid she has not yet had time."

"This temple was built three hundred generations ago. Construction was begun under the direction of Amath himself. He envisioned a monument to his people where they could look for guidance. It was built here beside the Garden of Souls, so that those feeling the draw of their souls could reflect.

"You felt no need to reflect before entering the garden?" he asked me.

"I've always been a pretty spontaneous fellow," I replied.

"So it seems."

We finally arrived at our destination, which was a small room just off the far end of the corridor. The walls of the room were covered with warm comfortable colors, but the lack of pictures seemed odd, having been surrounded by them in the other temple rooms. One large chair sat at one end of the room facing six chairs at the other end.

"We wish you to undergo examination," said the High Templar.

"Oh?"

"It will not be painful."

"And what if I refuse?" I asked.

"No one is forced to undergo examination," he replied. "Of course, you should remember that yours is a unique position in our society. You are now a remiant, but you are an alien. You have no family to maintain your position in our culture."

"He has friends," said Vena Remontar, a frown forming on her face.

"Your loyalty does you credit," said Oldon Domintus, "but you should know that no harm will come to him.

"There is much we must learn from you," he said turning to me. "About where you come from. About who you are."

"I will be fine," I assured Vena Remontar. "Go back to the rest house, and I will join you when I'm finished."

"He will indeed," said the High Templar.

Vena Remontar stood where she was for a moment, staring into the eyes of the High Templar. Any other man might have melted under such a scrutiny, but Oldon Domintus stared calmly back. At last, she turned on her heel and left, though the frown remained on her face. She was a very good friend to be so concerned about me. Once she had gone, the High Templar directed me to sit in the solitary chair. Six templars entered and were introduced by Oldon Domintus, though I can't remember any of their names now. They sat down, and I sat down, and the High Templar left the room.

"What is your name?" asked the first questioner.

"Alexander Ashton."

"Where are you from?" asked the second questioner, before I was able to take a breath after answering the first question.

"The United States of America, Planet Earth."

"How did you come to Ecos?" This time the question came before I had finished answering.

"What did you do there?"

"Who controlled the army?"

"How many people lived there?"

"How are the children named?"

"Do they use a medium of exchange?"

"What dangerous animals live there?"

"Does everyone in Earth carry a sword?"

The questions came fast and furious. They gave me no chance to stop and think about anything I said. The questions were initially about my life on Earth, what Earth was like, and what society and organization on Earth was like, but then they led off into my adventures in Ecos, my thoughts and impressions of Amathar, and the friends I had met here. Finally one of the templars asked the last question.

"Who do you love?"

"What?" I asked.

"Who do you love?"

"What kind of question is that?"

"It is a question we wish answered."

"Well, I don't intend to answer it," I stood up. "In fact I don't intend to answer any more questions at all."

As if by magic, the High Templar re-entered the room, and dismissed the questioners with a wave of his hand. I felt as if I had undergone some sort of torture, so weak and tired and sweaty was I. By this time I had quite forgotten any questions that I might have had for them. All I wanted to do was go back to the rest house and fall into a deep sleep. My last sleep on the comfortable bed there seemed as though it had occurred a month ago.

"You may go for now, Remiant Alexander Ashton," said the Temple Overlord. "We shall call upon you again."

"Wonderful," I replied wearily.

"Have you given any thought to your crest?"

"My what?"

"As a knight of Amathar, you must wear a crest upon your tabard to identify you," he said. "Since you have no family, there is no crest for you to inherit, so you will have to choose one of your own."

"To tell you the truth," I said rather testily, "with all your people asking me questions, I have had little time to think of anything at all."

"I am sure that is true," he replied thoughtfully, and not at all insulted. "What letter in your home language begins your name?"

"That one." I pointed to the great A on the altar, for we had now entered the cathedral-like hall once again. "That is the first letter in both my first and last names."

"You may incorporate this symbol into your crest," he offered. "I know that you will never become one of the templars, but I believe that you will find you have a special relationship with the Temple of Amath."

"I will consider it," I said as we reached the massive entryway to the pyramid.

"Go with honor."

"Thank you," I replied.

To be quite honest, at that moment I was none too pleased with the Temple of Amath. They had been interrogating me for what seemed an inordinate amount of time. But, I reasoned, as I made my way down the seemingly endless stairway, at least they had let me go in peace. I was willing to forgive a great deal because I found the Amatharians so likable. They were polite. They were friendly. They were honest. And they were all quite handsome. Some like Vena Remontar were incredibly beautiful ...and like Noriandara Remontar too.

I walked across the plaza to the rest house, then stopped at the desk to confirm that Vena Remontar and I were still occupying the same room, since I was not sure of the procedures of the situation, and walked up the stairs to the appropriate hallway and the appropriate door. I dragged myself into the room and dropped down upon the bed. I was asleep in immeasurable Ecosian seconds.

"Wake up," Vena Remontar gently shook me awake. I looked into her beautiful face, and for a moment dreamed what it would be like to be awakened by her cousin, Noriandara Remontar.

"Do I have to wake up?" I asked sleepily.

"Yes, you do. We must take the sky train back to our district." I nodded and slowly got up. I felt quite rested, but my stomach was growling.

"It sounds like a good thing that I brought you some food to break your sleep fast," said my lovely companion.

"Just as long as it isn't ruorman," I said.

She smiled and handed me a tray full of the small cakes which we had been served on the sky train. "I noticed that you enjoyed these."

"That was very considerate."

I got up and bathed, got dressed, and we checked out of the rest house. We walked to the sky train station and took the escalator up to the platform. The station was very busy, and even with the preferential treatment that was accorded to Vena Remontar, we still had to wait for the second train. It looked inside very much like the sky train we had taken here, with plush reclining chairs--in fact, it may have been the same train for all I know. It began speeding away from the station platform, and I leaned back in my chair, closing my eyes, and reflecting upon the recent events. The long trip was quiet and uneventful. I didn't feel like talking and so spent my time just looking out the window. Vena Remontar seemed to be of a similar mind. I had found her up until then, to be relatively loquacious. Between the two of us, we spoke less than forty words the entire way back to Norar Remontar's district. Every once in a while, I would catch her looking at me, but when I looked at her, she just smiled and turned away. Finally, I just went to sleep in my seat, and passed the last part of the trip that way.