JULIEN

II

Chapter 58

A secret history

Finally the day came when Xarax judged that it would be safe for them to return to the Sang Kang. He didn't want Julien to get any more surprises, and so he had briefed him thoroughly about everything he knew about the place. So when they found themselves in the empty vault once more Julien didn't even try to move. Instead he thought about an opening in the wall ahead of him. And immediately an opening appeared, leading to a corridor beyond and looking as if it had always been there.

Now walk forward, said Xarax.

This time Julien found that he could walk normally across the room and into the corridor. What made it more impressive still was the fact that everything appeared perfectly normal: for example, his sandals were making the expected sound on the floor. The wood that panelled the corridor might have looked very expensive, but it still looked like wood and had clearly come from real trees. No matter how closely you looked, the grain of the wood was nothing more than the grain of any other wood, and it had the minute imperfections of all natural things.

A few steps into the corridor he thought about doors, and doors promptly appeared at regular intervals on both sides of the passage. The passage itself ran on for fifty metres or so before coming to a stop or making a right-angled turn to left or right – it wasn't clear which from this distance.

Think about secret records, suggested Xarax

Nothing happened.

That should have opened a door. All right, try thinking about a map of the Palace.

At once a door to his right opened a little with a click. Julien pushed it further open and went through, and he found himself in a room far larger than had been suggested by the space between doors in the corridor outside. It was difficult to get a true idea of the scale of the place, but it appeared almost as large as the Ocean Rotunda – and, like that other great space, this was also in the shape of a hemisphere. But this one was of a deep midnight blue and depicted a firmament of such realism that by comparison the greatest planetarium on Earth looked like a primitive toy. Once he had taken a few steps across the sand-covered ground the illusion became so perfect that it was almost impossible not to think that he was standing outdoors once more, under the starry sky of a moonless night. But the sky was not the true wonder of this room.

Suspended in the centre of the hall was a Palace of light. Julien had visited the 'Discovery Palace' in Paris and had seen a few experimental holograms, and despite their poor quality he had found those objects that apparently floated in the air fascinating. But what he was looking at now was on a completely different level.

First of all, the detail was incredibly sharp, and you could get as close as you wanted without losing that sharpness. Furthermore, the image was either opaque or transparent, as Julien willed: if he wanted to see inside the building it immediately presented itself to give the best possible view. And while the colour of the materials was entirely realistic he found that it could also take on other colours, offering a dominant blue, green, orange or silver. Xarax explained that this was so that Julien could tell straight away, whenever it was necessary to understand what he was looking at, on which world the section under inspection was located. Because the Palace was actually divided between the four human worlds, with parts of it on Nüngen, Dvârinn, Yrcandia and Der Mang. And on each of these worlds the parts of the Palace were scattered far and wide. Next to the main image were four spheres representing the four planets, and on these you could see the exact location of each section of the Palace. Julien was amused to notice that the great Palace Square of Aleth didn't actually contain so much as a broom cupboard.

He could have spent hours simply contemplating these wonders. He recognised that an incredibly advanced technology must be behind them, a technology of which every trace had been erased outside in the Nine Worlds but which still flourished in this place. He was sure that what he had seen so far was only a tiny fraction of what remained to be discovered. But he had made this journey for a reason and so could not afford to linger. He thought about a way out of the room and a lightly glowing path appeared on the sand and led him back to the door.

Once they were back in the corridor Xarax spoke to him.

I don't think you'll be able to access the secret doors while I'm with you, he said. If Yulmir did hold the klirk for this place it can only be because he wanted to be able to come here without his haptir. We have to find out why.

You could just wait in the corridor.

We can try, but I don't think that will work.

And, indeed, even when Xarax returned to the square vault no secret door would open, no matter how much Julien willed them to.

You'll have to take me back to the Palace and return here on your own, said Xarax.

Um... I'm not sure that I like that idea much.

Maybe not, but I think it's the only way.

But we don't even know if there's anything here to be discovered!

Are you scared?

Yes, I'm scared.

Good. At least that proves that you're starting to understand the predicament we're in. Still, if anything happens that you don't like you can always jump. You're a proper Guide now.

Oh, thanks, that makes me feel much better!

Well, you don't have a lot of options. If we can't find out what's really going on I think you're going to find yourself in deep trouble sooner or later.

Oh, right! Of course so far my life has been a bed of roses! It's not like you were about to do me in, or anything...

So are we going to do this, or what? I think you should take me back to the Palace.

So Julien did that. Once he was back in his kang he let Xarax slide from his shoulders and, before he could start to have second thoughts, he visualised the klirk that would take him back to the Sang Kang and gave the familiar little push.

oo0oo

Standing in what he now thought of as an entry airlock, Julien hesitated. He wasn't actually all that keen on trying to explore this place on his own: he was sure there would be traps everywhere. Xarax might have told him that he was the legitimate owner of this place, but that didn't stop him from feeling like an intruder. He was also now aware of the basic human truth that it's much easier to be brave when you have a friend with you – in fact at that moment even having Dillik alongside him would have made him feel better. Still, he really couldn't imagine running back to Xarax and telling him that he had chickened out, and so he took a deep breath and imagined the corridor stretching away in front of him.

For a few seconds this actually felt worse: no matter how irrational it might have been, he began to imagine someone, or something, emerging from those doors like a monster erupting from a closet, and the feeling got steadily worse. He was already pulling an image of the klirk for his usual quarters from his memory when he pulled himself together. He realised that this feeling of fear was quite possibly a defensive mechanism produced by the Sang Kang. Hitherto he had been protected by the soothing presence of Xarax, but it was perfectly possible that the technology that had produced the wondrous image of the Palace could also engender feelings of panic in an unprotected mind. Or just possibly some element of cowardice deep within himself had chosen this moment, when there were no witnesses, to manifest itself.

He took another deep breath and thought about secrets, secrets meant for nobody but himself, and he wasn't too surprised to hear the click of another door opening.

In one way he would have preferred it if nothing had happened, because then he could have gone back to Xarax and continued his exploration with the haptir on his shoulder. But now he knew that he had to continue on his own.

Reluctantly he approached the door and pushed it open, revealing a room not so very different from one of the sitting rooms in his suite at the Palace. It had the same sober style of decoration, the same simple style of furniture – in this case two low seats and a table – the same lack of ornaments on the light-grey walls, and the same wide bay window opposite the door that seemed to look out over what looked like a small garden. The only unusual note was struck by a Territories board on the table that had its men and other figures arranged around its edges.

The obvious thing to do seemed to be to try sitting down, and then, if nothing happened, to try taking a walk in the garden. So with some trepidation he sat in the chair on the Blue Camp side of the board.

Almost immediately a middle-aged man appeared on the opposite chair. He was wearing the fuchsia and gold-trimmed abba and the white Marks of someone attached to the Imperial House. Julien recognised immediately that he was looking at a hologram, but all the same he would have got up and sprinted away if he hadn't been paralysed by an insurmountable fear.

“Welcome, My Lord,” said the man. “Fifteen cycles, three ninths, eighteen days and five tchoutsö have passed since you last honoured this place with your presence.”

In fact Julien found the apparition's calm voice strangely soothing, and probably it saved him from wetting the cushion of his chair. Finally he began to make use of the mental control techniques which he had studied for so long but so far shamefully neglected, and when he felt fully in control of himself he said, “Please would you be kind enough to tell me who you are.”

“I am the interface of your Sang Kang in human form.”

“And could you tell me who I am?”

“You are Yulmir, Warden of the Nine Worlds.”

“Are you absolutely sure about that?”

“Your physical appearance has changed and the analysis of your voice indicates a significant change to your self-consciousness, but you are undoubtedly Yulmir. May I remind Your Lordship that, were you not Yulmir, you would have been unable to come to this place.”

“Right. Do you have a name?”

“My appearance and personality are copied from those of Yangdehar of Dahldreng. You used to call me Yang.”

“Thank you. Do you think you could talk to me equally simply, without using honorifics?”

“Of course, My Lord, if that is what you wish.”

“It is. Now, I've been through quite a lot since I got here and I need some explanations.”

“I am entirely at your disposal.”

“To start with, I have absolutely no memory of my life as Yulmir.”

“Could you explain that?”

“Well, I was born on a world that doesn't belong to the R'hinz.”

“You mean Earth, I think.”

“You know about Earth?!”

“My sensors have never reached it but I have a number of printed books about it which describe it in considerable detail.”

“You mean that I brought books here?”

“Yes.”

“Can I see them?”

“Yes, but to do so you would need to go to the physical library.”

“All right, that can wait. Can you tell me why I was unable to get here with Xarax?”

“Your haptir is conditioned to stop you from straying too far from a set pattern of behaviour. The things you would be able to find here would force him to take extreme measures against you.”

“He'd try to kill me, you mean.”

“No. He would not simply try, he would kill you. You have no sure way of protecting yourself from your haptir.”

“I think you'll find he's changed.”

“That seems extremely improbable.”

“Well, the first time I came here he was with me and he saw that I already possessed the klirk to the Sang Kang. He did almost kill me, but he managed to stop himself.”

“In that case he has changed considerably. I lack the information to understand how.”

Julien thought it unlikely that the machine, or whatever was hiding behind the hologram, would be programmed to understand Xarax's deep and intimate relationship with Dillik.

“I'd like him to come here with me,” he said. “I suppose that is possible?”

“In theory it is certainly possible. But all the information I possess suggests that it would be extremely unwise.”

“Could you tell me why? After all, Xarax is my friend and he has always been loyal. And without him I wouldn't even know that this place exists.”

“There is a strong possibility that the help he gave you to find this place was motivated by a desire to see it for himself, because he has never been here before. If he is allowed to come here with you you will lose the last place where you can come to escape his vigilance.”

“You're saying that if he could come here it would be impossible for me to plot anything behind his back?”

“Yes.”

“You mean, I've already plotted behind his back in the past?”

“Yes.”

“I wonder how I could hide anything from someone who can wander about inside my head the way he can wander through my living quarters.”

“Make no mistake: he is far from having complete access to your mental universe. There are ways to keep part of your consciousness walled away from his inquisitiveness. I could teach you how to do that.”

“I'm sure he would notice.”

“You can be sure he wouldn't. You've already done it, in fact.”

Julien really didn't like the way this conversation was going. He had to make a difficult decision, and nobody likes having to choose between his own safety and the trust of a friend.

“Right,” he said. “Well, now I'm going to go back to Xarax and tell him how he can come here with me. I know you think that's a bad idea, but as far as I know this is still my house and I have the right to do whatever I think is best.”

“Absolutely. And you don't need my agreement, either. My duty is simply to give you information, not to force you to accept advice.”

oo0oo

Xarax, my friend, said Julien, I'm going to have to trust you. According to him, the probability is that you're not going to like it, but the man is only a machine, after all, and he doesn't know you like I do. He even suggested that you'd only helped me so far in order to steal my secrets. Can you imagine that?!

You ought to listen to your machine, replied Xarax. It's a perfectly logical chain of reasoning, and you should have followed its advice instead of coming and telling me everything.

You know I'm not like that. You could have killed me, but you didn't. I'm in no hurry to die, but nor do I want to live in a world where I can't trust you, the one who knows me best. And if it ever comes to the point where you have to... well, you know... all I ask is that you make it quick.

Julien, I've already had to choose between your life and my duty once, and I chose your life. I'm fully prepared to do the same thing again.

Good. In that case it's settled: I'm taking you with me to the Sang Kang and you can help me find the right questions to ask.

oo0oo

“I see that Master Xarax's body had to be repaired.”

“Indeed,” said Julien. “He was shot not too long ago. But he says we're not here to chat about irrelevancies. He wants to know if you have an idea about the way he was conditioned to kill me.”

“You don't have to repeat his thoughts. I receive them at the same time as you do. And I think I know how the haptirs are conditioned.”

“Then could you explain it for us?”

“Certainly. As you know, when the egg of the new Emperor’s Haptir hatches he receives a few drops of your blood enriched with Yel. He is then placed in a nest which provides him with ideal conditions to develop. That nest also plants in his head, by induction, a certain amount of knowledge and abilities that are indispensable for the performance of his duties as adjunct to the Emperor. It seems highly probable that, in addition to the data we know about, a number of encrypted instructions are also planted at a deep level that is inaccessible to the subject.”

“So who supplied him with that data?”

“The same people who established the whole process that was designed to perpetuate the Imperial system: you and the Circle of Founding Sages.”

“And Yulmir has no memory of this?”

“The memory of the process was wiped from his mind, on his own orders.”

“What?! But that's insane!”

“On the contrary, it's perfectly logical. The Founding Circle wanted Yulmir to preserve a way of organising the R'hinz that had proved its worth, and they wanted it to continue regardless of any unforeseeable changes that might occur in the future. He had to remain the kingpin of the system and remain free from anything that might deviate him from his task. It was essential that he should be unable to change the system, even if he wanted to. He was – and indeed he still is – wielding so much power that he could have become the most dangerous tyrant in the Known Universe. And so he was provided with the Emperor's Haptir. Not only is the haptir indispensable for the performing of a number of the Emperor's essential functions, but he is also an incorruptible secret guarantee against the Emperor falling into error. And for that to work Yulmir could have no access to his haptir's conditioning – indeed, he had not to know that the conditioning even existed.”

“Well, that plan has failed.”

“Perhaps. But so far it's lasted nine thousand, eight hundred and sixty-three cycles.”

“Woah!”

“Indeed. However, a little more than one thousand, eight hundred cycles ago, when Yulmir had voluntarily retired from governing the Empire after being told in no uncertain terms to stop meddling in the affairs of the R'hinz, and consequently while civilisation was starting to regress into chaos, he started exploring the unknown universe. It was something he did purely for the pleasure of practising the Art of the Guides, which of course he had mastered long ago. And in the process of exploring he got incredibly lucky and discovered a new world - your world, in fact. Naturally he left a target-klirk there and started visiting Earth on a regular basis. He even stayed there for periods of several years, consequently leaving the Nine Worlds to look after their own affairs free from the 'yoke of his tyranny' for quite long periods.”

“Niil told me a bit about that. It didn't work out too well, did it?”

“It took about three hundred cycles to repair the damage, and some things had been destroyed for ever.”

“Couldn't he have returned sooner?”

“Perhaps, but generally people seem to want to persevere with their mistakes right through to the bitter end. There’s nothing to be gained by trying to force them into the paths of reason, and in fact if you try, quite often the fact that you're acting in their interests actually has the opposite effect from what you intended. Anyway, a lesson was – eventually – learned.”

“So when did Yulmir find out about Xarax's conditioning?”

“Quite recently. Indeed, it was only in the time of your predecessor, Master Xarax, that Yulmir finally realised what was going on.”

And he never told me, commented Xarax.

“He was afraid he'd have to fight to defend himself, and he felt affection for you.”

I loved him too, in my way.

“He had to hide many things from you, even though it would have been much easier for him with your cooperation.”

“Are you going to tell us what he was hiding?” asked Julien.

“You're in charge. I'll tell you everything I know – provided that Master Xarax thinks he can control his urge to violence...”

Don't worry about my violence. I'll deal with it.

“Well, in simple terms, for quite a long time Yulmir had wanted to die.”

“What?!!”

“If you think about it for a bit you'll realise it isn't really all that surprising.”

“But... he could die!”

“That depends on your definition. If by 'dying' you means seeing your body stop functioning, then, yes, he could die. But only for him to live again in a brand new body like the one he had just left. True, a large part of his memories would have vanished, because only a machine could survive the accumulation of ten thousand cycles' worth of memories. But he was still aware of being himself. Something within him felt the burden of those previous existences. And more and more he was coming to feel that he was being forced to live the same life over and over again. On top of that he was becoming convinced that all he was doing was maintaining the R'hinz in a state of unhealthy stagnation. He wrote his thoughts down, so you'll be able to read them if you want. Anyway, eventually he came to the conclusion that his death – his permanent death – would be the best thing from every point of view. But it was a lot harder to achieve that aim than you might think.”

“Because of his haptir!”

“Yes. He was one of the main obstacles. He started trying about three thousand cycles ago, and the first few times he was misguided enough to confide in his haptir.”

“Who killed him in order to stop him from dying permanently, I suppose.”

“Yes. And when he woke up in his new body he had forgotten the attempt and was once again fully committed to his duty. But eventually he found a way to more or less leave a message for his next life. It wasn't easy, but finally he realised that whenever he had thoughts about straying from the right path he had to hide it from his haptir. So he created this place. Yulmir was, after all, extremely intelligent, and he'd had a very long time indeed to learn the various technologies he needed. His main achievement was to use the computational capabilities and higher functions of the Sang Kang to transform this room into an inviolable sanctuary in which he could hide from the natural curiosity of his haptirs. And once he'd done that he had the perfect place to pass on information from one life to himself in his next incarnation, and so instead of losing everything with each death he started to accumulate wisdom, adding to it every time.”

“But surely he couldn't get to the Sang Kang without the help of his haptir?”

“Actually that was the first problem he solved. The Sang Kang has been here since the story began – in fact it's really the technical heart of the entire system. When you start exploring it you will discover that there are a great many things you can do here. And eventually Yulmir started to wonder why he wasn't able to come here without his haptir. He asked him several times to help him to memorise the klirk, and each time he got the same answer: 'I cannot'. So naturally he started trying to memorise it on his own, adding a bit more of it every time he travelled here with his haptir. Of course he died several times before he worked out that his attempts to memorise the klirk had to be completely secret from his haptir. And eventually he succeeded! It was a remarkable feat and a masterpiece of mental engineering. Nonetheless he got caught several times with that forbidden image in his mind, and each time he paid the price for it.”

“Like I almost did, too.”

“Exactly.”

Julien, said Xarax, I want us to leave this place. All that information... take me to Dvârinn!

Julien didn't need any more explanation than that: he could tell that the story was upsetting Xarax and he was fighting hard to keep control of himself.

“Can we jump from here?” he asked.

“Yes, you can,” answered the image of Yangdehar of Dahldreng.

oo0oo

It was night when they arrived on Djannak Island. Julien dropped Xarax off in rain and total darkness, assuring him that he would come to collect him the following day at the same time.

The local vegetation was going to get shredded again!

oo0oo

Chapter 59

A most unusual boy

“Have you seen Xarax?” asked Dillik.

“He's away until tomorrow evening.”

“What, on another mission?”

“Yes.”

“All right. So when are we going sailing again?”

“I don't know. Why, do you need another holiday?”

“I always need holidays!”

While they were waiting for the return of Ambar and the evening meal Dillik was making the most of being alone with Julien. Snuggled comfortably on his lap he was basking in the simple tenderness which is the sign of a really close relationship. And Julien, his nose against Dillik's black hair, which was scented with both the herbs used in his bath and his own very special fragrance, drew great comfort from the boy's complete trust in him.

Sadly that peace was interrupted by the sound of the door chime. It turned out to be an official messenger – and, worse, it was one of the ceremonial heralds who dealt with the most formal communications, and Julien, who had been given a very brief warning by a panicked Guard, barely had time to scramble into a semi-formal abba, so that he could greet such a significant official without insulting his employer.

Hidden within the bombastic meanderings of a verbal message delivered in the most exquisite High Speech, Julien could just about make out that the Major Circle of Guides – who, by the way, sent their compliments for the achievements accomplished by the Warden of the Nine Worlds in the Art of the Guides, which was known to be so close to his heart – wished to inform His Lordship that his tsenn kenn (Owner of the Name), Yülien Yalil Wilah ek Aïn, had performed his First Jump with astonishing precociousness. The Major Circle congratulated his Akou Nyipa, His Lordship Yulmir, Warden of (and so on and so forth) and enquired respectfully about the course His Lordship wished to pursue in respect of this felicitous event.

This was followed by the usual wishes for Long Life and Everlasting Happiness, as well as offering assurances as to their unshakable confidence in the Immutable and Penetrating Wisdom of the Most Perfect Jewel of the R'hinz (and so on for another five minutes or so).

The Most Perfect Jewel had refreshments served to the Honourable Messenger while he sent in a hurry for Master Wenn Hyaï, who had to be pulled from a restoring bath, and one furthermore that was even more satisfying than usual because of Karik's kindness in administering one of the scratching sessions at which the boy had become thoroughly proficient.

That pup really is precocious, he commented on his arrival. He's made his First Jump even earlier than Aïn himself, if my memory serves. Congratulations!

Thanks, but it was nothing to do with me, said Julien.

How can you be so sure?

Anyway, what do they expect me to do now?

Since you're his akou, and a Guide as well, you ought to take charge of his education. But I don't think that's what the Circle expects you to do. They're probably chosen an instructor for him already.

What is your opinion?

You're very busy, and you have lots of other responsibilities.

Wenn Hyaï, you're a terrible liar!

All right. We should tell the Circle to fu... We should respectfully tell the Circle to keep their greedy paws off the lad's fur, and that you'll take charge of his education yourself. He's probably going to turn out to be a genius. Anyway, you've got everything you need to initiate him. Don't forget that you're the one who is going to transfer the power to create new Guides to the next Grand Master of their Circle. If you let them have the kid they'll probably try to turn him into their puppet, which would be a dreadful waste.

Crumbs, it sounds like you don't like them very much!

I've got good reason. Maybe I'll tell you about it later.

But... if I take on his training I won't know what to do! And it's true, what you said about my timetable being over-full...

I'll help you. Trust me – we'll manage.

I do trust you. And you're an excellent teacher.

You're a very good pupil.

So – what should I tell the messenger?

oo0oo

“Honourable Messenger, please use the best style possible to convey my answer. I'm relying on you to make it a model of respect and diplomacy. You wouldn't be here if you weren't an expert in the Art of saying things in the best possible way. Am I right?”

“His Lordship's judgement is clearly too indulgent by far, but I have indeed been instructed in the delicate Art of Political Communication.”

“Excellent! Then I'd like you to to use your talent to help me avoid any friction with the Circle of Guides.”

“I shall do my best, Your Lordship.”

“What's your name?”

“Yangden Lhato, at Your Lordship's service.”

“Honourable Yangden, please take an answer to these Honourable Guides of the Major Circle to the effect that I will go to Yaï Ho tomorrow to collect my tsenn kenn and that I intend to educate him myself with the help of the Master Guide Wenn Hyaï, who is himself a member of the Circle. They won't like it. Wrap it up any way you like – and I'll be delighted not to receive an official protest in return, you understand?”

The Honourable Messenger permitted himself a smile and took his leave, determined to bring his mission to a positive conclusion.

oo0oo

The atmosphere among the Katak clan was one of careful reserve. Naturally everyone was delighted by the Emperor's tsenn kenn's precociousness, but the prospect of entrusting his education, as prescribed by tradition, to an akou nyipa who, Master Guide though he undoubtedly was, was all the same a mere human, did make some of them a little concerned. Even if that human was Protector of the Nine Worlds, surely he couldn't...? And the Circle itself... And in any case, such precociousness wasn't always a good sign – someone ought to keep a close eye on... And so on.

Unlike the oldest, and therefore most conservative, members of the family, Yülien himself could barely stop himself jumping for joy. However, showing a caution beyond his years he managed to restrain himself. In so doing he was following the sensible advice of an older brother who was aware of what was at stake and who was sufficiently free from envy not to resent the interest his brother was generating or, above all, his probable good fortune.

“If you keep your mouth shut,” he advised Yülien, “there's a small chance that your akou nyipa will take you with him. But if you start shooting your mouth off you can bet the old farts will lock you away somewhere until you're good enough to eat them for breakfast, and that won't happen any time soon!”

And so Yülien greeted Julien with all the signs of a jaded indifference. Julien, who had expected an affectionate assault, was rather taken aback – at least until physical contact was established, at which point he heard a desperate voice in his head.

Akou! it said. They want to keep me here! You won't let them, will you?

Hello, Yülien. Does that mean that you want to come and live with me in the Palace?

Of course I do!

Then don't worry: nobody is going to separate me from my favourite tsenn kenn.

You've got more than one?!

No, but if I did have others you'd still be my favourite. By the way, congratulations on your First Jump. You'll have to tell me the details later.

Isn't Ambar here?

He'll be here in time for the feast. He kept me up half the night telling me what he's going to do with you once you're with us. And Akou Ugo sends his love, and Uncle Subadar promises to scratch your head, provided that you don't try to mesmerise him into it.

What about Master Wenn Hyaï? Isn't he with you?

He'll be along later. Surely you don't want your akou to have to ask another Guide to transport him like a passenger?

So – you came on your own?!

Yes, and I intend to take you back the same way.

You're cured, then?

I think we can safely say that now.

So you're a true Master Guide?

So Wenn Hyaï tells me.

oo0oo

The negotiations were courteous but lasted several hours. The Clan was reluctant to give up its new Boy Wonder. But Wenn Hyaï could be every bit as tenacious – not to say long-winded – as the old Clan chiefs, and when, led into a snare by their opponent's feigned clumsiness, they made the mistake of mentioning the Great Book of Traditions to support their polite refusal, he gave them the equivalent of a severe thrashing by quoting entire chapters of the sections in it that were dedicated to the 'Habits of the Honourable Guides and the immemorial Customs of their Clans'.

Fortunately the Guides were eminently reasonable beings and so they knew how to be gracious in acknowledging defeat, especially when it was inflicted by a Master as respected as Wenn Hyaï, whose ongoing disagreements with the Major Circle had done nothing to diminish his reputation for immense valour and absolute loyalty. Consequently they resigned themselves to letting others cut their rough diamond and agreed with sincere enthusiasm to attend the First Jump banquet that had been specially imported from the kitchens of the Palace.

As Julien had promised, Ambar arrived in time for the feast and was pleased to meet again some of the leading experts who had previously offered him advice and encouragement while benefiting (though with a lot less publicity) from some of his lightning intuitions which were starting to make him famous in even the most esoteric of mathematical circles.

oo0oo