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Isle Of The Dead :: Zelazny Roger
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I watchedthe day fade away and the clouds zip themselves together once again. Soon it would be time to carry the raft to the shore and make our ways across the now temperate waters. There would be no moonlight to assist us.
"Green Green," I said, "in you I see myself, as perhaps I have become more Pei'an than Earthman. I do not think this is the real reason, however, for everything that I am now is but an extension of something that was already within me. I, too, can kill as you would kill and hold with my _pai'badra_ come hell or high water."
"I know that," he said, "and I respect you for it."
"What I am trying to say is that when this thing is over, if we should both live through it, I might welcome you as a friend. I might intercede for you with the other Names, that you have another chance at confirmation. I might like to see a high priest of Strantri, in the Name of Kirwar of the Four Faces, Father of Flowers, should He be willing."
"You are trying to find my price now, Earthman."
"No, I am making a legitimate offer. Take it as you would. As yet, you have given me no _pai'badra_."
"By trying to kill you?"
"Under false _pai'badra_. This does not bother me."
"You know that I may slay you whenever I wish?"
"I know that you think so."
"I had thought this thing better shielded."
"It is a matter of deduction, not telepathy."
"You _are_ much like a Pei'an," he said, after a moment. "I promise you that I will withhold my vengeance until after we have dealt with Shandon."
"Soon," I said. "Soon we shall depart."
And we sat there and waited for the night to fall. After a time, it did.
"Now," I said.
"Now," and we stood and raised the raft between us.
We carried it down to the water's edge, waded out into the warm shallows, set it a-drifting.
"Got your paddle?"
"Yes."
"Let's go."
We climbed aboard, stabilized the thing, began paddling, then poling.
"If he was above bribery," he said, "why did he sell your secrets?"
"He would have sold the others out," I said, "had my people paid him more."
"Then why is he above bribery?"
"Because he is of my race and he hates me. Nothing more. There is no buying that kind of _pai'badra_."
I thought then that I was right.
"There are always dark areas within the minds of Earthmen," he observed. "One day I would like to know what is there."
"Me too.
I watchedthe day fade away and the clouds zip themselves together once again. Soon it would be time to carry the raft to the shore and make our ways across the now temperate waters. There would be no moonlight to assist us.
"Green Green," I said, "in you I see myself, as perhaps I have become more Pei'an than Earthman. I do not think this is the real reason, however, for everything that I am now is but an extension of something that was already within me. I, too, can kill as you would kill and hold with my _pai'badra_ come hell or high water."
"I know that," he said, "and I respect you for it."
"What I am trying to say is that when this thing is over, if we should both live through it, I might welcome you as a friend. I might intercede for you with the other Names, that you have another chance at confirmation. I might like to see a high priest of Strantri, in the Name of Kirwar of the Four Faces, Father of Flowers, should He be willing."
"You are trying to find my price now, Earthman."
"No, I am making a legitimate offer. Take it as you would. As yet, you have given me no _pai'badra_."
"By trying to kill you?"
"Under false _pai'badra_. This does not bother me."
"You know that I may slay you whenever I wish?"
"I know that you think so."
"I had thought this thing better shielded."
"It is a matter of deduction, not telepathy."
"You _are_ much like a Pei'an," he said, after a moment. "I promise you that I will withhold my vengeance until after we have dealt with Shandon."
"Soon," I said. "Soon we shall depart."
And we sat there and waited for the night to fall. After a time, it did.
"Now," I said.
"Now," and we stood and raised the raft between us.
We carried it down to the water's edge, waded out into the warm shallows, set it a-drifting.
"Got your paddle?"
"Yes."
"Let's go."
We climbed aboard, stabilized the thing, began paddling, then poling.
"If he was above bribery," he said, "why did he sell your secrets?"
"He would have sold the others out," I said, "had my people paid him more."
"Then why is he above bribery?"
"Because he is of my race and he hates me. Nothing more. There is no buying that kind of _pai'badra_."
I thought then that I was right.
"There are always dark areas within the minds of Earthmen," he observed. "One day I would like to know what is there."
"Me too.