She shook her head. 'The Holy Order destroyed them a long time ago.'
'I think I know why,' Paul said. 'The Holy Order says the Tal Tahir built the temple as a special building for them. The elders didn't want anyone to know there used to be many buildings just like it. They had them all destroyed, except the one they use for their temple. But they missed the one Dorland and his father found.'
'I still don't see what that does for us,' Karyn said. 'How can it help us even if we find another temple building?'
'It might give us a clue about what the Tal Tahir used the building for,' Paul said. 'And if there's another chauka in there—'
'We can poke around it without worrying about the Holy Order busting in on us!' Selmer exclaimed. 'Let's go!' Karyn was already opening her fartalker. 'First we'll find out what Sabastian thinks.'
Chapter Eleven
THE WEAPONS HANGING FROM JONNY IRONFIST'S
belt bumped against his legs as he strode down the pathway toward the large square building that was home to High Elder Alban Brill. Jonny held his cap in his left hand so his knife hand was free; even in this holy place his training shaped his behavior. Strapped to his belt were a dart gun, a heavy wooden battle club and a long-bladed knife. The weapons gave him a sense of self-confidence he had never felt before he became a member of the Sons of God. He was especially proud of the knife, which had been formed out of steel from Vanguard stock—dating it back to High Elder Anson himself.
The stern-faced deacon who had come for Jonny at the dormitory behind the temple wouldn't tell him why he had been asked to come here. But Jonny had heard that the heretics had once again entered the sacred chamber, and escaped under cover of darkness. He couldn't help but wonder if the summons to the High Elder's office was somehow related to that. Rumors were flying among the 121
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brothers that Lord Tern had issued a new proclamation that could help them find and destroy the heretic band.
Jonny stopped for a moment on the pathway to take a deep breath of the cool morning air. He felt a high exhilaration bursting through him, almost the same feeling he'd had when he first learned that he had been chosen to become a Son of God. His fingers unconsciously went to his cheek, touching the deep scar that slanted across his face—a reminder of an admonition from Elder Jacowicz when Jonny had failed to carry out an order precisely as Elder Jacowicz had given it.
But that had happened a long time ago. Jonny had been one of Lord Tern's Sons for three years, and he felt certain that Lord Tern was pleased with his work. He had earned the name Ironfist only three months ago, after he had been personally responsible for bringing four heretics to justice. Elder Jacowicz had hinted that before long Jonny would be promoted to squad leader. He knew that all the brothers looked up to him.
Standing there on the pathway with the sun on his face and a wondrous singing in his blood, Jonny found himself thinking about his friends in Fairhope, and how dull his life would be if he had not been selected for the Sons. His friends would grow up working in the fields or sewing clothes or repairing machinery.
Not that there was anything wrong with that. After all, Fairhope had been established by the Tal Tahir gods to support the Holy Order in its worship of them. That was the only reason the town was there, and its people. But Jonny felt drawn to a much higher mission. Anybody could work the fields or sew cloth, but it required a special kind of person to protect the fundamental precepts of the Holy Order. Fewer than one in fifty were selected for the honor; only those who displayed the special qualities sought by the Holy Order and Lord Tern were selected.
Now he was only a few meters away from the
steps that led to the front porch of High Elder Brill's house. Jonny had never before been allowed to come here. As far as he knew, none of the brothers had ever been invited to this place.
'It must be something really big' Wayne Lightfoot had said when Jonny left the dormitory. Really big, Jonny agreed silently as he went up the walkway to the wide steps. The porch was bordered by trimmed hedges and blooming flowers
—delicate blue and yellow jewel tips. His mother had planted jewel tips around the front door of the little house in Fairhope ...
Jonny felt a slight pang and immediately pushed it away. This was his life now.
A robed deacon stood at each side of the door. Jonny recognized both of them—Deacon Francks and Deacon Bray —but somehow he knew that in this place he could not be so familiar as to call them by name. He went up the steps and strode across the porch to the large wooden door. Keeping his voice strong, he said, 'I'm Jonny Ironfist.'
