'Obviously not true,' Karyn said. 'That isn't the first time the Holy Order lied to us.'
'High Elder Brill used his Godstone to summon Lord Tern.'
She looked thoughtfully at the disk in Dorland's hand; then her eyes returned to the chauka. 'You think we should try it?'
Paul's head jerked around to her. 'Try what?' Karyn nodded toward the chauka. 'We have that, and we have some Godstones. Maybe we
could use them to call Lord Tern.' She must have read the expression on Paul's face, because she went on quickly. 'We came here to find out as much as we could about the Tal Tahir.' Paul found his voice at last. He forced himself to speak calmly and reasonably, and tried to ease the rapid beating of his heart. 'You can't leam anything from Lord Tern. He doesn't even speak Basic. There wouldn't be any way to communicate with him.'
'Look at this,' Selmer said. He had gathered up several of the silver disks. Now he held out a few for the others to see. 'They're all different.' Paul took one of the disks and looked more
closely at it, then at the others Selmer held. He realized Selmer was right. Although the disks were all the same size and faded silvery color, each had a different image engraved on its face. The image on the one Paul held was similar to that of Lord Tern—an insectoid creature with a face that belonged in a nightmare. But another one depicted a cone-shaped object. Only when he saw the facial features grouped in the upper tapered end did Paul realize this was a living creature. Small appendages that might have been arms hung at the sides. The creature was positioned so that it seemed to be looking directly out at the viewer.
'Maybe we should try that one,' Karyn said. 'It doesn't look anything like Lord Tern.' That sounded better to Paul, but he still had William Greenleaf
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reservations. 'For all we know, that one might be worse than Lord Tern. It's too risky—'
'We're accustomed to taking risks.'
'Besides, we don't know how the chauka works—'
'Sure we do,' Selmer said. He took one of the disks over to the protruding rod. 'You saw High Elder Brill do it. You touch the Godstone to the end of the rod like this, and—'
Snap
Selmer jerked back, looking at the disk in his hand, then at the rod.
'Are you all right?' Karyn asked.
'Yeah,' Selmer said. He sounded shaken.
'Didn't expect that, is all.'
Paul's eyes had gone to the dish of the chauka. He realized he was holding his breath and released it, then drew another. Nothing was happening.
'This one doesn't work,' Karyn said. 'Or maybe there's more to it than the Godstone.' She looked up at Paul. 'You said High Elder Brill chanted and waved his arms. Do you think he really accomplished anything with that?'
'I doubt it,' Paul answered without taking his eyes off the chauka. Brill's actions had held more than a hint of ceremony, and probably were meant to impress the deacons and the other elders with his power. Logic said that the silver disk was the key.
'But I didn't—'
Then his breath caught in his throat. A glow was beginning to form above the chauka. A sharp intake of air came from someone behind him. Shadowy forms gathered amid the haze and distortion. Paul felt something touch him inside.
Suddenly the shadows above the chauka came
together and a creature emerged. Paul watched, unable to move. The creature swayed gently back and forth-above the chauka. It wasn't at all like Lord Tern, but instead had the appearance of the
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