The Walrus and the Warwolf

because a boy has declared it to be so.'

Whereupon Arabin said unto him: 'Is it not the wisdom of the Ancients that a thing must be Investigated before it is Known?'

Whereupon they were sore amazed, for they saw that he was learned in the Inner Principles of the Old Science.

And Arabin spoke unto them, saying, 'Verily, dialectic is a sharp blade, and I believe it hath cut off the heads of your arguments.'

Whereupon another recess was called, and both the wise and the unwise departed from that place until the next day should dawn.

Vision the Fifth

And it came to pass that on the next day Arabin arrived in the company of damsels.

And with him also were men bearing boards for the playing of dice-chess, and good gold for the staking thereat.

And maids bearing platters of goodly sweetmeats, of the red meat and the white, of fish and of fowl, and of all things rich in their taste and in their juices.

And there was strong drink also, even the firewater which is from Ebrell.

And Arabin addressed the City Fathers, saying unto them: 'Come, will you not Investigate in the manner of the Ancients?

'Truly this is the highest wisdom that remains to us, that we should Investigate before we Pronounce.'

Then Jarmuth Japhia Lachish spoke many words, and caused to be abolished from the sight of the City Fathers the damsels, dice-chess, gold, platters and strong drink also, yea, even the rare and most precious firewater which was from Ebrell.

Then Lachish spoke unto Arabin from the glory of his five chins, saying:'Boy, there are two ways of knowing.

'One you have spoken of, which is Investigation, yet one you have not spoken of, and that is Tradition.'Yet Tradition is equal in wisdom to Investigation.

'For Tradition tells us that a man cannot breathe below water, but must surely drown.

'And, likewise, that a man cannot cut out his own heart with cold steel then dance, but must surely die.

'And, also, that gambling brings poverty, whores bring pox, and strong drink is the destruction of sound men.'

Then Lachish caused to be brought before them a chalice, which was wrought in high silver and chased about with gold, and within that chalice was a liquid.

And Lachish pointed at the chalice, saying, 'Behold, within is hemlock, which is evil by Tradition, just as the madness of drink, the coquetry of whores and the foolishness of wagering is evil.

'And I know the evil thereof, by Tradition, yea, as I know the evil of the other things which I have spoken of, though I have not tasted of the flesh of them.

'Verily verily I say unto you, if a man drink of evil he will perish, and a boy also. Wilt thou dispute that with the cup?'

And Arabin understood his meaning, and said unto him: 'I will.'

Then did Garimanthea try to restrain Arabin, but he was shaken off.

And Arabin advanced unto the chalice, and picked it up, and gazed upon the beauty of gold which was upon it, and on the liquid which was within it.

Then Arabin spoke, saying, 'Let the gods bear witness to the truth of my persuasions.'

23 And he drank, and did not suffer thereby.

Then Jarmuth Japhia Lachish seized the chalice with hands that were rough, for there was rage upon him.

And he addressed the gathering, saying, 'It's a trick! There's no hemlock in this!'

26 Then Jarmuth Lachish drank thereof.

And truly there was no hemlock within, but a mixture of wine and of that poison which is got from the seeds of nux vomica, and which is known as strychnine.

And the death of Jarmuth Lachish was terrible to behold.

Then those of the City Fathers who remained declared that they would take Emergency Executive Powers and have Arabin executed upon the spot.

30 Then was his need dire.

31 But one spoke, saying, 'Lo, behold me, for I am

Garimanthea the Mighty, barrister, solicitor and attorney at law, and I say unto you that your Order for Execution is null and void, and likewise your assumption of Emergency Executive Powers.'

32 And the City Fathers asked of him: 'Wherefore?'

33 Whereupon Garimanthea smiled a smile that was most terrible to see, saying unto them, 'Verily verily, I can count though a chicken cannot. How many heads do you need for a quorum?'

34 Then the City Fathers counted, and were dismayed.

35 For the death of Jarmuth Lachish had left them short of a quorum.

Therefore was the council automatically dissolved, and elections held.

And it happened that the glory of righteousness and the use of good gold brought Arabin lol Arabin and his team victory in those elections, and all power that was in the Free Port of Runcorn fell unto him.

38 And the rejoicing in the city was exceedingly great.

41

Gouda Muck: second-best swordsmith on Stokos; first suffered religious revelation in Khmar 16; announced the next year that he was the avatar of the Flame, the High God of All Gods; doctrines of thrift, abstinence, chastity and prudery found favour with neighbours whose health and wealth had suffered from compulsory indulgence in the delights of the temple of the demon Hagon; religion of Goudanism thereafter rapidly went from strength to strength.

Midsummer's Day inaugurated a year which was, by Collosnon reckoning, Celadric 1. If the Lord Emperor Khmar, master of Tameran, had survived, then it would have been the start of Khmar 20. But the ferocious horse- lord was dead, killed in the forests of Penvash during the confusion of mutiny, betrayal, clan-fights and feuding which had accompanied his invasion of Argan.

Drake heard many wild rumours about the lands north of Runcorn. They had seemed normal enough when he had marched through them with Zanya, scarcely half a year previously, but since then – why, what with Khmar's invasion, and the unleashing of the fury of dragons, and mad battles between wizards and warriors, the whole of the north seemed to have gone berserk.For Runcorn, this was very bad news.

Galish convoys were no longer travelling the Salt Road through Runcorn, Chorst, Dybra, Estar, Lake Armansis, Larbster Bay and D'Waith. Instead, those convoys, the

lifeblood of commerce, were shipping out of Androlmarphos to sail direct to the Ravlish Lands.Hence, economic downturn in Runcorn.

Shops closed, apprenticeships cancelled, shipbuilders silent, more beggars on the street, violence at night, brawls, burglary, rape, highway robbery, horse-stealing, outbreaks of graffiti-writing.

Drake could not read the graffiti (or anything else for that matter) but he was told much of it said uncomplimentary things about him.He was in trouble.Or, to use his own words:'I'm in deep shit.'

The City Treasurer had recently fled, allegedly to Selzirk, and a quick audit had shown that most of the contents of the city coffers had disappeared with him. Worse, his brother, who had been looking after revenues for Drake's temple, had also vanished – leaving the temple bankrupt.

Temple income had dropped to nearly nothing. The best girls had left for the flesh-pots of Selzirk. Rumours about the diseased state of those who remained were, unfortunately, true. Gambling brought in next to nothing now that Runcorn's docks were idle. Even the liquor business was in trouble – something Drake would not have thought