It was almost a pity that such an effective machine had so little work to do. The Baidee army had been fully committed only once in the years since the prophetess. The beings who had come from Outside and who had attempted to enforce their own opinions upon the Baidee had been fairly well thrashed before they had all “caught cold and died.” At one time, the Scrutators had smiled when they recalled the story of the invasion, though after the Blight came and went, they stopped enjoying the story.
Reticingh regarded the wheeling ranks upon the drill ground with approval as he said, “I’ve known the Damzel clan since well before Shan and Bombi and Volsa were born,” he mused. “The family is rocklike in their objectivity. Though he is very young, I wouldn’t have said Shan was capable of mental disturbance. Unless he was ill, of course.” He meant physically ill. There was no mental illness recognized by the High Baidee.
“He says in the message that he’s well,” offered Merthal.
“He might only think he’s well. I mean, one of the symptoms of being not well is to think one is well when one is not.” Bodily ills could be treated. Sometimes mental “troubles” disappeared when bodily ills were cured.
“Short of bringing him back to Thyker and having him gone over by the temple physicians, what would you suggest?”
Reticingh sighed. Madmen were a constant challenge to the Baidee. Nothing could be done for them unless they had treatable bodily illnesses. There were many homes for the “uncontrolled” scattered around Thyker. Some of the inmates had to be tied up. Some of them had to be restrained to keep them from harming others, though they were allowed to harm themselves if they wished. Some of them expressed themselves, sometimes, much as Shan Damzel was doing.
Reticingh thought it over, slowly, as the High Baidee were taught to do, considering the consequences of each action, the probable outcome of every case. At last, with some satisfaction, he said, “I would suggest, Merthal, that we send one of our temple physicians to Hobbs Land to make quite sure our beloved son is truly well. Young Dr. Feriganeh, I think. He would enjoy it. And you, of course.”
“Me!”
“So that I may have your much valued opinion when you return. Besides, Shan’s mother would eat me alive clad only in my zettle if anything happened to him.”
• Horgy Endure kept the peace among his womenfolk by letting each of them know precisely what she could expect in the way of his time and undivided attentions. The fifth, seventh, and ninth nights of each ten-day work schedule were spent with his trainees, one at a time. Ruellin, the blonde, was scheduled for the fifth night, and she arrived at Horgy’s apartments at the appointed time, shortly before the usual supper period. It was Horgy’s custom to drink a little wine, eat a little food, and then engage in sexual sports for several periods of the nightwatch. Horgy was very good at sexual sports, and Ruellin considered herself fortunate to have obtained the trainee position, particularly inasmuch as she was learning something about agricultural production management as well.
On this particular fifth night, Horgy refused a second glass of wine, which was unusual. He also seemed lethargic with respect to his food.
“Not hungry, I guess,” he said apologetically.
“I could go on home,” she whispered, hoping he would not agree. “If you’re not feeling well.”
“No, no,” he smiled at her, the white-toothed smile which warmed her all the way through. “Let’s just sit a while on the terrace. I simply need to relax a bit.”
Horgy’s apartments were on an upper floor of the administrative residence. Only Dern Blass had quarters that were higher up. From the small terrace they could look over the ramified roadways and parklands of CM, out through the surrounding woodlands and plains to the place where the escarpment made a winding line upon the northern horizon.
“I understand they’re finding interesting things up there,” said Ruellin, making conversation as she gestured at the distant escarpment. “The people from Thyker.”
“Interesting things happening everywhere,” he murmured.
“Really?” She lifted a flirtatious eyebrow. “Are there interesting things happening here?”
“In the settlements,” he said, not noticing her expression. “Lakes. Canyons. Water falls that didn’t used to be there. Did you know six of the settlements have Gods now?”
“Gods?”
He put a hand to his arm, as though it ached. “Look it up in the Archives. There was one God when the settlers arrived. Where Settlement One is now. It died. You were there when we discussed it at management meeting.” He sounded slightly pained or impatient, and she was quick to reassess his mood.
“Of course, I remember. And six of the settlements have Gods now? Where did they get them?”
“Found them. Funny thing. First the children get into this mood to build a temple. I wouldn’t have believed it. Zilia didn’t believe it. She asked me to go out to Settlement Five with her when she heard about it. There they were, gangs of kids, laying stone, singing. Funny kind of singing, zum zum zum, bittle bittle, as though they’d rehearsed it. So, they get a temple finished, and pretty soon, they find a God to put in it.”
“Very … neat,”
