“Yes,” Kent said. “Someday I may even read them all.”
“How many books are there?” Gwaynn asked in a hushed tone.
Elise giggled and shrugged her small shoulders. “All of them,” she said, “if not the originals, then copies.”
Gwaynn stood amazed, until Elise grabbed his hand again and led him out the south entrance.
“Come, I want to show you the Observatory,” she said and Kent grabbed his other hand and together they moved back into the sunlight. They had to backtrack a bit, once outside the Land of Books and soon came to a large ramped roadway, which led over the library and then higher up the hill. Gwaynn could see the Parthenon, closer and large beyond belief. For the first time in his life began to suspect that he might not be truly educated in the ways of the world. Before they reached the jewel of Lato however, they burst out into a very large park, nearly a mile across. All through the park ran many narrow pebbled pathways, and along the paths there were benches, statues and gardens of exotic plants and flowers. All of the pathways ran like spokes to a central square where at present there were several groups of students gathered.
“This is the Forum,” Kent explained. “It’s where many Masters openly teach and discuss topics with any student interested. There are many lively discussions.”
They passed a few groups and Gwaynn eavesdropped as they strolled by, but nothing much made sense to him. They also passed numerous marble busts of scholars, some Gwaynn had heard of, but many were strangers to him. He stopped to read every name and quotation and was taken with a few of them. Someone named Charles Darwin said, “Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge.”
“Father of Evolution,” Elise commented, as if that explained everything, “Old Earth.”
Another bust of a Thomas Jefferson said, “It does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods or no God.”
“Former leader,” Kent said, “Old Earth.”
“Do you have much information from old earth?” Gwaynn asked, truly impressed.
“Oh yes,” Elise said. “There are books and books. In fact, most of our knowledge comes down to us from Old Earth.”
Gwaynn just stared at her. It was said that the first men Traveled from old earth nearly six thousand years ago. “How is that possible?”
“Most of the volumes in the Land of the Books are copies from Old Earth,” Kent replied, puffing his chest out as if claiming responsibility for the feat.
“But that was nearly…”
Elise giggled. “Yes, thousands of years ago…Did you know that our year 3,198 is measured from the death of the man responsible for Traveling to the Inland Sea for the very first time?”
“Galen Dawkins,” Kent stated proudly.
Elise smirked.
Gwaynn just frowned at them both, but was distracted as they began to climb the steps up to the Parthenon. The building was incredible, immense and powerful, and Gwaynn could not keep himself from reaching out and touching one of the massive columns. It took all three of them holding hands and stretching out fully to encircle it. Inside of the long row of columns was a deep portico, which also spanned the entire building on all sides, and spaced evenly throughout were additional busts or sometimes-full statues of those who came before. There were many more here that were not so obscure, and Gwaynn had heard of most. A great many were ancestors who came during the relative near history, the Second Age of Man, but there were still a few from the far past of whom Gwaynn had no knowledge. One of the largest was of a bushy haired man with a thick mustache.
“Albert Einstein,” the plaque read and beneath it “E=mc.” And beneath that- “The Eternal mystery of the world is its comprehensibility.”
The name and formula meant nothing to Gwaynn, and without a comment Elise pulled him on. They toured the entire exterior before finally going inside to find one incredibly large rectangular room filled with vast amounts of paintings, etchings and drawings as well as other sculptures, but what dominated the entire inner area was a gigantic green marble statue of Galen Dawkins. Gwaynn stood with his mouth partially open as he stared at the magnificent piece of work. It was easily ten times his height and sat up on a large high base. Gwaynn doubted that the top of his head would have made the knee of the statue. On the base, as seemed to be the norm, was a plaque apparently made of gold. “The Ultimate sin is placing religion before reason.”
It was a famous saying; one Gwaynn’s father had quoted often, though mostly he substituted the word ‘religion’ for ‘ignorance.’
They continued to look about for a time. Many visitors came and laid flowers at the feet of the giant statue; others like Gwaynn and his new friends just looked about and contemplated the masterworks on display.
After the Parthenon, they visited the Observatory and Elise made Gwaynn promise that he would accompany her that night for a viewing of the stars. “Tonight,” she informed him, “is supposed to be crystal clear.”
With the tour mostly complete, they ate lunch in a small shop at the edge of the forum and listened to a speaker as he ran through the history of the Cassini, a land and people just to the north of the Deutzani. Gwaynn thought he would have become enchanted with the island if he had been allowed to visit when he was younger… He shook his head to clear away such thoughts and wondered at Nev’s whereabouts, not knowing that he would not see his mentor for another three days.
?
“I received an envoy from the Toranado,” High King Mastoc began from his large, ornate throne. The chair was placed up high on a dais in order to look more imposing to those he granted audience. King Arsinol was aware of the trick, and made use of it in his own throne room, but knowing the secret did little to lessen the affect. The presence of nearly fifty elite Temple Knights standing guard around the room, added to the intimidation that engulfed the chamber. Arsinol silently wished Navarra was by his side, or even on the Island, but Weapons Masters were strictly forbidden on the King’s Island. Arsinol made due with Ja Brude, who knelt low beside him.
“They say Prince Gwaynn of the Massi was seen alive during the Competitions on Noble,” Mastoc continued. Arsinol made no comment.
“You may rise,” Mastoc finally said and gratefully the King of the Deutzani stood. Lately his knees bothered him greatly, but he was careful to show no sign of weakness to the High King.
Arsinol looked from the High King to the young Queen at his side, Queen Audra, his own daughter. She was gazing directly at him but her face remained flat, showing no emotion at all despite the fact that this was the first time she had seen her father in the six months since the wedding. She was growing heavy with child.
“We have heard those rumors too, your Majesty,” Arsinol answered.
“Rumors,” Mastoc began and his face darkened in anger. “Rumors you know to be true.”
Arsinol bowed his head and gritted his teeth. “Yes, Majesty.”
The High King sighed. “You assured me the royal line of Massi would end in the war, and now I come to find that the youngest Prince escaped to Noble. Word has also reached me that he’s escaped two more bungled attempts on his life!” he said tersely, starting in a low voice but gradually ending in a roar.
Arsinol cursed silently, acutely aware of Ja Brude wringing his hands beside him.
“This cannot get out,” Mastoc said still quite loudly. “Fear of my Knights will only go so far. If the Toranado and the Palmerrio ever aligned themselves…” he left the consequences unsaid, although everyone in the room knew that while the Knights were the elite force in the land, their numbers were their weakness. There were just not enough of them to subdue all the kingdoms of the Inland Sea.
“The rumors must end,” King Mastoc said with finality.
“We could send a message to Sinis,” Arsinol interjected. “We know he has fled to Lato.”
Mastoc shook his head. “I would not trust this with those assassins,” he answered, meaning the Executioners, “braggarts all. Their tongues would wag for sure. No, I will send Captain Hothgaard. He will know what men to choose for such a delicate mission.”
“You are aware,” Arsinol began, pausing to lick his lips. His mouth was suddenly dry, “that the boy is studying with Tar Nev.”
Arsinol forced himself not to drop his eyes as those of the High King latched on to him. The High King’s anger grew at the mention of his former Weapons Master.
