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Savat agreed to the proposal, but Candolf was dubious. "I'm a guard. There's
no place for me on the Tanchinaros." "Don't be too sure," said Gilweg. "Our
left wing guard is Pedro Shamoran, and he's got a bad leg. There'll be a
shuffle of places, and maybe you can even play left rover;
you're certainly quick enough. Why not try? "Very well; why not?" Gilweg
drained his mug. "Good then. It's settled! And now we can all celebrate the
Tanchinaro victory!"
Chapter 12
* * *
When Glinnes arrived home late the following morning he found a strange boat
tied to his dock.
No one sat on the verandah, and the house was empty. Glinnes went outside to
look around and saw three men sauntering across the meadow: Glay, Akadie, and
Junius Farfan. All three wore neat garments of black and gray, the uniform of
Fanschherade. Glay and Farfan spoke earnestly together;
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Akadie walked somewhat apart.
Glinnes went forward to meet them. Akadie put on a half-sheepish smile in the
face of Glinnes
scornful amazement. "I never thought you'd involve yourself in this rubbish,"
snorted Glinnes.
"One must move with the times," said Akadie. "Indeed, I find the garments a
source of amusement."
Glay turned him a cool glance; Junius Farfan merely laughed.
Glinnes waved his hand to the verandah. "Seat yourselves! Will you drink
wine?" Farfan and
Akadie took a goblet of wine; Glay gave a curt refusal. He followed Glinnes
into the house where he had spent his childhood and stood looking about the
room with the eyes of a stranger. He turned and preceded Glinnes from the
house. "I have a proposition for you," said Glay. "You want Ambal
Isle." He looked toward Junius Farfan, who laid an envelope on the table. "You
shall have Ambal
Island. There is the money to dislodge Casagave. Glinnes reached for the
envelope; Glay pushed it away. "Not so fast. When Ambal is again your property
you can go to live there if you choose.
And I get the use of Rabendary."
Glinnes looked at him in astonishment. "Now you want Rabendary! Why can't we
both live here as brothers, and work the land together?" Glay shook his head.
"Unless you changed your attitudes, there would only be dissension. I don't
have energy to waste. You take Ambal; I'll take
Rabendary."
This is the most marvelous proposition I have ever heard," said Glinnes,
"when both belong to me." Glay shook his head. "Not if Shira is alive."
Shira is dead." Glinnes went out to his hiding place, uncovered the pot, and
removed the golden fob, which he brought back to the verandah. He tossed it on
the table. "Remember this? I took it from your friends the Drossets.
They killed and robbed Shira and threw him to the merlings. Glay glanced at
the fob. "Did they admit it?" "No." "Can you prove you took it from the
Drossets? "You have heard me tell you."
That's not enough," said Glay curtly.
Glinnes slowly turned his head and stared into day's face. Slowly he rose to
his feet. Glay sat rigid as a steel post. Aka-die said hurriedly, "Of course
your word is sufficient, Glinnes. Sit down." "Glay can withdraw his remark
and then withdraw himself." Akadie said, "Glay meant only that your word is
legally insufficient. Am I right, Glay? "Yes, yes," said Glay in a bored
voice. "Your word is sufficient, as far as I am concerned. The proposal
remains the same." "Why the sudden yearning to return home to Rabendary?
asked Glinnes. "Are you giving up your fancy dress party? "To the contrary.
On Rabendary we will found a Fansch-erade community, a college of dynamic
formulations."
"By the stars," marveled Glinnes. "Formulations. To what purpose?" Junius
Farfan said in a soft voice, "We intend to found an academy of achievement."
Glinnes looked out over Ambal Broad in bemusement. "I admit to perplexity.
Alastor Cluster is thousands of years old; men by the trillions fill the
galaxy. Great mentors here, there, everywhere across the whole pageant of
existence, have propounded problems and solved them. Everything conceivable
has been achieved and all goals attained-not once, but thousands of times
over. It is well known that we live in the golden afternoon of the human
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race. Hence, in the name of the Thirty Thousand Stars, where will you find a
fresh area of knowledge that must urgently be advanced from Rabendary meadow?"
Glay made an impatient motion, as if at Glinnes embarrassing stupidity.
Junius Farfan, however, responded politely. These concepts are naturally
familiar to us. It can easily be demonstrated, however, that the scope of
knowledge, and hence achievement, is unlimited. A boundary between the known
and the unknown always exists. In such a situation, opportunity is also
unlimited for any number of folk whatever. We do not pretend or even hope to
extend knowledge across new borders.
Our academy is only precursory: before we explore new fields we must delineate
the old, and define the areas where achievement is possible. This is a
tremendous work in itself. I expect to work my life out only as a precursor.
Even so, I will have given this life meaning. I invite you Glinnes
Hulden, to join Fanscherade and share our great
I aim."
"And wear a grey uniform and give up hussade and star- watching? By no means.
I don't care whether I achieve anything or not. As for your college, if you
laid it down on the meadow you d spoil my view. Look at the light on the water
yonder; look at the color in the trees! Suddenly it seems as if your talk of
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