01 Taxilas Children

TAXILA'S CHILDREN
off because of infertility - and you know we are living under a great evil. If you are Taxila,
you will correct the evil!"
Steve sat on one of the stone steps of the amphitheatre. He was shaking, but it wasn't from
exertion
"How, in the name of your god, do you expect me to do that?"
"Taxila will know - "
They were alone in the windswept place. The other four couples were off somewhere, no
doubt doing what young couples did when they could escape supervision. His Scarn servant
was nowhere to be seen. Danyk shrugged.
"They're like that - after what he experienced last night, he's gone into hiding - I can't say I
blame him."
Steve had one last question.
"How do the Scarn figure in your story? Were they on your lands before Taxila fathered the
nation?"
"The story goes that they were always here. There has never been a shortage of Scarn, they
breed like the animals they are!"
They started back down the long path to the Thanehold. The absence of his Scarn troubled
Steve, he had really thought that he was getting through to the mute creature. The way it had
come to him for refuge on the previous night, had forged a deeper link - or so he had thought.
He wondered where it had gone. Perhaps, it had elected to hide amongst the rocks of the Rim,
or in the forest flanking the crest of the escarpment.
There was another possibility, perhaps it knew of a way down from the high plateau of the
Lynxe, perhaps there had always been a way which the Scarn had known and this accounted
for the unlimited numbers the Lynxe had always found to do their menial work. The ten
maidens had also found their way to the top - and so had Taxila. He asked Danyk another
question on the way back.
"Is the cloud always there - beyond the Rim, I mean?"
"There are times when the cloud is blown over the Rim and there are great storms. The
wind is so strong, it isn't possible, even for the strongest, to visit the Rim. At other times, the
cloud is always there."
CHAPTER 30
The Formal Declaration was scheduled to take place during the feasting in the evening of
the following day. This was announced on the return of the various groups from their
excursions. There was other news, someone had found the site used for whatever had taken
place during the previous night. They had found a familiar scene of sacrifice. It was close to
the Thanehold, in an open glade in the forest. The blood was still wet upon the ground where
some luckless Scarn had been sacrificed to the sadistic needs of the cultured high borne race
of the planet.
Steve felt nauseated by the details, whilst the inner man seethed in anger. He was boiling
close to the surface and Steve caught Danyk eyeing him with increasing speculation.
The feasting on that evening was subdued, as if the shadow of the sacrifice darkened the
mood of celebration. Steve looked around the assembly, it was hard to believe that some of
his elegant neighbours had participated in the savagery. He was suddenly glad that his Scarn
had made himself scarce, especially if he had been targeted as a victim. The danger still
existed, the bloodlust hadn't yet been satisfied.
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