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you must know <strong>of</strong> the People. The knowing <strong>of</strong> such things by one <strong>not</strong> <strong>of</strong> the<br />

People is a difficult matter. There are those <strong>not</strong> <strong>of</strong> the People who have<br />

heard the Way <strong>of</strong> Zerthimon, but they <strong>do</strong> <strong>not</strong> know the Way."<br />

I mulled it over. If this journey was as abstract as Dak'kon implied, I must<br />

prepare <strong>to</strong> seek the deeper truths in what he has <strong>to</strong> <strong>of</strong>fer. "Dak'kon, I want<br />

<strong>to</strong> know <strong>of</strong> the People and know Zerthimon's teachings. I <strong>be</strong>lieve there is<br />

wis<strong>do</strong>m <strong>to</strong> <strong>be</strong> learned in such things."<br />

He inclined his head, "Know that I have heard your words, and I shall test<br />

them. To learn, you must know the People. To know the People, you must<br />

know the Unbroken Circle <strong>of</strong> Zerthimon." Dak'kon held up the s<strong>to</strong>ne disk in<br />

his possession and his spider-like fingers hooked in<strong>to</strong> its sides. Often I had<br />

seen him meditating over it, mulling over the words with a steely gaze. He<br />

had read them thoroughly <strong>be</strong>fore: the man had never needed <strong>to</strong> mouth the<br />

words as he read. There was a click from the object, and the plates <strong>of</strong> the<br />

Circle slid in<strong>to</strong> a new configuration. He reversed the motion, sealing the<br />

s<strong>to</strong>ne. "Know the First Circle <strong>of</strong> Zerthimon is open <strong>to</strong> you. Study it, then I will<br />

hear your words."<br />

The small round s<strong>to</strong>ne was cool in my hands. The Unbroken Circle <strong>of</strong><br />

Zerthimon. I marveled at it, holding the strange mechanical <strong>to</strong>me carefully,<br />

lest I break it. Wouldn't that <strong>be</strong> a nice thing, cracking the sacred scripture <strong>of</strong><br />

my new companion and teacher. It was made up <strong>of</strong> a series <strong>of</strong> interlocking<br />

circles that folded out from one a<strong>not</strong>her; the complexity <strong>of</strong> the plates and<br />

the intricacy <strong>of</strong> their links proved the text was constructed by a master<br />

artisan.<br />

I mirrored the motions that Dak'kon made upon the Circle, and the plates<br />

gave way at my <strong>to</strong>uch, the rings sliding in<strong>to</strong> a new configuration. Upon the<br />

rings were a series <strong>of</strong> symbols; the script was like no writing I had ever seen:<br />

it was a series <strong>of</strong> interlocking geometries, with circles pre-<strong>do</strong>minating. Yet<br />

just looking at it, I knew the symbols and knew I could read them. I looked it<br />

over as we walked.<br />

"Know that we are the First People."<br />

"Once all was chaos. The First People were thought drawn from chaos.<br />

When the First People came <strong>to</strong> know themselves, they were chaos no<br />

longer, and <strong>be</strong>came flesh."<br />

216

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