Written by Neil Fraser
The white saurian stood within the Actuality that was The Dragon. This was confusing. Perhaps for the first time, its thoughts were confused, be it by ever so little, by the feelings of the Voklaynn entity. But not the petty little Dragon that the humans called “a god”, but The Dragon.
The white saurian held up the human male it had casually in one great clawed hand and looked thoughtfully at it. What was it called again? Lan? It considered Deleting it, but then, the small part of it that was (and would ever be?) Voklaynn protested. Lan was her friend!
The white saurian acknowledged this. The experiment was working in quite unexpected ways, it seemed. However, was it succeeding? It Transposed the Lan-being to a more convenient Otherwhere and considered its options.
It was almost annoying (a very … wrong reaction) to realise that Voklaynn’s thoughts, especially ones concerning those named Anwyn and Karwin, were intruding on its deliberations. She had to return as soon as she could, or Anwyn would be distressed. And Karwin would be also, in his own way. And those two likelihoods would in turn … distress her. It. The white saurian.
Most interesting! It seemed that all became… had become … would become an integrated whole. What did that bode for the future? What would the Advocate say?
It translated itself out of The Dragon. Unlike when in any other place, not that this was, strictly speaking, a “place”, here the saurian could not discern the … infinite ribbon of the existence of itself. Luckily Voklaynn was (largely) dormant here, for she would likely not cope. It was exceeding fond of her. This thought … this emotion was also unexpected.
The Secondary Follower was still with The Dragon, of course. It appeared to be no further towards completion than the last time it had needed to come here. Still, as it could tell, things were progressing in a satisfactory manner. It seemed … peculiar (so many human terms, even if not properly expressible in the First Speech, had crept into its patterning since Voklaynn) that it was responsible – though not wholly, certainly – for the ultimate completion. What would its choice be then?
It felt a difficult feeling and then allowed Voklaynn to identify it as uncertainty. Most unusual. There was a definite conflict of interest. And what would the Advocate say about that?
In this no-passing of the Stream, The Dragon had said nothing but merely looked at it, as though studying. But the saurian suspected that it was foolishly allowing the Voklaynn to “anthropomorphise” matters. The Dragon’s claw swam up into sight; the five enormous fingers armed with claws beyond Voklaynn’s (but not its) imagining. The saurian in its turn ritually held up its own, saurianly unique five-fingered claw. They shared the proper thought.
It wondered how much of what its Voklaynn would have called Time had passed. And realised that it must have been Voklaynn who had wondered that. The white saurian would not have done so.
Opening communication, it nodded to The Dragon.
< Yes. The one called Tintagel shall be located. >
It paused, seeking about with the tendrils.
< Yes. I have it now. In its home place, of course. Seeking. Is it not peculiar how vital that one has become to the whole? >
< Really? > it then said.
< I am … astonished, if I may use such a meaningless word. I had no idea You would also be … astonished at the situation as it unfolded. >
< No. I have no idea what will ultimately happen. How things will conclude. Do You? Have You not anticipated? >
< That is a matter of interest to me. Of concern also? No, perhaps not. >
< Ah, yes. I see. To allow One to know all would reduce existence to a pointless, repetitive nothingness. >
< Did You? You will be able to reverse this, will You not? Though on reflection, the query must be considered to be a pointless one. >
< I understand. That is most interesting. >
< And You find the questions I couch also to be fascinating? I am glad that this is contributing to the end-point. Did You anticipate this at the inception of the process? >
< Only some of it. I think I might know some parts of which questions. >
< Now I am fascinated anew, especially at that. Might I make further enquir … No? >
< Of course. To self-discover is a necessary part of what is ongoing. That makes eminent sense. >
< Yes. I shall. Thank You for what You have vouchsafed me. I shall return then now, to use one of my Voklaynn’s phrases. I shall not hesitate to return, should I need further nurturing in Presence. >
< Soon? It is to be that soon? What sort of losses might need to be expected? >
< Half or more? >
It stopped. Not at its worst estimates had losses of half or more been considered possible.
< And recovery will be slow. The damage already done will compound things further. >
It shook its head in a very human gesture.
< At least the Place is ready, and initial Production seems promising. >
The saurian “turned” back one last time.
< The small Experimental? >
< Excellent! That is most gratifying to hear. >
< I beg your pardon? >
< I am sorry. That is a human habit that has maintained. And yes. So also is that. But extraordinary. One self-choosing! The Advocate and I are not singular. Though the Advocate is not properly singular, of course. >
< Were You not Who You are, I would … my Voklaynn would say that You are laughing at me. >
< You do?!!! How extraordinary! >
It retrieved the Lan-being. Where the human had been was warmer than where it now again was, and the ice that had deliquesced commenced to turn solid again. The saurian removed enough ambient essence from the surrounds to replenish its own supply of ######, and Stepped back through.
Night-time, as Voklaynn would have defined things. It was now in a camp. Many people (none of them saurian) very much about. For the moment then, it ensured that none of them could see it. It kept itself slightly out of the “reality” those who called themselves … what were those names now? Ben. Arron. Those Khagraz. Oh. And all the others.
It gestured. Those things, those labels were Voklaynn’s concern, not its. Voklaynn’s friends. Extraordinary! It was not quite in the reality that those ones thought was all that there was. Too hard to explain. The minds were too … shallow. No. Not shallow. That much it had learnt. Not shallow, but naive.
Hmmm. It had the Anwyn-Tintagel frozen in time and took the opportunity to satisfy its Voklaynn that Karwin was still well and happy.
That Voklaynn part of it – much more prominent here in the world that was largely her own – let it know that it would be a very good idea not to let him know that it had suspended his “Time” and taken him from his hatching reality. He would likely be upset to learn that the white saurian’s power encompassed such things, even into the … Summer Country.
It was still almost as if he did not believe that it and its Voklaynn were One. Though confusingly, even the Voklaynn herself wondered sometimes such things. Extraordinary!
Anwyn thought that in the Summer Country (at least) he had power, and not it. Her. But there was power and there was power. But it … she thought that he would not understand. Appreciate the difference. It was indeed possible Voklaynn might not.
Voklaynn began to allow herself to return but then hesitated. No. Lan first. He was inserted into his bed. Thawed out. Dry. Then, with the embarrassment of Voklaynn, it remembered, and erected the two tents, making sure the temporal sequence was revised, so that it was the tents that had been pitched before the body had been put inside it.
And then Voklaynn put herself and Anwyn back into their own tent, and she set about the wholly pleasurable task of rousing her Soul-Beloved.