Rush Into Dawn

Chapter 6

The Rejiz and his chief advisor, Sariz, stood at the edge of an enormous marble pool that formed part one of the many temples on the Rejzik grounds. Jehz and one of his teachers sat some distance away in a classic Rija meditative pose, their left hands forming a fist with their right hands wrapped around it.

"He's been a model student Rejiz. Dutiful but questioning when he needs to be. A quiet but powerful spirit. He could be one of us - maybe he should be."

"If you are saying what I think you are saying Sariz, you need to put that notion out of your mind immediately. Make a Wander out if him when I promised his general father we would only keep him for a year and it has been 18 moons? Oh and by the way, he's arriving for a meeting with me within the hour as you well know but you just won't let this go until you make something out of him, will you? You are starting to sound like your partner, Guz, and it's more than a little disturbing since I thought you were supposed to be the skeptical one? It's not your fault he's not a Solon, Sariz. You did your job, he'll be a loyal ally, I'm sure, or at least a sympathetic one. Either way, he's more valuable to us as a Musa than he would ever be internally, unless you are thinking he could perhaps do my job?" The Rejiz smiled.

"Of course not sir. I was thinking that would go to me, when the time came that is," Sariz said, smiling back. "But I just can't shake the feeling something troubling is going on here. We are no closer to figuring it out than when we started, doesn't that bother you? Jehz has shown no sign of any kind of special power, even when it is suggested in both direct and indirect ways that he try. However, we still cannot see beyond his force field, even a glimpse has eluded us. What was the point, then? That is what bothers me, should bother all of us. Where will the cannon be aimed when it goes off, Rejiz? Can we possibly let him go before we know?"

"Are you so sure that it will? I'm not. Perhaps you are more deeply disappointed you haven't been able to load the cannon yourself than you care to admit, my friend. Attachment to that kind of dream is unhealthy for a Rija, Sariz, unhealthy for anyone in fact. We have seen many strange things, things our powerful Illuta brothers, who can reach into every corner of the universe, struggle to even begin explaining. Perhaps whatever the Solon-thing was trying to do failed, at least partially. Perhaps what he thought he was going to accomplish with Jehz was compromised in any number of ways. Perhaps it just hasn't happened yet. It doesn't matter Sariz. We have prepared, tried to learn, and now we must let this knot loosen and unravel on its own. Our role is to shape the outcome of our people, Sariz, not clench it in an iron grasp. It is not our way, my friend, you know that."

"I wish I had your confidence, Rejiz. Do the legends not scare you at all? You have no concern that this student of ours could be the most serious threat the Given has faced since the Syber?"

"Or the greatest gift from the Gods ever received if you were to listen to your more optimistic half Guz."

"So he says, Rejiz, but we don't know which way it will be, don't even have a clue. We can't let him go under those circumstances."

"We have no choice, Sariz, you must understand that. We were lucky to have kept him this long and he has to leave today or we are going to have a Musa rebellion to deal with. I, for one, will be happy to see those brutes scatter into the wind. They bring so much tension."

After completing his meditation, Jehz returned to his quarters to pack his things, such as they were, his journal, his copy of Lessons of Voz, heavily annotated after months of study, a few sets of robes. He wanted to wear his student's robes for the journey home but Guz wasn't having it, "Those days are behind you now Jehz. They will always be part of you, but part of your past. The world rushes toward you, my son, you must run into its arms or be crushed under its feet."