The Namura Stone (The Ammonite Galaxy, book 6)

Chapter 5

ON VALHAI, TALLEN cursed his leg and dragged himself over towards the table, which was laden with such a display of sweetfruits, honey, chocolate and other delicacies that it made him furious. It had been a week since his operation, and he had just been authorized by Vion to move over to Mandalon's 1st skyrise. He was not feeling particularly grateful; in his opinion he was already fit enough to take on Tartalus and half his army, and he had not been best pleased when Vion had told him he would be spending another three or four weeks on Valhai. It felt as though he had been sentenced to years on the place. He stared gloomily at the walls enclosing the skyrise. He hated to be shut in.

"How can you hope to eat all of that?" he demanded, glaring in Mandalon's direction.

"I can't. I will pass most of it on to my guards."

"Your guards are Namuri. They will not eat all that. We eat sparsely, what we need. All this" —he gave a disdainful glance around at the spread of food— "is wasteful."

Mandalon smiled, rather sadly. "Your sister used to say the same."

"Of course she did. She was Namuri."

"Don't you eat enough?"

That caused Tallen to stiffen more. "Of course we eat enough. We eat what we need. We are not paupers!"

"I didn't mean to imply that you were. I have visited your village, remember? I was merely asking for more information about your customs."

Tallen told him about the sibyla, about the clan, how they lived, how they fought passively against the meritocrats.

"And now?"

"Now?"

"Well, you are friends with Diva. Hasn't that changed your perspective?"

Tallen frowned. "NO!"

"Both Diva and I are trying to change our planets."

"Yes, that is true." Tallen was looking confused now. "I know you are."

"But you are not prepared to change? The Namuri will never change?"

Tallen tried to straighten up, which caused a twinge of pain all down his leg, and made him scowl again. "Everything must change."

"That's what I think. Everything must change – even the Namuri."

The two boys stared at each other. They came from totally different worlds, yet there was understanding in their gaze.

"Perhaps," admitted Tallen, though his tone was reluctant. "Perhaps the Namuri, too, will have to change."

"Petra taught me that."

"She taught you to change?"

"No. She showed me how to accept change. Like she did."

Tallen felt his eyelids prickle. "She earned her place in the sacred marshes."

"She certainly did. I wish she hadn't had to give her own life for mine. I am not worth it."

Tallen was about to agree, when something stopped him. "Perhaps," he said slowly, "she would have disagreed. She knew that you were planning to change the whole way of thinking of an entire planet. She would have thought that to be very worthwhile."

"She was a brave girl."

"Braver than I will ever be."

"Braver than either of us will ever be."

Mandalon sighed, and they were silent for a short time. Then the Sellite signed to Tallen.

"We had better get to class. You will join me in my studies. The vimpic will take you at your own rate through the courses."