From: prauda@dol-guldur.hut.fi (Kristiina Prauda)
Subject: Castle: KATHREA'S STORY (PART 7)
Organization: Helsinki University, Finland
Date: 16 Oct 92 13:23:08



It was already late in the afternoon when a young novice came to
tell us that the Mother Superior wished to see us in the church. We
got up, still wordless, and followed the novice back to the monastery.
The abbess was waiting for us in the church, and there was another
nun with her, one that we had not met before. She was just as 
ordinary as they all were - thin, solemn, used to the hardships of
the mountains. They both looked at us, walking towards them and the
altar: three wraiths of mute suffering, faces grey as the stone of 
the walls. 

We stopped in front of them and waited. 

"I think you should hear what our Sister in God here has to say", the
Mother Superior said softly. 

"This is the Word of God, the All-knowing, and the Will He has in His
infinite wisdom decreed to be done", the other nun began, her voice
ringing like steel in the stillness of the church. We jumped awake 
as if from a trance, both because of the voice and her words. "Young 
wizards, you repent your deeds and seek to redeem yourselves, not 
remembering that each and every man needs just as much redemption in 
my eyes. But since your penitence is sincere and your hearts are true 
in this wish, you will be given a task whereby you can find the 
opportunity you seek.  

You will continue to study with your powers that I have given you and 
that you have now abused. You will learn what caused this accident so 
that nothing of its kind will ever again come to pass. You will become 
the protectors of this world and all its people, using your special 
combined powers to the good of them all. 

Your task will be long and laborious. You will have no home to call 
your own. You will never rest for long. You will deal with evils that 
could easily destroy you, but you must learn to overcome them. You will 
deal with people and their quarrels and wars, and you must learn to 
solve them. For as long as it will be needed, you will be responsible 
for the fate of this world, your world, but you must take neither power 
nor glory to yourself. You will be but servants, fulfilling their debt. 

In this way you shall repay for your deed, if you truly wish to do so. 
You will begin your task by going down to those who are suffering 
because of you, and you will help them to build again their houses
and their lives. 

This is the Justice and Mercy of the Eternal, Everloving God in His
wisdom."

The words were left echoing in the air between us. Still, no-one 
spoke. It was as if all willpower had permanently left us, and we
could no longer come to terms with any actual orders to do anything. 
I looked at the nun who had spoken, the Mother Superior, the altar, 
and finally Soron and Ywarin on both sides of me, their faces a 
mixture of despair, wonder, doubt and pure exhaustion. Even though
this was now the message I had obstinately prayed for, I did not 
know how to respond to it all of a sudden. 

"And how do we know this really is the word of 'God'?" Ywarin 
finally asked bluntly. 

"You do not", the Mother Superior answered calmly. "It is a matter 
of faith and only faith."

"How long is this task supposed to last, then?" Soron asked, suddenly 
coming to life on the other side of me. 

"As long as it is necessary", the other nun answered severely. 

"And how do we know what is necessary?"

"That has not been revealed to me."

I did not say anything. There was nothing to say. I knew I at least
had no choice whether to accept or not - but I was horrified by the
idea that I would have to use my magic again. I did not want to do it.
I did not even want to *hear* about it. I did not want anything. I 
wished I had not been so stubborn about the guidance. And there were
other horrors, too, some of which were smaller, some almost as big as
the fear of the power. 

"But that means we'll have to be together for all our lives!" 
Soron exclaimed, and one of my fears was realized. 

"That may be so", the nun said. "I do not know anything of it."

"Perhaps you would like to discuss this among yourselves for a 
while", the mother Superior interrupted gently. 

"Good idea", Soron said emphatically, and I felt them both take my
elbows and practically drag me out. 

The argument was heated. We were coming out of the lethargy we had
been in, and that showed. Ywarin did not want to accept any kind of 
supernatural help or advice, even less the advice of a couple of 
nuns posing as the mouth of God (as he said). Soron did not like the 
idea that we had no choice except to bear each other for the next
couple of hundred years (as he said). I did not like the idea of 
ever even thinking about magic anymore. None of us liked the idea of
having our fate dictated for us. 

In the end, however, there really was no alternative. We had caused
a great wrong and had millions of deaths to atone for, whether to
God or to the world we had wounded - according to how one wished to 
see it. Since the destruction was caused by our collective powers, 
it was only fair that we learn how to control those powers and use 
them in the opposite way. And since it was our fault - all of us - 
it was only fair that we did it together. None of us would have been 
able to live with the catastrophe on our conscience, so the argument 
was only a means of coming to terms with the inevitable. 

So we finally went back in, having spent all the words and arguments
and accusations. We did not like the choice we made, but we didn't
really have to. We just had to do it. 

"So what do we do now?" Soron asked the nun that had announced the
prophecy (if that is what it should be called). He didn't say anything
else, nor was it necessary. It was self-evident what the choice was,
if there ever had been any doubt. 

The nun shook her head.

"Nothing else has been revealed to me", she said. 

We had to be content with that. 


And so began the Three, with nothing, absolutely nothing to start 
with except the words of a prophecy. 

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