*  *  *  *

Charles appeared agitated for the first time.

Charles: "We now have lost two more of our group and we know not the
	  source.  We must move aggressively and quickly -- but without
	  chaos."

Charles: "Florence and Tjar are very important people, as were Glenn
	  and perhaps Cleopatra.  We must find out where they have been
	  taken, and who is responsible."

Charles: "From the dream that Hypatia has reported to us, if dreams be
	  true, and here we must consider that there are more players
	  than just ourselves, That we are amidst some version of a
	  Greek Tragedy and we are merely players in this place.  I
	  for one, will not submit my Will to any other than God's own
	  design, and this affair does not ring of God's Plan."

Shaw: "Dreams? Well..perhaps. Its no stranger than finding oneself
       young and healthy again after dying. Perhaps Dr. Freud would
       have insight into this matter?"

Freud spoke up hesitantly.

Freud: "While your spirit is commendable, my experience suggests that
        dreams say more about the dreamer than that which is dreamt."

Mishima tentatively questioned the group.

Mishima: "Some of you look like you know this 'Temuchin' from
	  Hypatia's dream. Who is he? Is he an enemy?"

Hypatia explained.

Hypatia: "He's a slaver. He takes men for their grails and their
	  backs, and women for other purposes. T.R. and I were his
	  captives until we were freed by the others, some also
	  captive, and others working from without his fortress on the
	  far side of the River."

Charles: "They killed George in their first raid, and captured many of us."

Jeanne: "And Maria never returned. I saw her body."

Benjamin: "Could Temuchin be somehow responsible for these
	   Disappearances?  Those who vanish without leaving
	   Footprints might disappear by being... killed, and their
	   Bodies being sent to another Place to awaken, as mine was.
	   Would Temuchin and his men be willing to do such a thing?"

Louis's eyes narrowed, his fists clenched into tight balls, and his
back straightened into a iron bar. He hissed through clenched teeth.

Louis: "Slavers! Death would be too good for them. No man holds
	another in bondage."

His face gradually composed itself into a look of resolute purpose,
a grim but satisfied smile spreading across his lips.

Louis: "We must go and see if the slavers have captured T.R. and
        Florence.  We should commence reconnaissance on their
        encampment as soon as it is possible.  We have no hope of
        winning any conflict without intelligence."

His eyes aflame, Louis looked at the group.

Louis: "We cannot leave our comrades to live on their knees!"

Mishima: "Louis is right.  We must assume our enemies are responsible
	  for the disappearance."

Shaw murmured to himself thoughtfully.

Shaw: "Always at night...why does it come at night? Does it fear us or
       merely wish to stay unseen...or perhaps it seeks to cause fear
       and dissension..."

Shaw: "What ever the matter, we have one enemy we know, and we know
       where he is. I say we take the fight to him. I'm sure this is
       the last thing they would expect, surprise would be on our
       side, and perhaps we could get the people on the opposite bank
       to aid us.We can not simply sit here and wait as our number are
       slowly reduced until there are none of us left."

Benjamin: "Might there be a diplomatic Resolution?"

Louis: "There is only one negotiation to be had with slavers: the
        speed of their death."

The others seemed to be of a mood with Louis, and Benjamin nodded.

Jeanne: "It is possible Temuchin would take them.. but why only two?
	 Last time he and his men took all that remained at the
	 fireside. Had he wished to, he and his men could have swooped
	 us all up. I think it unlikely that he would merely kill
	 them, as has been suggested. A dead slave is no good to him."

A line appeared between Josephine's eyebrows and she frowned thoughtfully.

Josephine: "Perhaps our two friends wanted to spend some... time
	    alone?  We assume they have been abducted yet there are no
	    signs of struggling?  Are they both not intelligent enough
	    to dig in a heel or break a branch or... drop a towel or
	    something to let us know they whatever happened was
	    against their will?"

Josephine: "I agree that if they have indeed been captured by Temuchin
	    we must rescue our friends, however, we have no reason to
	    believe they aren't just off together by their own free
	    will, do we?"

Jeanne pointed to where the footprints stopped and shook her head.

Jeanne: "The tracks disappear.  Not into some thicket, or behind a
	 stand of bamboo. Just disappear."

Charles: "I too feel that something deeper is at work here."

Josephine: "If we truly believe they have been taken, I offer to go
	    take a man with me and scout the camp again.  I know what
	    the camp looks like from the outside, but not from the
	    inside.  If one of those who were in the camp will come, I
	    think we might be able to find out if our friends have,
	    indeed been captured."

Charles: "We must band together. All of Us. Today. And search the land
	  for signs of intruder.  We must watch each other, for if
	  Hypatia is correct in her dream, then we may be divided from
	  within.  From now on, we will all stay in groups of Three or
	  four, where possible -- not just 2.  It is too easy to
	  suborn us.  We must have one group on guard at all
	  times. Day and Night."

Charles: "It is time that we take the power and the offense and face
	  our enemy, whomever they may be -- face to face."

Charles conveyed his words to Shaka in a mixture of broken Bantu and
gestures.

Shaka, however, had come to understand the tongues of the others
better than they knew. He nodded as Charles suggested that the lazari
stay in groups of 3 or 4 and keep watch at all times. His eyes
narrowed at the suggestion that the enemy might be one of the lazari
themselves as well as a force from without.

Mishima paused and looked at Shaka for a moment, as if waiting for
approval, before continuing.

Mishima: "I will follow our leaders in whatever action is necessary."

Benjamin: "Is anything known of the Scythe?  For unless it was given
	   by a Grailstone, it implies the development of Industry,
	   suitable for the Manufacture of Arms.  If we could trace
	   its Origin, we might find a Resource of inestimable Value
	   to our Cause.  If we know nothing of the Scythe, we should
	   endeavour to find out.  Might I be permitted to investigate
	   it more closely?"

Jeanne: "It's a bit big to have been found in someone's grail, don't
	 you think?"

Without hesitation, Shaka nodded, and held the scythe out for
Benjamin's inspection, somewhat to Jeanne's surprise. Benjamin
examined the blade carefully for some time before pronouncing his
conclusions.

Benjamin: "It's well-made, but it is nevertheless an Artifact of
	   Manufacture, not a product of the Grail. We might do well
	   to seek out the Manufacturer. Whoever could produce such a
	   Work in such little time must possess great Skill or
	   Advantage."

Shaka took back his scythe and his face contorted with anger. 
He shook his fist angrily and shouted in an unfamiliar language.
Gesturing to everyone present, he seemed to be saying that this is all
due to some one thing, but not what the thing is.

Calming down, he suggested by means of hand signals that he, Mishima,
and Shaw scout the River to the north during the night.  Jeanne
retrieved her spears and stood beside Shaka, ignoring his glower at
her presumption.

Charles: "It's not night yet.  Until then, let us prepare our weapons,
 	  make ready our defense, and gird our courage. We can perhaps
 	  make three bands; one to scout to the north, one to spy on
 	  Temuchin's encampment, and one to guard our village."

The group broke up, each careful to stay with at least two others as
they sharpened their spears to prepare for the coming night.  With and
excess of energy, Charles prowled around the camp staring with
hawk-like eyes, watching and observing all that occurs.  He reminded
the others of nothing so much as a predator on the hunt.

At the noon firing of the grail, they met in the common hut. Jeanne
hung her makeshift crucifix on the hut's wall, and asked God to bless
the hut, murmuring.

Jeanne: "'Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there
	 am I.'  How blessed are they who are called to the banquet of
	 the Lord."

Charles crossed himself as well.

Benjamin opened the conversation by asking each group member how they
came to be in Riverworld: whether they had died on the River, and what
memories they had of their time before reawakening. He soon learned
that of the lazari, only he, Mishima, and Hypatia could remember the
events from Resurrection Day; Hypatia said that she and Tjar had not
died on the River, while Benjamin and Mishima had. All of the others,
except Louis, could remember nothing of their first days on the River
except that they had indeed been on the River. When they were reborn
a month after Resurrection Day, they remembered the Grails, the
towels, the River, but none of the specific events of their past
month. Louis, even more oddly, had no memory of the River before his
resurrection, and maintained that he had never been reborn before.

Benjamin spoke with amazement.

Benjamin: "In the area where I lived on Riverworld before now,
	   everyone lived and died and lived in the same Manner, and
	   no man nor woman knew of any other Manner.  Here, I find
	   that everyone has a different Experience.  I wonder, why
	   this should be?  Am I unusual to be born here, but under
	   the Rules of another part of Riverworld?  Or are you
	   unusual for living under different Rules?  I cannot think
	   but there must be some logical Reason, that the Mind of Man
	   can find, in the fullness of Time.  Even here in this Life
	   after Life, the process of Philosophy must be able to
	   determine the Ways of Nature.  Ah, well, what would
	   Immortality be without Mystery?"

Hypatia: "Have you not also noted that when a group is reborn at once,
	  they are often of the same time and place. Yet these
	  friends, so I am told, were born together without regard for
	  this convention. Another variable in perhaps the same
	  equivalence."

Benjamin nodded respectfully.

Benjamin: "But whatever the Cause, I see no Reason to believe, as
	   Charles does, that this is Purgatory. Rather, given the
	   Immortality of our Bodies, this must be Heaven itself."

Jeanne: "You, sir, dare to claim entrance into heaven? I find this
	 most unlikely!  You who admits, nay brags! that he died
	 *while breaking* Our Lord's commandments? Surely your
	 mistress could not give you absolution in that last moment,
	 and you died unshriven! How can you think you have any right
	 to be clasped to the bosom of Abraham!"

Jeanne fairly shook with indignation at Benjamin.

Jeanne: "I do not know what this place is, but is surely not Heaven."

Benjamin seemed mildly amused, but clearly not at all offended, by
Jeanne's outburst.  When she finished, he spoke, conversationally at
first but with gradually increasing passion:

Benjamin: "Madame Eminence, you mistake my Tale.  My first Death was a
	   peaceful, if painful one.  My Life was prolonged by a Score
	   of Years because my mission, ensuring Peace and the Birth
	   of a Nation, was not yet completed.  Though my Wife had
	   died much earlier, I was ever true to her unto my Deathbed,
	   tempted though I often was."

Benjamin: "It was my second Death, here in this Riverworld, that
	   ended in what you call Sin.  And shall you call it Sin,
	   when Jesus did say, 'For in the Resurrection, they will
	   neither marry nor are given in Marriage, but are as the
	   Angels of God in Heaven'?"

Benjamin's voice, which had risen to a level which betrayed emotional
engagement, suddenly dropped back to his gentle, amused tone.

Benjamin: "In any case, though the Holy Roman Church made you a Saint
	   and not I, it is not your Place to judge, or to
	   second-guess the Will of God.  With all due respect, your
	   Eminence, and apologies for the inappropriateness of the
	   Title, but as far as I am given to know, there is no proper
	   Title for addressing a deceased Saint."

				*  *  *  *