him on his eternal journey. Only a man like young Yakim, or like Bohl, a man who harbored innermost doubts about Yatol, would desire this journey, and a man such as that, Yakim Douan knew first-hand, could not truly be trusted.
A man without the true belief in Paradise, and thus, without the true fear of Yatol, was a man who desired to make Paradise his own in this life.
Whatever the cost.
His body would have sighed again had it been there, as Yakim Douan realized what he now had to do to eliminate this latest threat, to eliminate Yatol Bohl.
And yes, he realized, Yatol Thei'a'hu, as well.
How might he do that without causing a major disruption in all the church, a ripple that would shake the groundwork he had struggled so hard to put in place? If it was but one man, one caravan, he could order his Chezhou-Lei warriors out, disguised as bandits. Even if the great warriors were recognized by any survivors of that caravan for who they were, no one would believe mere escorts. But two Yatol priests and two caravans?
It would have to be orchestrated carefully and over time.
Over time. Yakim Douan was biting his lip in frustration even as he re-entered his corporeal form back in the palace. He did not want to delay the resolution to this newest problem, did not want to spend the next weeks - even months, perhaps - in executing the deserving Yatols, then waiting for the results to shake out. I might ..." he started to say, but he stopped short, his lips curl 'ent right back out in spiritual form, leaping through the hematal then soaring across the city to the house occupied by Yatol ?If he found the man lying in a bath, surrounded by pretty, scantily ung attendants, both male and female. Yakim considered the scene h pity and amusement. It was common knowledge that Thei'a'hu he?? lost his ability to perform sexually, and so it had been rumored that the man took his pleasures vicariously.
Pitiful wretch.
Ignoring those standing about the Yatol, Yakim Douan's spirit soared right to the reclining man, and right into the reclining man.
Yatol Thei'a'hu's eyes popped open wide and he let out a shriek that turned all heads in the room his way.
Some of those onlookers started to ap-proach him, but then they all backed off, eyes wide with shock, as Thei'a'hu thrashed about in his tub, splashing soapy water all about the room.
His mouth opened and twisted as if he was trying to spout out some words, some cry for help, and indeed he was.
But he had no control. For Yakim Douan was in there with him, two spirits, two wills, fighting for control over one body. Muscles knotted and twisted from contrasting signals. Eyes bulged and Thei'a'hu's mouth con-tinued to twist and snap, biting into his lip and tongue.
Do you know me, Yatol Thei'a'hu? Yakim Douan's spirit telepathically demanded.
The body stopped thrashing, lying very still in what remained of the bathwater.
Look upon me! Yakim Douan went on. Let your heart tell you who has come to visit!
Chezm Chieftain Douan? Thei'a'hu's mind silently asked.
That is one incarnation, came the teasing, cryptic response.
The onlookers in the room, some of them just gathering the nerve to approach the man once again, leaped back as Thei'a'hu's body jerked in surprise.
Jtol! Yatol! Yatol! Thei'a'hu's spirit screamed.
You are a nonbeliever! Yakim Douan accused. You disappoint me, Yatol Ibei'a'hu.
No!
You con sort with heretics who deny the truth of Yatol!
ei a hu's call, both telepathic and physieaL, held the inflections of - mper then, as he repeated over and ove% ?Mdrcy." U >rrect your sacrilege, YatotTka^hu/This niJht! Now!
You have but one f-o again walk the path to Para&eTakjplDouan ended by imparting - specific visual instructions, and then he departed Thei'a'hu's physical body, his spirit drifting up to the ceiling to observe, and though he was in visible and silent, those others in the room sensed that spirit, or something Yakim Douan was amused again to watch the looks of confusion and fear upon their faces, to see the hairs standing up on the back of their necks, to see the women hugging themselves as if suddenly chilled. The Chezru Chieftain even went back down among them, a cold ghost brushing close heightening the fear. More than one of those attendants ran out of the room, screaming.
But the show hadn't even yet begun, Yakim Douan knew, and so he con-tinued to watch, taking great pleasure as Yatol Thei'a'hu climbed out