They may interpret that line to mean that they should conquer all the nations of Teldwen, taking their kennings for their own. Yet there could be other meanings: Perhaps the various sources of the kennings will cease at some point to bless those who seek magical powers. Perhaps the gods themselves will expire and the kennings along with them—an apocalyptic vision, to be sure, but also consistent with their seeming lack of a deity in their holy text, for why worship gods you believe will fall? I am still not convinced they worship no god—that would contradict Saviič’s holy fervor and his devotion to this religious text—but I have yet to see a god mentioned.
The simplest answer would be to ask Saviič in plain terms to name his god, but I keep thinking the next sentence I translate will give me the answer, and since the mistral ordered me to complete a copy, that is what I will do. I am translating as I go, however, rather than simply copying the text. I can’t help it. I’m leaving blanks for the words and passages I’m having trouble with. My thinking is that I will be able to prioritize which sections deserve to be translated first. The temptation to return to the dungeon is almost overwhelming, and that would have been an unthinkable sentence for me to write a few weeks ago. The problem is that my progress will slow if I begin talking to Saviič. Better to continue working in my private corner of the university library.
Yet the first line disturbs me so, I hardly know how to proceed. Should I recommend to the mistral that all nations look to their borders in the near future, perhaps spurring taxes on east coast peoples in advance of an attack that will never come? Or should I keep it to myself, a private fear unworthy of larger circulation? It is too large a thing for me to decide. It’s best that I pass it on to the chamberlain, like everything else, and let the people in power choose the path forward. I am merely a scholar with a taste for mustards and cheeses of a far finer quality than I can afford.
Teela Parr was quick to see me when I relayed a request for a meeting to discuss it. But her face, initially welcoming and pleasant, crushed itself into a frown after a few steps as she took in my appearance and the dirty dishes stacked on the end of the table from past meals.
“Sweet Reinei, Gondel, do you ever actually eat any mustard or do you just smear it on yourself on purpose?”
“What?” I looked down at my tunic, realizing that I was more than usually stained.
“When was the last time you went home?”
I blinked, considering. “What day is this?”
“It’s Feiller.”
“Then it’s been days.” Suddenly I missed Maron. He must have thought I’d fallen into the ocean. Or that I didn’t love him anymore. Or that the government owned me now. He’s always had trouble understanding that sometimes I get lost in my work. That kind of thing never happened to him, and since it was so far outside his own experience, he never believed me when I said it was a frequent hazard. He thought instead that he was not interesting enough to hold my attention, ignoring all the times I lost myself in him and neglected my work for his sake.
“I want you to go home after this meeting,” Teela said. “Take a day off. Maybe two.”
“But the mistral wants this translation—”
“And she’ll still want it when you get back. She also wants you healthy, believe me. And don’t worry about Saviič. He will be fine. Now: What have you found?”
“The translation of Zanata Sedam is disturbing. Portions of it also conflate with my professional interest in the origins of the Rift; apparently the Eculans know of it as well but think of it quite differently than we do. But let’s begin with the very beginning. Look at this first page.” I rifled through the stacks of paper and placed my translation in front of her.
“In the beginning there were seven, and in the end there shall be one. Only when there is one shall the Rift be healed and unknown return to the world. Then those who were unknown and unknown will thrive, and the selfish and unknown will perish.”
Teela shifted her eyes sideways. “There are some rather important words missing here.”
I don’t know those yet. I was