He lay awake a very long time every night, wishing for the Holy Oil to help him dream up an answer to the dilemma. And the answer was there, somewhere, just beyond his reach, tantalizingly close just at the point when true sleep finally came. And then, the next thing he knew, the birds were singing their ever more familiar morning song.
But this night was different. He determined to stay awake until he had the answer. What was it that made him feel so unfulfilled? Was there somewhere else he was supposed to go? Was there something else he could do?
Perhaps.
Perhaps? He didn’t understand where that thought had come from.
Perhaps he could go to Kezantopil and talk to church officials there.
And as ludicrous as that seemed (Why wouldn’t they just throw him out like the abbot had?) he knew there was no reason not to try.
He knew he simply had to try.
He also knew he would need a burning good argument.

Morning came, and Hyran got up with far more purpose than ever before.
The meal-grass he’d planted the previous week was already producing, as it had long ago been bred to do. He collected as much as he could, and packed up again. He spent some time collecting more fruit on the forest floor below, before heading back for the road.
First he headed northwest, to a fork in the road. It was the left one that he chose, which went to Hame, a rich port at the very end of the Gulf of Ladia. With luck, he’d arrive before nightfall, and be able to stay in the church there.
It wasn’t long after he chose that road that he heard footsteps behind him. He turned to look, and saw a thin young Vle walking more quickly than he.
The younger Vle noticed Hyran’s glance, and said, “Hello there, fellow traveler! Mind if I walk with you for a while?”
Hyran responded with a shrug. “If you wish. I would like to make Hame today.”
“Me too, me too. I hope to make Kezantopil eventually.”
“I suggest you eat something, then!”
The thin Vle chuckled. “Of course, of course. I’ve been depending on the generosity of other travelers, but I find that times must be too hard for anyone to spare a crumb.”
“That’s what I’ve been told. By the way, my name is...” He paused before saying, “Hyran.” Why should he continue to use the name he chose at the monastery? Perhaps because he was still in the Great Master’s service.
“Valph’s my name. Nice to meet you,” replied the younger.
“Well, I’ll be stopping for the midday meal soon. I’m just waiting for the sun to be a little higher. I ought to be able to spare some meal-grain.”
“Meal-grain? Are you on a pilgrimage, too?”
“You might say that. However, I don’t see any reason to starve myself along the way.”
“Well, going hungry like this really clears the mind, let me tell ya. Y’see, I figured you for a pilgrim because of your robe. It looks like a monk’s robe, but I know that monks aren’t allowed out of the monastery except in the Deschule season, so...”
“You are an astute one, Valph. I was a monk, up until two weeks ago.”
“It’s possible to quit? I thought it was a life-long service.”
“Theoretically, yes. But you have to admit that being a monk is not necessarily everyone’s cup of tea. They will let you out if it’s clear that you fit into that category.”
“Like you?”
“Hmmm, I haven’t yet figured that one out. So I assume you hope to enter the service of the Great Master?”
“Nope. I no longer believe in him. As a deity, that is.”
“Really? I didn’t realize there was anyone else to be a pilgrim to.”
“It’s not a who, but a what. Or, more precisely, a concept, or a feeling. It’s hard to say, really. I’m a pilgrim to Love.”
“Love? They’ve made a religion out of love?”
“Sure! Let me tell you all about it. We call ourselves Exians....”

The sun had just dropped underneath the trees when they arrived at Hame. It was easily one of the biggest cities Hyran had ever been to, comprised of five levels, plus the ground, around no less than ten trees! If he remembered correctly, the church was on the third level of tree F.
“Well, Valph,” he said, “I’ll hopefully be sleeping in a church this evening. I’m sorry they won’t invite you in.”
“No problem. There are plenty of Exians here. Shall we continue to Kezantopil together?”
“Sure. But surely you don’t expect to convert anyone there.”
Valph shrugged. “Just because I don’t take the Great Master as a deity doesn’t mean I can’t learn more about his wisdom.”
“Interesting. If he’s not a deity, how did he get to be so wise?”
“Does it matter?”
“Well, yes it does, but— Oh, it’s getting dark. Let’s meet tomorrow morning. At the base of tree H? If I remember right, it’s the one by the road south.”
“Agreed.”
They parted, and Hyran went off to find the church. It was right where he remembered it, though some modifications had been made. Apparently, membership had shrunk, such that they didn’t need nearly as large a space as before.
He got a place to sleep and some food, and rested deeply from his long walk.

The next morning, they met on schedule, and continued on their way, now headed south along the long peninsula.
“Didn’t that city seem awfully quiet?” asked Hyran.
Valph shook his head. “No! It positively bustled, compared to any place I’ve been before. Why, do you think so?”
“Absolutely. I have been there before, a long time ago, and it was much busier then.”
“Because the light Vle are gone now, right?”
“Exactly.”
“I wasn’t aware light Vle had ever been there. Wow. If so, then that must really have been a busy port.”
“It still is, but there are fewer people now to do the same work.”
“What a totally unloving thing for a King to do to his subjects. I can’t imagine why he’d want to do such a thing. And why hasn’t anyone tried to stop it? Surely the Church—”
“Could change the King’s mind, yes, I agree completely. I’ve met a number of people who think so, but, you see, such a point of view does not get you far in a monastery, much less in the priesthood.”
“Whoa, I forgot about that, the non-involvement thing.”
“But I hope to change that.” Hyran realized that that hope had grown quite a bit since leaving.
“Good luck.”
“Thanks. I’m going to need it.”
The forest they passed through seemed empty, as empty as the area around Kelwome— for the same reason, of course. That isn’t to say that there weren’t Vle, merely that there weren’t many of them.
Incredibly, an army passed them on their way south. Were they headed into war? “Excuse me,” Hyran asked one of the passing soldiers, “could you tell me where you are going?”
The soldier moved his horse out of postition and slowed his pace. “We are going to fortify the port of Jisac. The light Vle might attack it any day now.”
“In defense of their kin?”
“Yeah, the dirty rats. They don’t seem to understand just how they’ve ruined our kingdom.”
“Indeed. And how, pray tell, have they done that?”
“Oh, with their mine strikes, their bank strikes, and burning boats in ports around the country, they tried to put our economy in a noose! And they’ve even infiltrated our government with spies, too.”
“I see.” Hyran didn’t believe it, but nodded. “Thank you, kind sir.”
“At your service, Father.” The soldier set his horse to a trot to catch up and get back in position.
Hyran threw up his arms. “Ridiculous. Why should these allegations surface all of a sudden, after all this peace?”
“I don’t know.” They fell into silence and kept walking.
More than once, they also passed groups of light Vle headed north, prodded by a troop of soldiers behind them. It was one thing to watch them from above, detached by the two- or three-canopy distance, but on the ground, seeing the faces head on really plucked the heart strings. The somber expressions were uniform, even on the smallest children. No one spoke, seeming to concentrate on every footstep.
Hyran almost cried out, but he didn’t really know what words there were to cry. If only the Representative himself could be there at that moment, to see the cruelty caused by the flaming stupid non-involvement edict... [Caused? not by us, but the King...] Hyran somehow knew that would be exactly what the Rep would say. And yet he’d have to try. He knew he had to.
The ‘parade’ passed, but the pall remained. Hyran felt there was nothing to say; he could see on Valph’s face the same unwillingness to say anything. Others on the road wore the same expression. If the King could see this, too... But of course he never would, locked as he always was in the palace.
“I hope I never see that again,” said Valph, but of course they passed four more caravans in their week-long walk to Kezantopil.
But Hyran had trouble just sitting around, so he took rides on one of the city’s many seated chariots to do some sightseeing in the city he’d only read (and dreamed) about. To his surprise, as was the case for everywhere else in light-Vle areas, the city was quiet and subdued. Empty spaces abounded, and there wasn’t a light-skinned face anywhere.
Not even the Great Master’s holiest city in all the world was above a mere King’s Proclamation?! It made Hyran despair somewhat. If the sight of soldiers leading shocked priests away from the seclusion that was Kezantopil didn’t make The Rep say something, what in the world could he, a mere ex-monk (emphasis on the ex) say to change that?