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THE GODDESS
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Acts 8th and last
Historical
DREGINIABETH
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Contents


HERE FOLLOWS THE SEVENTH EXTRACT FROM THE BOOK OF THE ACTS OF KEMENDIL:

Chapter 14. Chapter 15 v. 1-2, 15-19. Chapter 16 v. 1-10

14.1 Then the King sat down in the seat of judgement: and the banner of the eagle was unfurled behind him.
2. And the prisoner was brought into his presence. And witnesses declared what they had heard and seen. And the King said, The case is open and shut; yet hast thou aught to say for thyself?
3. And Melda gibbered, and pleaded for mercy; and his spittle ran down from his mouth.
4. Then said the King, We remember that it was said unto us, once upon a time, that malefactors ought not to suffer the punishment of death: yea, it was declared that such punishment manifesteth a barbarous failure of imagination.
5. Therefore it behoveth us now to set our wits to work, and to devise more subtly: for such an imputation is greatly to be deplored. And so let all follow us, with this prisoner, to the Temple precinct.
6. And so all the people made their way to that place, where standeth hard by the Temple a flagpole, from which standards are flown, according to the high-days and holidays of the Temple, which the City observeth.
7. And the King said: Let a spear be fastened to the top of the pole. Let it be fastened strongly.
8. So they brought ladders, and fastened a spear to the pole, pointing upward; yet the point of the spear was lower than the ramparts of the Temple.
9. And the King summoned four guards whom he knew. And he said, Let us now put God to the test.
10. Take ye this miscreant, and lead him up to the ramparts; and then take ye one man each an arm of his, and one man each a leg: and throw him forth. And in your throwing, aim that he be impaled on the spear.
11. And if it so be that Lord Dru willeth mercy for him, he shall fall on the pavement and instantly die; yet if Dru willeth punishment, and he fall on the spear, he shall die slowly, and in full sight of the people.
12. And forasmuch as this is the unlikelier outcome, and the more difficult task, ye shall be rewarded with gold if ye impale him: yea, a bagful to each man. And the soldiers said, We will do our best for Your Majesty.
13. So they entered the Temple with Melda, and Sarvad compelled the priests to guide them up the stairs. And very many folk came into the precinct, for the rumour of the execution had run through the City. And they all waited in silence and dread.
14. Then the soldiers came out on the rampart with Melda; and the four men each took hold of a limb of his, as the King had commanded them; and they swung him to and fro, until they might release him and fling him far from the rampart.
15. So they threw him, and he flew through the air, and fell upon the spear. And by the justice of Dru the spike passed through his ribs, so that he was impaled and held fast.
16. And he screamed and wriggled, high up in the air, like a small bug that squirmeth on a pin. And he ceased, and was still. And then he screamed and wriggled again; and again he was still. And a third time he screamed and wriggled.
17. Then all they that beheld him began to laugh. And the more he struggled, the louder the people laughed. And his cries were drowned in the great laughter.
18. And Aldred spake of it unto the King; and the King said, He hath received no more than his due.
19. And Aldred said, Yea, lord, but shall he not now be fetched down? For verily thou hast disconcerted thy people with this punishment: their mirth is full of confusion and shame: hearest thou not?
20. And the King answered, I hear. Nevertheless let the thing stay up there until it falleth in pieces.

15.1 And on the morrow Kemendil called unto him Lefnui, and Sarvad, and Wald, and the other lords; and with them was Aldred the Punchkin.
2. And he spake unto them of the reordering of his kingdom, and of war against the kingdom of Turmal.

15. And Aldred went out, and he said naught of what the King had resolved; but his heart was heavy. And he lay down on his bed, and slept.
16. And he dreamed that Lord Dru was before him in a dark tabernacle. And he spake and appealed unto Dru, saying, Seest thou what my lord hath done? He is blind in very truth, for now he hath left the path of wisdom and corrupted the people,
17. And he will wage war cruelly, I trow, and smite down the nations that stand before him, and make himself an oppressor of many peoples.
18. And the Lord Dru Almighty spake unto Aldred from within the tabernacle, saying, Bring the hermit unto him.
19. And Aldred woke, saying, Hermit, lord? What hermit?

16.1 And he told a portion of his dream to the King and Queen, and to the lords and ladies, as they ate the evening meal. And King Kemendil laughed and said, What hermit can this be?
2. And Lefnui answered and said, There is an ancient hermitage on my estate, a cave, within which riseth a small spring: and the water issueth from a narrow door in the rocks. And in the time of my ancestors certain men did make it their abode: which were holy and dedicated to the Lord.
3. And sometimes, as report saith, they did petty miracles among the people, or gave foretelling; and the simple folk venerated them as wizards.
4. And the King said, When we passed through your domain, we heard no rumour of such a one.
5. And when the supper had ended Aldred ordered the orb to be brought to him. And it was placed in his hands, and he looked into it, and Lefnui gave guidance for the path of his gazing. And Aldred saw the lake of Thaliondas, and the hillside, and the doorway.
6. Then he said, Verily there is someone inside the cave, for a light shineth from the narrow entrance, and a brightness moveth inside it; but I cannot see him clearly.
7. And the King said, Then let him be summoned. So Aldred sent a messenger to the cave of Thaliondas.
8. And in seven days the messenger returned. And he announced and said, Lord Aldred, I found the hermit in the cave, and I entreated him to come, both in your name and the King’s name; but he said that he would come only when the Lord Dru should so bid him.
9. Wherefore, since thou didst not command me to constrain him by force, him being a holy man of God, I left him in his cave and so am returned hither without him.
10. And Aldred said, Well, let be: doubtless he will come when the time is ripe.
 
 
 

 Continue to the Last Extracts from the Book of the Acts of Kemendil, or alternatively to Part Nine, Chapter One