Far-Seer

Novato was nowhere to be seen, but her office turned out to be quite small, far smaller than that occupied by the lizard-breeding operation, for instance. In the foreground was a round flat basin that reminded Afsan of some he’d seen used by lapidarists to polish stones. Leaning against one wall were big sheets of the clearest glass Afsan had ever seen. Another wall was crowded with shelves containing books, carefully organized, Afsan saw, in The Sequence.

Most of the titles were recent, printed on the new presses, but a few were older hand-copied volumes. As Afsan scanned the titles, one discipline flowing smoothly into the next, his tail did an involuntary jump. Novato had a complete set of Sa-leed’s Treatise on the Planets, bound in rarest kurpa leather.

Suddenly Afsan heard a low growling from behind him. His claws automatically extended and he turned quickly around. There, in the doorway arch—whatever actual door the ancients had used was long since gone—stood a female five or six kilodays older than Afsan, her skin mottled with those yellow flecks sometimes seen on people from the mountains.

Afsan immediately realized what he had done. Having spotted the books, he had walked clear into the room, violating every territorial rule. Quickly he bowed low from the waist.

“Forgive me,” he said at once. “Your room fascinated me so I—” Afsan thought briefly about trying to explain how he’d assumed that an ancient discarded temple was open territory, but he realized that would simply get him in worse trouble. He swallowed hard. “I’m sorry; I meant no disrespect. You are Wab-Novato, aren’t you? The glassworker?”

The female’s claws were still at full extension and her mouth hung loosely open, showing serrated teeth. “I’m her,” she said after a moment. “What do you want of me?”

“I’ve traveled a long way—”

“Where are you from?”

“From Carno, originally—

“Carno’s not so far.”

“But my home now is in Capital City.” He bobbed his muzzle toward the bookshelf. “I am Tak-Saleed’s apprentice.”

Novato’s claws retracted so quickly that they seemed to just disappear. “Saleed’s apprentice! By the eggs of creation, come in!”

Afsan clicked his teeth weakly. “I am in.”

“Of course, of course. I’ve read your master’s works a great many times. He’s a genius, you know—a complete genius! What a treat it must be to study under him.”

Afsan knew his muzzle would give away any polite lie, so he simply bobbed his head slightly.

“What brings you here, good fellow? You are a long way from home.”

“I’ve been on my pilgrimage. Our ship is docked near here.”

“Pilgrimage boats don’t come to the west side of Land.”

“This was, ah, a most unusual pilgrimage. That’s part of what I want to talk to you about. But the main thing is your far-seers.”

“What do you know about my instruments?”

“I sailed with Var-Keenir—”

“Keenir! That gruff old beast! By the prophet’s claws, he was fascinated with my work.”

“A boon to navigation, he said.”

“That it is.”

“But it has other uses,” said Afsan.

“Aye, that it does. If the hunters ever get over their silly prejudice against it, it could revolutionize tracking. And—”

“And astrology.”

Novato clicked her teeth loudly in delight, “You’ve tried it, then? To look at the objects in the sky?” Her tail pranced with joy. “Glorious, isn’t it?”

Afsan was actually slightly disappointed. He thought he’d been the first to use it for serious night-sky observations. “Indeed. I saw many things on my journey.”

“You were using that far-seer I’d made for Keenir? The brass one about this long, with an ornate crest just below the eyepiece?”

He nodded.

“Ah, not a bad effort. Exceptionally good lenses, but not all that powerful. The one I used to have up on the Osbkay volcano is much bigger. It showed a lot more detail.”

“More detail? That would be wonderful! Please, you must let me see.”

“I’m sorry, Afsan, but it’s broken.” She indicated a tube about as thick around as Afsan’s leg lying on a nearby bench. “The lens cracked—I have that problem a lot with the bigger ones. I’ve been meaning to repair it, but we’ve been getting more and more black clouds belching from the volcano. I’m afraid we’re going to have to move the village again, and my equipment does not travel well. It seemed better to wait until we get to our new location before making another lens that size.”

Afsan was disappointed. “I’ve seen some amazing sights through Keenir’s far-seer,” he said. “But with a larger instrument, you must have seen even more.”

“Oh, indeed. Wondrous things. But there is much I can’t explain.”

Afsan clicked his teeth in empathy. “Me, too.”

“Come,” said Novato. “Let me show you the sketches I’ve made. Perhaps you’ve got some ideas.”