The Pillars of Eternity

Boldly he walked through the screen, and stopped. He had entered a circular chamber like the first, but smaller. The walls and curved roof were of the same texture he had seen in the ‘city’ – indeed, Boaz guessed that he was in fact back in the mysterious complex. This chamber, however, contained more by way of furniture, though he could only guess at the functions of the three or four cabinet-like objects standing on the floor.

On a raised, cushioned dais in the center of the room there sat, cross-legged, another of the ibis-headed aliens. At first sight it seemed indistinguishable from the others. But for some reason, as he looked at it, Boaz gained an impression of immense age and experience. Furthermore, as the beady, expressionless eyes stared back, he felt like a puddle into which some lofty entity was poking a finger, so that the ripples radiated out into every crevice of his being and were reflected back. There was absolutely no doubt of it: the creature was inspecting his mind.

‘Come in, little Mudworm.’

Again the hated nickname which, among so many other factors, had helped make his life a misery in the Corsair warrens.

The voice was mature, full, human, – and male. Hearing it was a trifle odd. One imagined it was spoken by the creature facing him, but the curved, tubelike beak was clearly unsuited to human speech, and the creature’s head had not moved. The voice had emanated from empty air.

In spite of the irrational displeasure he felt at the reference to his early years, excitement mounted in Boaz. He had been given an interview with the inhabitants of Meirjain – with the time-gods, as he already thought of them! He could ask questions! He was close to learning what he needed to know!

‘So you know our language,’ he began.

‘Or you have been made to understand ours. What difference does it make? Come closer, Mudworm. Do not hover by the door.’

‘My name is Joachim Boaz,’ Boaz said sternly. But he obeyed, moving closer. The voice chuckled.

‘Aggressive self-assertiveness, as ever with your species. Very well, Joachim Boaz, as you will.’

‘What shall I call you?’ Boaz asked.

‘I am myself. I need no name. Does that answer sound familiar to you?’

‘No.’

‘It should. It is similar to an answer you once gave when asked the name of your ship.’

‘But we are not ships.’

‘Are you not? What are you without one?’

The creature clearly knew all about him. It was disconcerting to be so mentally naked. ‘I have questions,’ Boaz said. ‘But you already know what they are.’

‘You have questions. But discourse cannot be tacit. The mind must express itself.’

Boaz almost smiled. It was a remark Madrigo himself might have made. The thought provoked Boaz into dipping his hand in a pocket and coming out with the colonnader pack. Expertly he flipped through the cards until coming to the Stellar Realm, which showed a naked woman pouring out water onto a landscape from two jugs. Behind her, an ibis was taking flight from an evergreen tree.

He held out the card before the Meirjain creature, pointing to the ibis. ‘First,’ he said excitedly, ‘did your species have contact with mine long ago? This picture is centuries old. Note the head of the bird. It symbolizes the god of all the sciences. Perhaps you taught us the beginnings….’

His voice trailed off. The ibis-headed man leaned forward and inspected the card. ‘Yes, there is certainly a resemblance,’ the voice said. ‘But it means nothing. It is simply a matter of convergent evolution, arising from the manner of feeding. The general shape of my head is a commonly occurring one, as is the shape of yours. As for whether any of my colleagues visited your planets long ago, I have no idea. You have seen the big ships outside? They were mainly used for visiting foreign galaxies. But they have been laid up for a long time now.’

Slowly Boaz put away the cards. He had forgotten all about Romrey and the others. The big, big question hung in his mind, and he was afraid to speak it.

He stood silent, dumb. The ibis-headed man’s artificial voice spoke again, softly.

‘Yes, I can help you, Joachim Boaz. But I wonder if you really want it, little Mudworm.’

‘You know I want it!’ Boaz burst out. ‘It is all I want. You have conquered time! You can tell me how –’

He stopped, realizing the ridiculousness of his position, seeing how he had been reduced to helplessness. Why should these creatures help him? What interest had they in his mad scheme? And yet there was no way he could disguise his intention.

‘Yes?’ the voice said. ‘I can tell you how to alter time, you were about to say? There I can only disappoint you, Joachim Boaz. We cannot alter time, whether past, present or future. Time is inexorable.’

‘But I have experienced it!’