Clarion

CLARION 49

"Your parents still live on Clarion?"

"They're both dead." Doriand's eyes moved away from Paul to stare at the wall behind him.

"High Elder Brill ordered their deaths." Paul sipped his jo and allowed a moment to pass before he asked the obvious question. "Why?"

"They were heretics," Dorland answered, his eyes still fixed on the wall behind Paul. "My father disagreed with some of the High Elder's pronouncements. Disagreement is heresy, and on Clarion the penalty for heresy is death. But at least they were given a trial." His eyes moved to Paul. "Diana and Shari were not allowed even that."

"Diana and Shari?" Paul felt a sudden, certain knowledge of who they were.

"Diana was my wife. Shari was my daughter. She was six years old when Elder Jacowicz came to my house with his deacons and killed her."

"They murdered a six-year-old?"

"They were after me, but I wasn't there. Jacowicz settled his score with me by killing the two people who were most important to me."

"Because of your father?"

Dorland shook his head. "Because of me." A wry, humorless smile crossed his lips. "I was also a heretic."

"Now they've found you again."

"It would appear so."

Brill's got ten more like Deacon Bekman.

"You're wanted for heresy. But you've been away from Clarion for years. Why would they want you badly enough to risk coming after you?" Dorland took a moment to answer. "High Elder Brill and Elder Jacowicz see me as a threat."

"Why?"

"Because I know some of their secrets."

"What kind of secrets?"

"How they maintain their grip over the people of Clarion."

William Greenleaf

50

Paul decided to let that rest for a while. "We should level with Sabre. Tell him what he wants to know so he can protect you."

"Nobody can protect me from the Holy Order." Paul sipped again from the cup. "Do you have the stream coordinates for Clarion?"

Dorland shook his head.

"Then how can we get there?"

"We'll go with Selmer."

"He's already gone."

"Selmer wouldn't give up that easily. He'll be back tonight. Tell Jeffrey to watch for him in the auditorium and let him know I want to talk to him."

"We'll never see him again. He said you had just one chance."

"He'll be back."