Clarion

Chapter Six

OGRAM WATCHED THE GIRL STALK. AWAY. "MY, aren't we in a sour mood today."

The thin man spoke for the first time. "Elder Jacowicz had three people strung up on the wall today."

The humor went out ofOgram's face. "Let's go," he muttered, and turned to follow the girl up the wooded slope.

Paul and Dorland fell into step behind him.

"What wall is he talking about?" Paul asked.

"The God Wall," Ogram said tersely. "You'll find out about it soon enough."

They climbed for a few minutes in silence. Trees with heavy gray bark towered above them, shading them with large, blue-green leaves. There was no path, but Karyn DiMemmo seemed to know her

way well enough. Paul moved carefully, watching |

his step. Heavy underbrush pulled at him.

"How far is it?" he asked.

"Half a kil," Ogram answered. "Take us a few minutes."

The slope steepened. The forest thinned, and the William Greenleaf

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ground became rocky with patches of vegetation showing through. They climbed past several large outcroppings of pink-veined rock, and large boulders that looked as if they were on the verge of tumbling down the slope. The boulders were oddly uniform, with rounded comers. Then Paul realized they were arranged in two curved rows that ran ten meters or more across the slope of the hill. A barrier—and when he looked closer he saw that it was a lethal one. Each boulder was held in place by a pair of wooden angle braces. Ropes attached to each brace trailed away up the slope.

They live in a cave, and their defense consists of throwing big rocks, he thought wonderingly. They picked their way carefully through the barrier. Beyond it were a few scattered benches made of roughly cut wood. A thin wisp of smoke spiraled upward from a primitive fire pit. Beyond the pit loomed the mouth of a large cave. A big man at the entrance sat on a sawed tree stump and worked at something he held in his hands. Wood shavings lay on the ground at his feet. He wore rough coveralls and a shaggy beard. He looked up at the approaching group and pushed himself to his feet.

"Hey, Dorland!"

Dorland stopped to take the man's hand. "Olaf. It's good to see you."

"You, too, boy." The big man shook his hand. Dorland introduced Paul, and the man named

Olaf shook his hand. Then his eyes went back to Dorland. "You shouldn't have come back. I told Sabastian to leave you alone." He seemed to run out of breath. When he drew another, Paul heard an unhealthy rattle. "He wouldn't listen to me."

"Are you all right?" Dorland had a concerned look on his face.

"Aw, yeah. A little lungspot, that's all." Olaf paused for another rattling breath. "All they let me