Clarion

CLARION

191

need help, but I don't know if she'll be able to give us any."

"The Sons won't give up." She looked down at the bodies on the ground below. "We'll have to kill them to stop them for good."

Paul turned and went back down the steps.

Selmer and Jacque had positioned themselves in the outer corridor so they could watch the open archway. They were armed with one grenade

launcher and a carbine. So far, none of the Sons had come close enough for them to use either. Inside the chamber, Doriand was perched on the pedestal in front of the chauka. Sabastian had cleared a place to sit near the back, from which he watched and listened without comment.

Elli's communication came to Paul as he sank down beside Doriand:

*Kra 'ith (leader) Tern (negative)*

Paul felt a vague, dreamlike weariness. He made an effort to concentrate on what Elli was saying, and tried not to think about how tired he was and what was happening outside.

"She keeps talking about Lord Tern as if he is the kra'ith leader," Doriand said.

"A lousy one," Paul commented.

Doriand ignored him. "I think she's trying to tell us that Lord Tern is leader of the Clarion kra'ith"

"A kra'ith can be an entire planet?"

"That's the highest level. But I'm not sure about her definition of leader."

*Tem (negative) kra'ith (nonacceptance) (leader)*

"We think of a leader as a governor, or a manager," Doriand went on. "The leader of a planet—

whether he's a president or an emperor—oversees planetary trade, the internal economy, military functions—things like that. But I don't think the kra'ith leader is responsible for any of that."

"What does he do, then?"

"He imparts his emotional insights to the others in the kra'ith"

"Emotional insights?"

Doriand nodded. Then he nodded again as if

he'd thought of something else. "That would go along with the social orientation of the kra'ith. The members support one another emotionally."

*Lord Tern (negative) kra'ith. Kra'ith (members) follow him as (leader)*

Paul fidgeted. The sensation that he heard the words without hearing was beginning to grate on him.

"She's saying the only way to stop Lord Tern is to produce a new kra 'ith leader," Doriand said. "But I still don't know how to do that."

*Dorland kra'ith (acceptance) leader*

Warmth flooded over Paul.

"That was clear enough," Paul said. "She just nominated you to be the kra'ith leader." He heard the pop-pop-pop of the grenade launcher from the roof, followed by the crackle of a carbine.

"They're moving in!" Selmer yelled from the corridor.

Doriand got up to stand directly in front of Elli. Something about his stance struck Paul as familiar. His mind conjured up a vision of Doriand on the stage, feet slightly apart, looking out at the audience . . .

"Kra'ith leader," Paul murmured.

Doriand looked at him. "What?"

"That's what you are." He met Dorland's eyes.

"If Elli says you should be the new kra'ith leader, she probably knows what she's talking about. You're a psi-player."

"A psi-player is not a kra'ith leader."

"But it's close. Your psi-player skills came from your training for the Holy Order." The concept cleared in his mind as he talked. "Training that was aimed at enabling you to become a kra'ith leader." 192 William Greenleaf

Dorland shook his head. "My training was for leadership in the Holy Order."

"It's the same thing," Paul insisted. "Haven't you noticed the similarities between what you do as a psi-player and High Elder Brill's Godsday service? Karyn told me that Brill helps people solve their problems. He does that to build up his own credibility, but he was still using Tal Tahir training. You do the same thing during your shows—you build up a self-confidence and make people feel better emotionally about problems they face, and with emotional strength they're able to solve their problems. That's what Elli was trying to do for us. She couldn't understand what we wanted from her, because her job is to heal emotional wounds in her own kra'ith.'"

"Her . . . job?"

Paul nodded. "She said that's why she exists. She wanted to help us all along, but she wasn't equipped to understand our problem. When we broadened the level of the kra'ith to include the entire planet, then she could help. She's part of that kra'ith."'1

*Eh-hli (Dorland/Paul) kra'ith leader*

Dorland looked at Elli for a long moment. Then:

"How can I become leader of the Clarion kra'ith?"

*(Dorland/Paul) is (group/touch) of kra'ith. (Dorland/Paul) influence kra'ith (members) with (strength) as kra'ith leader*

"Strength?" Paul repeated.

"Emotional strength," Dorland said. "But how can I get it to the people?" He turned back toward the open archway. "The kra'ith is ... outside." The last word was spoken softly, as if the answer had come to Dorland as the question left his mouth.

The grenade launcher barked again from the

outer corridor.

"Come with me," Dorland said to Paul.