Impossible Dreamers

Chapter 36 (mektwi): The cave Counsel

'I am sorry that you have had to endure such difficulties getting here,' Karema said, bowing in greeting. She spoke in perfect Seren-ilian, without a trace of the strange accent of the woman who had led them to this hall. She was tall and thin, and had a determined look in her eye, but she also seemed warm and welcoming.

'Unfortunately,' she continued, 'we have had to make our home, these caves, as inaccessible as possible to Bartyronians. Even we find it difficult to travel to and from the outside world, though we have grown used to the journey.'

Trentaya and the others nodded agreement, all of them rather confused, but glad that these were friendly faces. They had thought at first that Ariela and her friends would do them much harm.

'We are honoured,' Karema continued, 'to have amongst us citizens of Seren-ila. The people of the Shadowlands are your ... your cousins, and we greet you as long-lost family.'

Trentaya replied for the group.

'We are happy to meet you, Counsellor Karema. If you are indeed our cousins, that is something we have only just learned, and we are pleased to find this part of our family. We knew nothing of your people, and will be happy to find out more. But why have you brought us here, and not allowed us to continue our journey to Bartyronis. We were sent by our Counsel of the Wise to meet with the people of Bartyronis, talk with their Wise Ones, or whatever the authority is there, and bring home our Counsellors. Please let us continue our journey.'

Counsellor Karema spoke to the others at the table in a low voice. She was not speaking the Seren language, though there were some words that Trentaya thought she understood. She heard mention of 'Bartyronis', and the word for 'mountain'. She also heard what she thought was the word for 'machine', but she couldn't be sure.

After the Counsellors had spoken for a little while, Karema turned to the group and addressed them:

'I regret, visitors, that we cannot allow you to continue your journey as you intend. Not yet, at least. You must stay here with us, and we will undoubtedly learn much from you. We hope that you will learn from us, also. There is a lot that we need to understand about Seren-ila, though, to tell the truth, we now know more of its present state than you do...'

Trentaya stood and interrupted Karema. 'Honoured Contor,' she said, 'we have come with orders from the people of Seren-ila, to find our Counsellors who are somewhere in Bartyronis. We have an appeal from the Contor of our Counsel of the Wise to put to the people of Bartyronis. We must continue our journey.'

'Yes,' said Bolseno. 'You appear to have understood and taken on many of the customs of Seren-ila. You seem to know the Seren Way. But I must tell you that it is not a Seren Way to hold visitors against their will. It is not a Seren Way to keep people imprisoned. You seem like a kind people. You say you are our cousins. It cannot be your custom to treat your cousins in this way.'

Another of the trowster-wearing Counsellors stood and spoke.

'Young friend, I am Salero, the eldest, though not perhaps the wisest of our Counsellors. Please let me know your name.'

'I am Bolseno.'

'Bolseno. Bolseno. You must not judge us harshly Bolseno. Tell me, are you a Counsellor in Seren-ila?' Salero spoke, like Karema, in unaccented, perfect Seren-ilian.

'No,' replied Bolseno. 'We have no Counsellors on this trip, now. We had one with us when we set out, but she did not survive the journey.'

'I am sorry to hear that, Bolseno. What was the name of your Counsellor who came to grief?' said Salero.

'It was Elara,' said Trentaya. 'She fell into a pit in the mountain in the dark of a moonless night.'

Hearing the name "Elara" seemed to shock some members of the Counsel of the Wise. Salero spoke again:

'We are very sorry to hear of this. The name "Elara" is not unknown to us. We will gladly help perform the rituals of departing for this highly honoured Counsellor.'

'Salero, we are glad and grateful for that,' said Jengara, stepping forward, 'but we must say again, we are determined to travel on to talk to the people of Bartyronis. You must not hold us here against our will.'

'What is your name, friend?' said Karema.

Jengara told her.

'You speak well, Jengara,' Karema continued, 'and I understand your distress, but you must trust us. We know and understand the people of Bartyronis as you do not. You are mistaken in thinking that you will be able to persuade their Counsellors of anything. To tell the truth, they do not have Counsellors, they...'

'No Counsellors?' said Mertingo. 'But they must have some gathering of the Wise, surely?'

'No,' said Karema. 'You are mistaken in the best possible way. You judge the people of the world in the Seren Way, as if they were Seren people. We who live in this mountain have seen much that you have not. We cannot let you enter a world which you do not understand. For your own good you must stay here. For now. If we are to get your Counsellors back, it will not be by persuasion. We must use other skills which the hard life of the mountains has taught us. You will stay here. We know that it is not a Seren Way to make prisoners of guests. Nor is it a customary way in the Shadowlands. But the world we live in is not your world, and sometimes we must do things which are not the things we would wish. Please do not judge us harshly in this.'

Karema paused and looked hard at the travellers. Trentaya spoke again:

'Contor Karema, you speak in tones of friendliness, and it is the Seren Way to trust before disbelieving. But we ask that you help us in our task to recover our friends. We will trust you, and do as you say. But a time must come when we must find our honoured Counsellors.'

'The instinct to trust does you credit, visitors. But you must learn that there are times when that instinct needs to be be suppressed if you are to do good. I think that the people of Seren-ila are already discovering this hard truth, for we know that the Bartyronians have entered your land. We will talk more of this.'

'Now,' Karema continued, 'We do not have much in this, our homeland, but what we have we will share, in the Shadowland Way' – she said this pointedly - 'and we will make you as comfortable as we can. But I must prepare you now. In the days to come you will find some surprises. Many of them will be bad, but a few will be good. Please try to keep calm as you begin to learn new things. Only by remaining calm and clear will we progress towards the outcome we all desire.'

Trentaya started to speak. 'Karema, please tell us what you mean by...' but Karema held up a hand to silence her.

'You will learn in due course. Follow me.'

Karema led the way to the cave door through which the Counsellors had entered. This was not what the group had planned.