But Jared only stood there confounded. Two fuzzy half rings of silent sound were dancing around in his head. He could feel them not where the Guardian was pressing, but somewhere near the upper area of his eyeballs. Effective Excitation was the same sort of sensation he had twice experienced in the presence of the monsters!
Was he actually supposed to be feeling a part of Light Himself? If so, then why should he be aware of the presence of the Almighty, in a slightly different way, whenever he was near the Twin Devils? If Light was good, then why should He also be associated with the evil creatures?
Jared repressed the profane thoughts, chasing them completely out of his mind, together with the memory of ever having entertained them.
Fascinated, he listened to the dancing rings. They became more or less vivid as the Guardian varied the pressure of his fingernails.
“Are you feeling Him?”
“I feel Him,” Jared admitted weakly.
“I didn’t expect you would,” the other said, somewhat disappointed. “But I’m glad to hear there’s still hope for you.”
He went over and sat on a ledge below the Holy Bulb niche and his voice lost some of its sharpness. “We haven’t heard too much of you over here, Jared. Your father’s been concerned about that and I can understand why. Some period the destiny of this world will be in your hands. Will they be good hands?”
Jared lowered himself on the ledge and sat there with his head bowed. “I felt Him,” he mumbled. “I felt Him.”
“Of course you did, son.” The Guardian laid a sympathetic hand on his arm. “You could have felt Him sooner than this, you know. And things would have been different for you — different, perhaps, for the whole world.”
“Did I cause the hot springs to dry up?’
“I can think of nothing that would enrage the Almighty more than violation of the Barrier taboo.”
Jared’s hands clutched each other in distress. “What can I do?”
“You can atone. Then we’ll hear what happens afterward.”
“But you don’t understand. It may be more than just violating the Barrier! I’ve thought Light might not be Almighty, that He-“
“I do understand, son. You’ve had your doubts, like other Survivors from time to time. But remember — in the long run, one isn’t to be judged by his skepticism. The true measure of a reconverted Survivor is the sincerity with which he renounces his disbeliefs.”
“Do you think I can find the right amount of sincerity?”
“I’m sure you can — now that we’ve had this talk. And I’ve no doubt that should promised Reunion with Light come during your time, you’ll be prepared for it.”
The Guardian trained his ears on infinity. “What a beautiful period that will be, Jared — Light all around us, touching everything, a Constant Communion, with the Almighty bringing man total knowledge of all things about him. And Darkness will be erased completely.”
Jared spent the rest of that period in the seclusion of his grotto. Unification, however, was not the subject of his Contemplation. Instead, he reviewed his new persuasions, careful not to entertain any thoughts that might be offensive to the Almighty.
In that single quarter period he renounced his dedicated search for Darkness and Light, denying himself any regret over having done so. And he resolved he would never again go beyond the Barrier.
New convictions firmly implanted, he relaxed in the assurance that everything would be all right — spiritually and physically. So certain did it seem he had done the proper thing that he wouldn’t have been at all surprised to hear the twelve dry springs had begun running again. It was as though he had entered into a covenant with Light.
He was still reaffirming his resolution when the Prime Survivor entered. “The Guardian just told me you’d heard the sound, son.”
“I hear a lot of things I didn’t hear before.” The earnest words bathed his father’s face and carried back with them the outline of a smile that was warm with approval and pride.
“I’ve been waiting for you to speak like this for a long time, Jared. It means I can now go ahead with my plans.”
“What plans?”
“This world should have young, vital leadership. It lacked that even before the springs went dry. With this challenge facing us, we need the imagination of a youthful leader all the more.”
“You want me to become Prime Survivor?”
“As soon as possible. It’ll take plenty of preparation. But I’ll give you all the help I can.”
A half-dozen periods earlier, Jared would have had no part of this development. But now it seemed only a minor enlargement of the life of dedicated purpose to which he had pledged himself.
“I don’t hear any arguments,” the Prime Survivor said gratefully.
“You won’t. Not if this is the way you want it.”
“Good! Over the next couple of periods I’ll tell you some of the things that have to be done. Then, when you get back from the Upper Level, we’ll start our formal training.”
“How are the Elders going to take this?”
“After they heard what went on between you and Guardian Philar, they didn’t have any objections at all.”
Early the next period — even before the central echo caster had been turned on — Jared was shaken roughly from his sleep.
“Wake up! Something’s happened!”
It was Elder Averyman. And whatever had happened must have been serious, indeed, for him to have burst into a private grotto.
Jared bounded to his feet, conscious of his brother’s restless stirring on the next ledge. “What is it?” he demanded.
“The Prime Survivor!” Averyman broke for the exit. “Come — quick!”
Jared raced off after him, hearing both that Romel was awakening and that his father’s ledge was empty. He overtook the Elder near the entrance to the world. “Where are we going?”
But Averyman only huffed more erratically. And the rush of air into and out of his lungs was chopped into discontinuous sound by the motion of the hair that hung down over his face.
That something was seriously amiss was evidenced by more than the Elder’s behavior. Indistinct voices, muffled in apprehension, could be heard in small, scattered groups. And Jared listened to several other persons, who had evidently been up and about soon enough to hear what had happened, racing toward the entrance.
“It’s the Prime Survivor!” Averyman managed between gasps. “We were out for our early walk. And he was saying how he was going to let you take over. When we passed by the entrance—” He stumbled and Jared crashed into his flailing form.
Someone turned on the central caster and Jared oriented himself as the details of his world sprang into audibility all around him. Among the impressions came that of Romel plodding along after them.
Elder Averyman brought his breathing under control. “It was awful! This thing came rushing from the passage, all fluttering and foul smelling! Your father and I could only stand there terrified—”
The smell of the monster still clung to the air. Detecting it, Jared raced ahead.
“Then there was this hissing sound,” Averyman’s laboring voice receded. “And the Prime Survivor fell where he stood. He didn’t move-not even when the thing came for him!”
Jared reached the entrance and elbowed his way past several Survivors who were asking one another what had happened.
The odor was even more offensive in the Passageway, growing stronger in the direction of the Original World. Mingled with it was the familiar scent of the Prime Survivor. There seemed to be an accumulation of the stench a short distance away. Jared followed his nose to the spot, reaching down to pick up something soft and limp.