"We have passed through the third gate," Rackhir said, unstringing his bow, "and have the fourth and fifth to find. Two dangers have been avoided-but what new ones will we encounter now?"
"Who knows?" said Lamsar, and they walked on through the rocky mountain pass and entered a forest that was cool, even though the sun had reached its zenith and was glaring down through parts of the thick foliage. There was an air of ancient calm about the place. They heard unfamiliar bird-calls and saw tiny golden birds which were also new to them.
"There is something calm and peaceful about this place-I almost distrust it," Rackhir said, but Lamsar pointed ahead silently.
Rackhir saw a large domed building, magnificent in marble and blue mosaic. It stood in a clearing of yellow grass and the marble caught the sun, flashing like fire.
They neared the domed construction and saw that it was supported by big marble columns set into a platform of milky jade. In the centre of the platform, a stairway of blue-stone curved upwards and disappeared into a circular aperture. There were wide windows set into the sides of the raised building but they could not see inside. There were no inhabitants visible and it would have seemed strange to the pair if there had been. They crossed the yellow glade and stepped on to the jade platform. It was warm, as if it had been exposed to the sun. They almost slipped on the smooth stone.
They reached the blue steps and mounted them, staring upwards, but they could still see nothing. They did not attempt to ask themselves why they were so assuredly invading the building; it seemed quite natural that they should do what they were doing. There was no alternative. There was an air of familiarity about the place. Rackhir felt it but did not know why. Inside was a cool, shadowy hall, a blend of soft darkness and bright sunlight which entered by the windows. The floor was pearl-pink and the ceiling deep scarlet. The hall reminded Rackhir of a womb.
Partially hidden by deep shadow was a small doorway and beyond it, steps. Rackhir looked questioningly at Lamsar. "Do we proceed in our exploration?"
"We must-to have our question answered, if possible."
They climbed the steps and found themselves in a smaller hall similar to the one beneath them. This hall, however, was furnished with twelve wide thrones placed in a semicircle in the centre. Against the wall, near the door, were several chairs, upholstered in purple fabric. The thrones were of gold, decorated with fine silver, padded with white cloth.
A door behind the throne opened and a tall, fragilelooking man appeared, followed by others whose faces were almost identical. Only their robes were noticeably different. Their faces were pale, almost white, their noses straight, their lips thin but not cruel. Their eyes were unhuman-green-flecked eyes which stared outwards with sad composure. The leader of the tall men looked at Rackhir and Lamsar. He nodded and waved a pale, long-fingered hand gracefully.
"Welcome," he said. His voice was high and frail, like a girl's, but beautiful in its modulation. The other eleven men seated themselves in the thrones but the first man, who had spoken, remained standing. "Sit down, please," he said.
Rackhir and Lamsar sat down on two of the purple chairs.
"How did you come here?" enquired the man.
"Through the gates from Chaos," Lamsar replied.
"And were you seeking our realm?"
"No-we travel towards the Domain of the Grey Lords."
"I thought so, for your people rarely visit us save by accident"
"Where are we?" asked Rackhir as the man seated himself in the remaining throne.
"In a place beyond time. Once our land was part of the earth you know, but in the dim past it became separated from it. Our bodies, unlike yours, are immortal. We choose this, but we are not bound to our flesh, as you are."
"I don't understand," frowned Rackhir. "What are you saying?"
"I have said what I can in the simplest terms understandable to you. If you do not know what I say then I can explain no further. We are called the Guardiansthough we guard nothing. We are warriors, but we fight nothing."
"What else do you do?" enquired Rackhir.
"We exist. You will want to know where the next gateway lies?"
"Yes."
"Refresh yourselves here, and then we shall show you the gateway."
"What is your function?" asked Rackhir.
"To function," said the man.
"You are unhuman! "
"We are human. You spend your lives chasing that which is within you and that which you can find in any other human being-but you will not look for it thereyou must follow more glamorous paths-to waste your time in order to discover that you have wasted your time. I am glad that we are no longer like you-but I wish that it were lawful to help you further. This, however, we may not do."
"Ours is no meaningless quest," said Lamsar quietly, with respect. "We go to rescue Tanelorn."
"Tanelorn?" the man said softly. "Does Tanelorn still remain?"
"Aye," said Rackhir, "and shelters tired men who are grateful for the rest she offers." Now he realised why the building had been familiar-it had the same quality, but intensified, as Tanelorn.
"Tanelorn was the last of our cities," said the Guardian. "Forgive us for judging you-most of the travellers who pass through this plane are searchers, restless, with no real purpose, only excuses, imaginary reasons for journeying on. You must love Tanelorn to brave the dangers of the gateways?"
"We do," said Rackhir, "and I am grateful that you built her."
"We built her for ourselves, but it is good that others have used her well-and she them."
"Will you help us?" Rackhir said. "For Tanelorn?"
"We cannot-it is not lawful. Now, refresh yourselves and be welcome."
The two travellers were given foods, both soft and brittle, sweet and sour, and drink which seemed to enter the pores of their skin as they quaffed it, and then the Guardian said: "We have caused a road to be made. Follow it and enter the next world. But we warn you, it is the most dangerous of all."
And they set off down the road that the Guardians had caused to be made and passed through the fourth gateway into a dreadful realm-the Ream of Law.
Nothing shone in the grey-lit sky, nothing moved, nothing marred the grey.
Nothing interrupted the bleak grey plain stretching on all sides of them, forever. There was no horizon. It was a bright, clean wasteland. But there was a sense about the air, a presence of something past, something which had gone but left a faint aura of its passing.
"What dangers could be here?" said Rackhir shuddering, "here where there is nothing?"
"The danger of the loneliest madness," Lamsar replied. Their voices were swallowed in the grey expanse.
"When the Earth was very young'" Lamsar continued, his words trailing away across the wilderness, "things were like this-but there were seas, there were seas. Here there is nothing."
"You are wrong," Rackhir said with a faint smile. "I have thought-here there is Law."
"That is true-but what is Law without something to decide between? Here is Law-bereft of justice."
They walked on, all about them an air of something intangible that had once been tangible. On they walked through this barren world of Absolute Law.
Eventually, Rackhir spied something. Something that flickered, faded, appeared again until, as they neared it, they saw that it was a man. His great head was noble, firm, and his body was massively built, but the face was twisted in a tortured frown and he did not see them as they approached him.
They stopped before him and Lamsar coughed to attract his attention. He turned that great head and regarded them abstractedly, the frown clearing at length, to be replaced by a calmer, thoughtful expression.