"Walter the InTeacher explained it according to ontogenetics - you know about that Exotic discipline?"
She nodded.
"He said that since some of the Others are of Exotic extraction, they'd understand it, too; and they'd know that according to ontogenetic calculations I could represent a problem to them and what they were after. So to protect themselves, they'd try to destroy me. But if I could survive until I was mature enough to fight back, I could not only protect myself, I might even help stop them."
"I see." Rukh's dark eyes were almost luminous in the sunlight. "If I believe you - and I do - you're also a weapon of the Lord, though in your own way."
She smiled at him.
"We'll keep you. Come along."
She led him back to the little knot of standing men that was James Child-of-God, Hilary and Jason.
"Howard Immanuelson will be one of us from now on," she said to Child-of-God; and turned to face Jason. "And you, of course, if that's what you want."
"I do," said Jason. "Thank you."
"If you know the life of a Warrior, as you say you do, you know there's little to give thanks for." She turned again to Child-of-God. "James, I've just accepted Howard among us because of some things he told me in confidence, things I can't tell you or the others. But I promise you I trust him."
Child-of-God's blue eyes, hard as sapphires, fastened on Hal.
"If it is thee who say so, Rukh," he said; and added, directly to Hal, "Howard, after Rukh, I am in command here. Thou wilt remember that, at all times."
"Yes," said Hal.
"Hilary," said Rukh, "will you stay to dinner?"
"Thanks, Rukh," said Hilary, "but I'm behind with the work in my shop as it is; to say nothing of the fact I've already missed my prayers twice today getting these men out to you."
"There'll be prayers before dinner."
"Twice a day, eh?" said Hilary. "Morning and evening, and that's it? The Lord'll have a heavy account for you people one day, Rukh."
"To each his own way," she said.
"And your way is this new one of letting actions be your prayers, is that it?" Hilary sighed and. looked over at Child-of-God. "How does your soul feel with only two moments of prayer a day?"
"I pray when God permits," said Child-of-God, nasally. "Six times daily or more, that being my way. But it's speaking to God that matters, not the bended knee or the joined hands - and indeed our Rukh serves the Lord."
His eyes glinted on Hilary.
"Or would you say that was not so?"
"No, I would not say it was not so; and you know I wouldn't say it was not so," said Hilary calmly. "But the time may come when prayer at regular times is completely forgotten on these two worlds of which so much was expected once - and if so, won't we prove to have followed in the way of the Belial-spawn after all?"
"Stay for dinner or not, Hilary," said Rukh. "We'd like to have you. But we live too close to the edge of our lives to argue practices in this camp."
Hilary shrugged.
"Forgive me, Rukh," he said. "I'm getting old; and it's hard when you get old to feel your race turning from God when we had such high hopes in our youth that one day all would acknowledge and live in His way. All right, all right, I won't say any more. But I can't stay to dinner. Thank you, anyway. When do you think you'll be out of my district?"
"In two days. Are there others you plan to bring to us?"
"No. I just wanted to know in case of emergency."
"Two days. We've one more district to sweep for makings. Then we move to supply and prepare ourselves." Rukh turned to Jason. "Jason, you take Howard around the camp and explain how we do things. Introduce him and yourself to the other members of the command. Then come back to the cook tent. Both of you can give those on meal duty a hand with the serving of dinner. Jason, have you ever managed donkeys?"
"Yes," said Jason.
"You'll be able to help us right away, then, when we break camp and move on. In the next few days, try and teach Howard as much as you can about the animals."
She turned back to Hilary.
"And now, Hilary, we're all going to have to get to work. With luck we'll come past here again before the year's out."
"Good luck," said Hilary.
They embraced.
"And good luck to the rest of you, as well," said Hilary, soberly, sweeping Child-of-God, Jason and Hal with his glance. He turned and walked back to his van, got in and lifted it on its fans. A second later he had spun it end for end and taken it into the trees, on his way back up the slope and out of sight.
Rukh turned away, into conversation with Child-of-God. Hal felt a touch on his elbow. He turned to see Jason.
"Come on, Howard," said Jason, and led him off toward the far edge of the clearing and into the trees beside the stream there.
Chapter Seventeen
In appearance, the men and women of Rukh's command seemed to Hal to be less like guerrilla fighters and more like simple refugees. The strongest impression he received as Jason led him about the confines of the camp was one of extreme poverty. Their beehive-shaped tents were patched and old. Their clothing was likewise patched and mended. Their tools, shelters and utensils, had either the marks of long wear or the unspecific, overall appearance of having been used and used again.
The weapons alone contradicted the refugee appearance, but hardly improved it. If not impoverished fugitives, they were, by all visible signs, at best an impoverished hunting party. There were apparently several dozen of them. Once among the trees, Hal revised his first estimate of their numbers upwards, for the majority of their tents were tucked back in under the greenery in such a way as not to be visible from the edge of the valley cut, above. As Jason led him along upstream to their left, they passed many men and women doing housekeeping tasks, mending, or caring for equipment or clothing.
Those he saw were all ages from late teens to their middle years. There were no children, and no really old individuals; and everyone they passed looked up at them as they went by. Some smiled, but most merely looked; not suspiciously, but with the expressions of those who reserve judgment.
They came, after about a hundred yards, to an area that was not a true opening in the trees, but one sparsely overgrown, so that patches of sunlight struck down between the trees in it, and between trees large patches of sky were visible.
Tethered each beneath a tree, at some little distance from each other, were a number of donkeys cropping the sparse grass and other ground vegetation that the sunlight had encouraged to spring up between the trees. Jason led the way to the nearest animal, patted its head, looked at its teeth and ran his hands over its back and sides.
"In good shape," he said, stepping back. "Rukh's command won't have been too hard pressed by the Militia, lately."
He looked at Hal.
"Did you ever see donkeys before?"
"Once," said Hal. "They still have them in the Parks, on Earth, to use for camping trips."
"Did you ever have anything to do with one of them on a camping trip?" Jason asked.
Hal shook his head.
"I only saw them - and of course, I read about them when I was growing up. But I understand they're a lot like horses."
Jason laughed.
"For what good that does us," he said.
"I only meant," said Hal, "that since I've had something to do with horses, I might find what I know about them useful with these."
Jason stared at him.
"When were you on Earth long enough to learn about horses?"
Hal felt suddenly uncomfortable.
"I'm sorry," he said. "I ended up telling Rukh more than I'd told you - and I still can't tell you. But I forgot for a moment you didn't know. But I've ridden and handled horses."