"Whether it's an audience of one, a family of four, or a council of twelve you play your role well, Doctrex."  Klasco had reins in hand and was waiting for me to climb into the wagon.

"I would like to take credit for it," I said, catching the undercurrent of his words.  I pulled myself up to the seat.  

"Don't be so modest.  You played them like—like a slunum."

"Like a what?"

"A slunum!" he growled.  "A slunum!"

I shook my head.

"You know, that musical instrument with so many strings it takes a couple of Ds to master.  A slunum.  The point is, you knew just what to say and what not to say, and you knew precisely when, and when not, to say it.  You were a symphony of control in there," he finished, dryly.

"And, I repeat, Klasco," I said, amazed at the iciness I injected into the syllables of his name, "I'd like to take credit for it, but I can't.  You know something, though? Speaking of what you call my ability at playing an audience like a slumun—"

"A slunum," he corrected, through his teeth.

"A slunum, then; but can't you see that you laid the foundation for it?

"No.  What do you mean?"

"What possible reason did you have in telling me just before we went in that I was Chief Magistrate?"

Klasco frowned and looked puzzled.

"And, when you finally introduced me it was not enough to just say I was Chief Magistrate, but you had to add in the surrounding seven village seats that I was presiding over.  What did you gain by enlarging on my stature before I even had a chance at describing my original fictional position?  Why did you do that, Klasco?"

He looked over at me, his face suddenly transformed, etched in shame.  "I don't know.  I really don't know."

I didn't want to let him off.  "What do you mean you don't know?"

"I mean I don't know!  It seemed to just pop into my mind and it was like I opened my mouth and the words simply came out."

"Say again."

"It just came to me and I said it.  Is that what you mean?"

"Just like I told you, 'I'd like to take credit for it, but I can't.'  It was the same thing with me.  It was like I was prompted with just about every word and gesture that came from me.  It was as though she didn't want to leave anything to chance."

"She?"

"Or he, or it."

"But you said she, Doctrex.

I smiled, and probably blushed.  "Yes, I did, didn't I?  Well, I guess I felt if I were going to be guided by someone from another dimension, I hoped it would be Axtilla."

"Well, you may be smitten by her, Brother, but the next time you talk with her will you tell her to stay out of my head?"

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"For calling me Brother.  I missed it."

"Well, I didn't know I did."  He clicked his tongue and shook the reins.  The crossans began their slow clopping on Kabeez's cobblestone street.

"It sounded good just the same."

He drove on in silence.

"You know, Brother," I said, deciding it was time for me to dig into some of the subtler parts of Grossling, "we have a saying that I'm familiar with, and it's that you and I are in water up to our necks.  If we don't swim we're going to sink."

"I can see what it means, but not how it applies."

"Then let me tell you.  Since you helped me not just get into the Kabeezan militia, but be a leader over all the fighting men we can't afford to have anyone find out that I'm not who they think I am.  It can happen as quickly and easily as having me misspeak."

"Why should that happen?"

"Not that I would say anything that would disprove that we are brothers or that I was a Chief Magistrate.  Nothing like that.  Something even more direct."

"I'm confused."

"How about if I asked someone how many miles to the Far Northern Province?"

"From here," he said, a little smile playing with the corner of his mouth.  He pointed in a direction over his shoulder.  "Straight away I'd say about eight-hundred miles.  But, taking the roads it would be about two hundred and fifty miles farther.  So, a little over a thousand miles, Doctrex."

I just stared at him.

"Why do you insist on making it difficult?”  He shook his head  “You fully embrace the notion that your Axtilla can put words in your mouth from another dimension by using a magic you don't understand.  Yet you refuse to accept something that everyone you will ever talk to here knows as intimately as his breath, and that is pappering.  If it were Axtilla inside your brain in the Council of Twelve you were pappering her thoughts.  Don't make it so difficult!"

"But it doesn't make sense!"

"Well, of course it doesn't.  And it won't.  But I can tell you what happened when you asked me how many miles to the Far Northern Province.  You said miles but my mind heard Units.  I didn't do the reckoning of how many units in a mile, but a number for the straight away miles was there.  And since my thinking mind told me you won't be going straight away, but by the roads, a second number came to mind.  Which I told you."

"And, everyone does this?  Without thinking about it?"

"Yes."

"Okay, then why did I not automatically hear years instead of Ds when you guessed my age to be the same as yours, eight Ds."

"Because you didn't know you could papper.  And, therefore, you had your number mind turned on.  If instead of saying you were nine Ds old, you said you were forty five years old, my hearing mind would have heard nine Ds."  He had a recognition: "Ah, but this might help!  I would have heard nine Ds but with an accent that would tell me you were from another province."

"Okay," I said, "and yes it does help—I mean the accent part, but how would you answer me back?"

"I would say nine Ds but you would hear—oh, I see, Doctrex!  It is so natural to everyone on this plane, that I forgot you need to have faith you can papper."

"Now we are getting somewhere.  How do I get this faith?"

"I don't know.  But, I do know you'll come a long way toward understanding it if you always practice the first part.  Ask how many miles.  Watch the other's face when he answers.  I really believe you will someday find you are pappering."

"It seems far from me now, Brother, but I don't have a choice but try."

“Then, that’s what you should do.”

I thought about his words in the silence that followed.  Then, as I leaned back and closed my eyes against the glare of the ever-present sun, I followed the words as on a lazy track round and round my mind.  Then, that’s what you should do ….  Then, that’s what I—what I—Then, that’s—”  And like a ribbon, loosely winding round the tracks of my words, becoming part of my words, then replacing my words, the smooth ribbon of Klasco’s humming worked at softening all the corners of my awareness.

I let it.
   
“We are about at the inn.”

I shot up to a rigid sitting position.

“I didn’t mean to frighten you, Brother.”

“I didn’t know I was so tired.”

“Your body knew.  It was good you listened.”  He turned to me and he slowly bobbed his head as in affirmation of his words.  “We will be there soon.  I will be continuing alone after we sleep.  You will resume with Sheleck, Giln and … the other," he faltered.

"Zurn," I said through a yawn.

"Yes.  I have his enlistment papers.  The four of you will continue on to the militia camp beyond Kabeez.  You are to ask for Commander Djars.  He will have been notified of your position by High Count Gylo Typp.  It's best—I’m sure you know—to refer to Gylo in that way.  You should have no problem at Camp Kabeez.  As a matter of fact you may have something of the status of a celebrity."

I had a troubling thought, and it must have shown on my face.

He smiled.  "Yes, I think I know what's on your mind.  You will be entering the camp with Sheleck, Giln and Zurn, but from that point on there shall be no socializing."

I nodded.  How could it be otherwise?

"You and the brothers and Zurn need to plan your journey over dinner tonight.  But, remember, make it easy on yourself and them, by not getting too close."

"I understand."

The crossans responded to Klasco's gentle guidance with the reins and pulled off on the road leading to the inn.

Klasco put his hand on my shoulder.  "I'm going to miss you, Brother," he said, and his eyes, I noticed, were a little glassy.  “I — I —"

He was having trouble finishing his thought.  I didn’t want to rush him.

“I don't know …” he started, his eyes batting.  “how you got to our province.  I don't know that I…” He erupted with a dry chuckle, “that I want to know.  But, I have grown fond of you.  As far as I am concerned, you are my brother.  When we—when you—defeat Glnot Rhuether and return to Kabeez I would be honored to share my land with you and help you build a cottage near us."

I put my hand on his.  "I am moved by your offer, Klasco.  I too feel a brotherhood with you.  I am prepared to lay down my life for Kabeez because you represent all that is good about Kabeez.  I don't know how I know it, but I will face Glnot Rhuether in battle and I believe Axtilla will be beside me.  If I survive, it will be because we survive and Glnot Rhuether will be defeated by our hands.  And, if that happens I must go where Axtilla goes.  Do you understand that?"

"I do, Brother.  Yes, I do."

The door to the inn opened and Sheleck, Giln and Zurn stood in the entrance, grinning.