Part Nine

           Wehavenotwrittenformanydays.Wedidnotwishtospeak.Forweneedednowordstorememberthatwhichhashappenedtous.

           Itwasonourseconddayintheforestthatweheardstepsbehindus.Wehidinthebushes,andwewaited.Thestepscamecloser.Andthenwesawthefoldofawhitetunicamongthetrees,andagleamofgold.

           Weleaptforward,werantothem,andwestoodlookingupontheGoldenOne.

           Theysawus,andtheirhandsclosedintofists,andthefistspulledtheirarmsdown,asiftheywishedtheirarmstoholdthem,whiletheirbodyswayed.Andtheycouldnotspeak.

           Wedarednotcometooclosetothem.Weasked,andourvoicetrembled:

           “Howdidyoucometobehere,GoldenOne?”

           Buttheywhisperedonly:

           “Wehavefoundyou....”

           “Howdidyoucometobeintheforest?”weasked.

           Theyraisedtheirhead,andtherewasagreatprideintheirvoice;theyanswered:

           “Wehavefollowedyou.”

           Thenwecouldnotspeak,andtheysaid:

           “WeheardthatyouhadgonetotheUnchartedForest,forthewholeCityisspeakingofit.Soonthenightofthedaywhenweheardit,weranawayfromtheHomeofthePeasants.Wefoundthemarksofyourfeetacrosstheplainwherenomenwalk.Sowefollowedthem,andwewentintotheforest,andwefollowedthepathwherethebrancheswerebrokenbyyourbody.”

           Theirwhitetunicwastorn,andthebrancheshadcuttheskinoftheirarms,buttheyspokeasiftheyhadnevertakennoticeofit,norofweariness,noroffear.

           “Wehavefollowedyou,”theysaid,“andweshallfollowyouwhereveryougo.Ifdangerthreatensyou,weshallfaceitalso.