and more blinding violet light poured from within. Clearly this appointment had
been preordained and marked the moment that the Lifemaker had chosen to make
known to Groork the purpose for which the whole of his life so far had been the
preparation. A chorus of voices sang thunderously from a bulge on the creature’s
back, rising to a crescendo as if to announce the arrival of some great
presence, and then faded. Groork moved his fingers from an eye to look . . .
then gasped, and raised his head hesitantly in awe and terror. A figure had
appeared, barely visible in silhouette against the glare from the shining
creature’s interior. Its outline took on form and substance as it emerged—a
broad, round-headed angel with a face that shone as fire, wreathed in glowing
vapors—sent down from the celestial realm as the Lifemaker’s personal emissary
to Groork.
“Oh, get up off your knees, you fool,” Zambendorf said irritably.
The screen of the transmogrifier that he was holding displayed REMOVE UP FROM
YOUR KNEES. YOU ARE JOKING.
“Delete,” Zambendorf told it with a sigh. “Substitute: Rise up.”
“Arise,” the angel boomed, and advanced slowly a few paces. It held a frond from
some strange tree that Groork didn’t recognize. A second angel had appeared
behind it, standing in the opening in the shining creature’s side.
“There, Vernon,” Zambendorf said into his helmet mike. “Your first Taloid at
close quarters.” The Taloid was wearing a tunic of woven wire, a thick cloaklike
garment, and a dark cap of some rubbery-looking material. As it climbed slowly
to its feet, it picked up a staff of metal tubing that it had laid by its side.
“It’s . . . amazing,” Price’s voice replied haltingly. “It’s so different from
watching recordings up in the ship.” There was a second or two of silence. “What
do you think it’s doing up here?”
“I’ve no idea . . . attracted by our lights and the flyer’s thermal radiation,
probably. From some of the things Galileo said, I wouldn’t be surprised if it
thinks we’re gods or something.”
“It’s uncanny,” Price said, staring.
“I am Zambendorf,” Zambendorf said, activating the transmogrifier again and
pointing to himself; then he instructed the instrument: “Get name.”
“I am the Wearer,” the angel announced as the computers returned the Taloid
pulse-sequence that had been equated to “Zambendorf”— the Wearer of the sacred
Symbol of Life, Groork decided. Then the angel asked, “What is your name?”
“Groork, known as Hearer-of-Voices, son of Methgark and Coorskeria, and brother
ofThirg,” Groork answered. He was surprised that the angel didn’t know.
“No, too long. Shorter please,” the angel said.
The celestial voices were rising and falling in the background again. They
seemed to be saying, “Light and awe. Light and awe . . .” Or was it “Send light
and awe”? Groork frowned as he tried to make sense of it. The angel was still
standing and waiting. Why wouldn’t the angel accept his name? What were the
voices trying to say?
And then Groork understood. This was his moment of spiritual rebirth, which
would be symbolized by his being rebaptized with a new name. The angel wished
him to repeat the name by which the Lifemaker wanted him to be known’from now
on, and which the voices were telling him. “Enlightener!” he exclaimed as the
inspiration struck. “I am called the Enlightener!”
NAME OBTAINED, the transmogrifier screen reported. ENGLISH MATCH REQUIRED.
Zambendorf thought for a moment, and then said, “Moses. Spell M-O-S-E-S.”
Moses? the screen repeated.
“Okay.”
“I shall go forth from this place as the Lifemaker commands and enlighten the
world,” the Enlightener declared, his voice rising in fervor. “I shall destroy
the blasphemers and smite down the unbelievers who bow themselves not before the
holy words that I shall bring unto them. I shall—”
“Stop! Thou jabberest. Makest not sense any. More simple. Shorter please.”
It wasn’t the angel that spoke, but the frond that the angel was holding, the
Enlightener realized with a start—the angel was teaching the frond to speak. He
stared in wonder. Then he realized that it was a miracle to show that the angel
was truly a messenger from the Lifemaker. That explained its questions: The