From the Noon Song of the Anajo
There was excitement in the cities when the two moons appeared, but panic followed when earth tremors cracked the east wall of Egaru and brought down two of the older buildings in Pagaru. The other three cities escaped serious damage, but twenty-six people were killed in Egaru when the buildings fell, with more than seventy others injured.
The Questor General ordered the troops out of their barracks to patrol the streets, and the Vagar authorities mobilized volunteers to dig through the debris seeking other survivors. One old woman and two small children were found alive.
Across the River Luan the main city of the Mud People had been badly struck. Their homes of mud-bricks had collapsed, as had part of the palace. The Luan had burst its banks, bringing floods and a river of silt and mud that swept through the darkness dragging hundreds to their deaths.
In the Valley of the Stone Lion Questor Anu had ordered his 600 workers to move to the high ground one hour before the phenomenon. Not one man was injured when the earth split across the valley, briefly opening an abyss that belched smoke and dust into the night sky.
At the quarry three miles away a section of sandstone weighing rnore than twenty tons sheared away from the face crushing six workers and two whores. The men had remained behind against the orders of Questor Anu, having previously arranged a rendezvous with the women.
By dawn the land was again quiet, but an emergency meeting of the High Council was called to discuss the astronomical phenomenon and its meaning.
The Questor General did not head the gathering, but rode instead to the valley, seeking out Anu.
The newly young Questor was walking down the mountain, leading his workers in a long column, as Rael rode up.
‘We need to talk, my friend,’ said Rael, turning his horse and riding out across the grass. Anu walked over as the General dismounted.
‘I sense you are annoyed with me,’ he said.
‘You could have been more forthright. You knew the event was to take place. Was it some kind of illusion?’
‘No.’
Trailing the reins of his mount Rael walked to a rocky outcrop and sat down. Anu joined him. ‘Would you care to tell me why you kept this from me?’
‘You would not have believed me, Rael. You would have thought me demented.’
‘It would have been pleasant had you allowed me the right to make my own judgement. However, be that as it may, the event has now happened. What does it mean?’
‘It will not be easy to explain,’ said Anu, rubbing his slender hand through his close-cropped blue hair.
‘I have time.’
Anu smiled. ‘We may have less time than you think. I want you to open your mind, Rael, and listen to what I have to say without any questions. Agreed?’
‘Agreed.’
‘Our myths tell us that there were once gods who could journey through time, opening gateways to distant lands. You remember the Tale of the Twins? Bezak god of thunder and the twin brother he never knew he had?’ Rael nodded. ‘That myth always baffled me,’ continued Anu, ‘for you would have thought that Bezak’s mother would have known whether she had twins or not.’
‘Spare me the myths, Anu.’
‘Patience, Questor General. First you must peel back the skin before you find the fruit. The point I am making is that there are other realities, living alongside our own. As we faced the prospect of the Great Fall so did others on their own worlds. But at least one group accepted the conclusions of their wise men, and took action to save themselves. They used the entire power of their civilization in a bid to stave off the tidal wave. It worked – but not in the manner they intended. What they did was open a massive gateway between realities. They moved their capital city, and all the surrounding lands – shifted it to this reality. That is why, for a few heartbeats only, two moons hung in the sky. They are here now. Far across the western sea.