Several times he coughed from an intake of dust thrown at him by the heel of a
passerby. But in the end he had completed his account. And it was then,
suddenly, that the other man’s eyes widened, as if a startling thought had come
to him.
‘Are you telling me that you are seriously pursuing the murderer of your father,
despite that you have now discovered that the killer may well be the second most
powerful Rankan god?’
It was the first time that meaning had been spoken so exactly. Stulwig found
himself suddenly as startled as his questioner. Before he could say anything,
the lean-faced, good-looking wandering singer spoke again: ‘What – what happens
if he ever
lets you catch up with him?’
The way the question was worded somehow steadied the healer. He said, ‘As we
know, Vashanka can come to me any time he wishes. My problem is that I do not
know why he came to my father, nor why he would come to me? If I could find that
out, then perhaps I could go to the temple of Ils and ask the priests for help.’
Cappen frowned, and said, ‘Since you seem to have these powerful purposes,
perhaps I should remind you of the myth.’ He went on: ‘You know the story.
Vashanka is the god of warriors and weapons, the wielder of lightning, and other
powerful forces. You know of this?’
‘What I don’t understand,’ Stulwig replied helplessly, ‘is why would such a
being kill my father?’
‘Perhaps-‘ a shrug – ‘they were rivals for the affection of the same woman.’ He
went on, ‘It is well known that the gods frequently assume human form in order