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looked like any moderately wealthy elf of station and not at all like a thief,
and she was new enough in town that word of her should not yet have
spread outside the Guild. No one took notice of her as she strolled through
the district, feigning disinterest at what was going on around her.
The Temple District was every bit as busy and interesting as the
market, if not more so. The priests were fat and wealthy, their costumes
elaborate and often ludicrous, and arguments between priests of different
sects were loud and often quite amusing.
Many ceremonies were performed publicly in the front plaza of each
temple, and these ceremonies ranged from revolting to entertaining. At
the Temple of P'andar, a prophet was reading the entrails of a sheep;
Shadow wrinkled her nose and hurried on before he could complete the
ceremony, at which time the entrails would be scattered over the
worshippers.
At the Temple of Grurg, two acolytes caught fighting had been set the
penance of publicly battling out their differences, their weapons being two
large and smelly fish. Shadow and several others watched the amusing
spectacle for some time, until the smell became too much.
At the Temple of Bodri, five temple handmaidens, clothed only in
bejeweled ornaments, were doing a ritual dance of some complexity, the
object of which seemed to be to make the most possible noise with the
jangling jewelry. A large group of men, including priests from other
temples, were gathered there to discuss the respective attributes of the
five women, who seemed not the least disturbed by the various comments,
suggestions and propositions shouted in their direction.
Shadow paused in front of the Temple of Ebraris. Its sigil, executed in
exquisitely realistic marble statuary, depicted two men and a woman
engaged in a marvelously complex sexual maneuver. Shadow grinned. The
ceremonial activities of the very popular Temple of Ebraris were entirely
to her taste, and she was momentarily tempted to visit the temple where,
for a small donation, she would be made very welcome indeed; but if she
was observed, it would endanger her neutral status. Shadow sighed, giving
the temple one last, longing look, and walked on.
The Temple of Urex, as was its custom, was carting away the roasted
carcass of its sacrificial bull, which would be cut up and distributed to
beggars in the market. The passing cart reminded Shadow that it was
lunchtime, and two coppers bought her half a roast fowl from a passing
vendor. Then she noticed a crowd gathering by a platform at the very
center of the Temple District, and wandered over to investigate.
A very dirty, ragged male human was being dragged onto the platform
by four robed men. A fifth was heating up a brazier, and three more were
following in procession.
Shadow picked out a human standing nearby and nudged him.
"What's going on?"
The man awarded her a brief glance.
"Temple of Urex found this fellow pilfering out of the offering box." He
shrugged. "When they searched him, they found a Guild token on him."
"Aren't thieves supposed to be turned over to the city guard?" Shadow
asked.
The man gave her another glance.
"New in town, are you?"
"Mm-hmm."
"Criminals caught inside a temple are turned over to that temple," the
man told her. "Long as it ain't murder, that is. The temple can inflict
about anything short of death."
"Why didn't the Guild ransom him?" Shadow frowned.
The man chuckled wryly.
"From the Council of Churches? That's a good one, little sister."
Shadow scowled, but said only, "What'll they do with him?"
"Cut off his hands, I reckon." The man shrugged again.
Shadow shook her head ruefully, then frowned as two of the robed
figures stepped forward. She recognized the two priests who had been
arguing with Lord Sharl the night before.
"Let this worm's punishment serve as a warning to that festering sore
in Allan mere known as the Guild of Thieves!" Vikram shouted, waving his
arms at the crowd. His face purpled with the passion of his speech. "May
our example show all the people of this fair city what should be done with
such scum who live as parasites, stealing the sustenance of others!"
Suddenly there was a loud scream, drawing Shadow's attention back to
the unfortunate thief. His captors had forced his face into the brazier, and
his screams continued for a few more moments before he slumped,
unconscious.
"Nope, I guessed wrong," the man beside Shadow said.
Shadow caught a glimpse of the burned face as the thief was helped,
staggering, off the platform. She grimaced, looked distastefully at her
roast fowl, and tossed it aside as she walked away, leaving High Priest
Vikram to continue his impassioned speech.
As the smell of burned flesh faded behind her, Shadow mentally
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Dobre pomysły nie mają przeszłości, mają tylko przyszłość. Robert Mallet
De minimis - o najmniejszych rzeczach.
Dobroć jest ważniejsza niż mądrość, a uznanie tej prawdy to pierwszy krok do mądrości. Theodore Isaac Rubin
Dobro to tylko to, co szlachetne, zło to tylko to, co haniebne.
Dla człowieka nie tylko świat otaczający jest zagadką; jest on nią sam dla siebie. I z obu tajemnic bardziej dręczącą wydaje się ta druga. Antoni Kępiński (1918-1972)
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