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permit. When he reached the Summit, he found the fathers waiting, and they took him gently into
their cove, where they immersed themselves and began to speak.
“We’ve lost the arbitration,” the coil-father said. “It will be necessary for us to go and leave
it to him. “
Dira could not believe it. “But didn’t they listen to our arguments, to our logic?”
The fang-father shook his head sadly and touched Dira’s shoulder. “There
were...accommodations to be made. It was their time. So we must leave.”
The coil-father said, “We’ve decided you will remain. One was permitted, in caretakership.
Will you accept our commission?”
It was a very great honor, but Dira began to feel the loneliness even as they told him they
would leave. Yet he accepted. Wondering why they had selected him, of all their people. There were
reasons, there were always reasons, but he could not ask. And so he accepted the honor, with all its
attendant sadness, and remained behind when they left.
The limits of his caretakership were harsh, for they ensured he could not defend himself
against whatever slurs or legends would be spread, nor could he take action unless it became clear
the trust was being breached by the other--who now held possession. And he had no threat save the
Deathbird. A final threat that could be used only when final measures were needed: and therefore
too late.
But he was patient. Perhaps the most patient of all his people.
Thousands of years later, when he saw how it was destined to go, when there was no doubt
left how it would end, he understood that was the reason he had been chosen to stay behind.
But it did not help the loneliness.
Nor could it save the Earth. Only Stack could do that.
4
1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had
made. And he said unto the woman. Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
2 And the woman said unto the serpent. We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:
3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden. God hath said. Ye shall not
eat of it. neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5 {Omitted}
6
And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the
eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave
also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
7 (Omitted)
8 (Omitted)
9 And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him. Where art thou?
10 {Omitted}
11 And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I
commanded thee that thou shouldst not eat?
12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree,
and I did eat.
13 And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou has done? And the
woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.
14 And the LORD God said unto the serpent. Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed
above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou
eat all the days of thy life:
15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it
