First Jozlyn reviewed the events of the recent invasion of Luciheptal World by the warlike Pyraln. "The people of Luciheptal are peaceful and had no idea that these Pyraln would try to take over our world," she explained to the tabbin. So if any of you have any information we can use to stop these Pyraln, we'd appreciate it if you'd share it with us."
On the tabbin's higher telepathic frequency, the three decided this sounded like a reasonable request. The tabbin had simply assumed that the arrival of the Pyraln was a normal event, because from time to time they'd seen or heard of Pyraln visiting other human lairs. But since there were no Pyraln near Draygon's Keep, its three resident tabbin had not paid much attention to other tabbin reports on the actions of the Pyraln. But now Hepbeth, Tragar and Roshel remembered hearing reports that Pyraln had killed some Luciheptaln and had taken over a few other human lairs, or cities, as the humans called them, far away from the Keep. They also knew that a Pyraln mage had led the present group of Pyraln onto Luciheptal World.
Although the tabbin had never used the method of inter-planetary travel that the human magin used, they knew that the Pyraln mage had availed himself of this method to import his soldiers onto Luciheptal. All that the tabbin knew about this method was that it was called the In-Between and that only magin knew how to use it and were its most freqeunt users. Sometimes a mage would escort a human from another world onto this one and vice versa. And Jozlyn had mentioned that this Pyraln mage had betrayed the trust that had been bestowed upon him when he'd reached the level of mage training in which he was taught how to use the In-Between.
Tragar lowered his telepathic frequency to the human range, "Pyraln make bad magin. Tabbin know this. Why humans make more Pyraln magin?"
Hepbeth stretched, yawned, and then proclaimed, "Mage teachers not use intelligence." Since it seemed so self-evident to the tabbin, why couldn't the humans understand this?
"Hepbeth," Jozlyn leaned forward, "you keep saying this. You tabbin seem to know things we don't. If we don't have all the information, then we can't use our intelligence to make good decisions."
Theor elaborated, "Tabbin can see and hear information humans keep in their heads. But humans can't do this. That's why we have trouble getting enough good information.
"So are you telling us that if we could hear the thoughts the Pyraln keep in their heads, we would have known not to accept them as students in Mage School?"
Well, this put a new light on the situation. Suddenly the tabbin understood. "Tabbin wonder why human not use intelligence. Now tabbin know, because Jozlyn, Theor tell," as he telepathed, Roshel scratched an ear.
Scratching his own ear, Theor asked, "You mean that tabbin did not know that humans can't hear thoughts in other humans' heads?"
"Tabbin know now," Roshel said as he got up and rubbed his side against Theor's leg. Theor gently scratched the tabbi's head. Roshel purred. He always enjoyed it immensely when Theor scratched his head.
"Now do you understand why humans need your help, so we can figure out how to get the Pyraln back onto their own world?" Jozlyn asked.
Roshel summed it up, "Jozlyn, Theor want tabbin listen to Pyraln. Then tell Jozlyn, Theor." He rolled over to indulge in one of his favorite leisure activities, scratching his back on the hearth stones.
Theor smiled as he watched the lithe tabbi snake his spine back and forth. "Yes, tabbin, that's what we'd like you to do." |