Jal settled into a steady pace in a southwesterly direction. He’d not had any problems with animals in the past and didn’t expect to now. The wind picked up a bit, and the low grasses swayed in the breeze. “Now,” he thought to himself, “Now I can sprint. I love to do this.” In the distance, Jal saw motion, and a lone bokan came into view. There was a baby with it. “You’re away from your group. That means you’re open prey for the local lynx population. And I don’t need them for company.” Jal stopped and took the gun out of its sheath. Jal continued running until its wrist locater beeped that it was nearing the thirty-five-kilometer limit.

Jal slowed and as it began a wide circle that would take it on its return route, a large feline came into view. “What? Snow leopards don’t live on Iragos. Did you come across the land bridge?” Jal kept running and watched as the feline began to run parallel to him. Jal was certain that the animal had targeted the two bokan and was headed in their direction. As Jal passed the bokan, he glanced back thinking it would be fun to see the cat go after the large animal.

“Something’s wrong. Where did that cat go?” There was a sinking feeling in the pit of Jal’s stomach. It realized that the cat was trying to catch it. “Don’t panic, don’t panic! Think! If I continue on this path, I’ll lead it directly into the valley. I’ve got to go further west. There’s a copse of trees and bushes toward the spring of the Rechys River. If I can get there, I can go up a tree.”

After a few minutes of steady running, Jal was seized by the awareness that the cat could probably climb trees. It was almost to the trees. “I’m going to have to jump really high and reach.” It slid the gun back into the sheath and focused its running. “The tallest trees are on the other side.” At a full sprint, Jal put some distance between it and the feline. Going at top speed, Jal raced through the trees toward the tallest one.

Jal planted its feet and vaulted into the air. Once airborne, it saw a branch coming toward it too fast. It reached. “Oh, no! I missed.” Aiming for a different branch as it went lower, the Stafriez grabbed onto a tall elm. The feline entered the treed area and slowed as Jal scrambled between the branches. Jal slowed its breathing and sat still. It watched the feline as it searched for Jal’s scent. The animal wandered between the trees. Jal’s communication device beeped. Jal touched it and whispered, “What is it?”

“You’ve deviated from your typical pattern,” Jan said.

“Yes,” Jal said quietly.

“Is something wrong?”

“Sort of. I’m okay for the moment. I’m turning the volume down so if I don’t respond right away it’s because I’m on the move. I'm in

a small band of trees. Do these go north or east?”

“North.”

“Thank you. I’m going to stay where I am. If this feline figures out where I am, I may have to kill it and I don’t want to do that.”

“Please describe it.”

“It’s a snow leopard. Two meters high at the shoulder, a meter-and-a-half from nose to tail, long tail. White and grey coat with black spots.”

“I’m guessing you’re in a tree.”

“I am. If this animal goes south, and back where we came from, things will be fine. If it finds me and tries to come up the tree, I’ll have to shoot it. If it goes in a northerly direction, I’m not sure what I’ll do. I don’t want to lead it into the valley.”

“Right. Did you take water with you?”

“Just a small canteen.”

“The animal you’ve described is a snow leopard. It can leap twelve meters. How high are you?”

“About twelve meters. Maybe a bit more. Uh-oh. It’s figured out that I’m above it. I’m turning off my communication.”

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“No, don’t!” Jal tapped the communicator.

Jal was certain that the leopard had seen it. Jal crouched, not moving, hoping it would go on its way. An hour passed, then two. Jal stood up and stretched its legs. Jal could see the animal winding back and forth among the trees. It came back to the tree where Jal’s scent ended. Jal lifted its rifle. “I don’t want to do this.” Another hour passed. The animal began to put its paws against the trees and look up. At the tree Jal was in, the feline stopped. The feline scratched the tree. Jal tried to hold its breath, hoping to stay unnoticed. The animal began to circle the tree. It prepared to jump.

Jal planted its feet so it wouldn’t fall. It hit the feline squarely between the eyes. The animal slumped to the ground. Jal fired again. Slowly Jal descended. It blinked, then began to sob. “You are so beautiful. I didn’t want to kill you. I’m so sorry.”

Jal turned its communication device back on. “Jan, I had to shoot it. I’m down from the tree. This animal is not edible. I’ll skin it and leave it for scavengers.”

“Do you need anything?”

“Yes. There’s a knife in a sheath on the shelf in my sleeping room. I’ll need it.”

“I’m on my way.”

Jan found Jal kneeling in the shade of the trees. Jal removed the claws and sharp teeth of the animal, and its sobs made it seem like it was singing over the carcass. Jan stood back and listened. When Jal finished, it began to cry again. “I'm so sorry, leopard,” Jal said over and over. Carefully Jal skinned the leopard, and when the job was finished, Jal wept again. They rolled up the skin and went home. As Jal stretched the skin and pounded the pegs into the ground, it wept some more.

“You’re really upset about this, Jal.”

“I am. It was a beautiful animal. It isn’t native to this area. I don’t know why it was on Iragos. It must have come over during a low tide. We didn’t need the meat. It was an unnecessary killing, except that it was coming up the tree after me. It may have not retreated from a warning shot, not knowing what it was. It’s so sad. If Noren were here, this never would have had to happen.”

“Noren?”

“You know, the Protector Noren. She should have known this animal was not in the right habitat.”

“Jal, the Protectors don’t know all and see all! They can’t be everywhere at once.”

“But a Protector is responsible for one thing, all over the planet. Noren takes care of all the animals. She has to be everywhere at once.”

“I think you’re confused because you’re upset.”

“No, I’m not. I’ve read the books you gave me. I’m not confused. I’m sad. I’m angry that things are happening, and certain places and people seem out of control.”

“You saw the news about the fire in Kauflen,” Jan guessed.

“And the explosion of the transport that was going to Pitsu, and-”

“Jal, I’m sorry for stopping you from going on. I saw the news today, too. I think that you’re becoming more aware of what’s going on around Zuphreon. You’re worrying about people and things that seem out of control.”

“Yes.”

“Have you thought taking this up with Aren Moshe?”

“Yes. But why should I? He hides his answers, Jan.”

“What do you mean?”

“He’s not forthright with information. He says I’m supposed to ask him questions, but only rarely answers them. If I answer one of his questions, he doesn’t correct me, or tell me if I’m right. We asked him to train me, but these sessions are mostly silence. How much can I learn if no one is speaking? Pray, he says. But I don’t know how to! ‘Talk to Vitos as if he’s here,’ he says. So, I’m supposed to pretend Vitos is there and talk to the air. ‘Pray silently, Jal!’ he says. He talks about litanies and has taught me one. I have been there eight times for several hours each time, and I know one litany. Do you know what it was? ‘I am not worthy to look upon your face, Vitos, but hear my words.’”

“What is the rest of the litany, Jal? Do you remember it?”

“There is no more to it. I’m supposed to say the words over and over. If Vitos is a god, then why doesn’t he hear it the first time?”

“I hear your frustration, Jal,” Jan said as it choked back its laughter. “Believing in something you cannot see is, well, not an easy thing to do.”

“How do you do it, Jan? I don’t see you going down to the Sanctuary. Do you believe Vitos and Noren exist?”

“Would it matter if I did or didn’t?”

“There! Now you’re doing it too!”

“Doing what?”

“Not answering the question I asked. Do you believe Vitos and Noren exist?” Jal demanded.

“Let’s talk about something else,” Jan suggested. “You’re all worked up over this.”

“No! Let’s not!” Jal shouted. “Do you or do you not believe Vitos and Noren and all the other Protectors exist?”

Jan rose to its feet when Taryn came to the door. “The evening meal is ready,” she said quietly.

“Let’s eat,” Jan said.

“How long are you going to wait to answer my question, Jan? Or should I take your non-answer to mean that no, you don’t believe in the Protectors. Is it a bad thing to not believe? Is it wrong to ask questions?”

“Take a breath, Jal. I don’t want to sit at the table with you if you are going to shout. Are you finished?”

Jal took a breath and looked at Jan. “I don’t want to sit at the table tonight if you are not going to answer my question. It’s a simple yes or no question.”

“Go to your room, Jal.”

“Why should I believe in the gods if you don’t, Jan? Why should I have ‘religious instruction’ if you don’t agree with and support it?”

“Go to your room, Jal.”

“I’ll go to my room, Jan. But you can’t make me believe in something that’s not real!”