It May Fairly Be Said That Ritualists Are The Deliverers Of All Mankind By The Otherwise-Inaccessible Benefits We Produce
He was nodding as the conversation was translated for him, presumably. Ponsaë JomFigza confirmed that to be the case and added, “He also says there are plenty of false accusations of stealing when someone finds out what an item is worth and wants it back, as if it's his fault the sellers don't do as much research as they ought. What's that?” She listened to a few more sentences. “Mr. JomOdro trusts we all share a sense of community as fellow lovers of antiquities. He expects to be allowed to make a closer examination of the idols, and he also expects you would all love to see the Globe of Avans before the general public is allowed to do so.”
“And we would love even more for this man to hold it.” Dirant tried to indicate Foshkay laGabohnsay, but the man's absence baffled the attempt. “That man. He awaits us outside, so excited is he to assist in an exotic ritual.”
“An exotic ritual?” The two Yosrobos who mattered evinced interest, as did even Glainai Gabas, who enjoyed more of life's attractions than crime alone. Vogdi JomOdro stood up and led the group out of his temporary office toward the globe as Dirant explained the Delivery Ritual, the pinnacle of his class's achievements if the level requirement meant anything. Most likely it did not since most classes got their best stuff in the first three levels, but even so, 50.
Inside a locked box inside a locked chest inside a locked crate sat the globe, spinning away in place with no hand propelling it. Clouds white and dark covered most of it, but through breaks in the cover the watchers saw the oceans, the mountains, and every feature on the planet's surface.
“Ooh,” some said.
“Aah,” others responded.
Vogdi JomOdro also gazed with awe despite having all the opportunities he wished to view the relic. He further insisted everyone else gaze along with him while they waited for the advent of one of his people, a Ritualist he wished to consult before he would allow the Picker to proceed. A Stegzin soon joined them, or rather a Yosrobo from Yosrobzi Vugri itself judging by how angry he did not sound. The density of hand gestures seemed similar between the two dialects, however. After a discussion in Yosribdi between the new arrival and the globe's owner, the latter motioned to Foshkay laGabohnsay to proceed.
A moment after the Picker picked up the relic, the southern Ritualist said something to his boss. “A genuine ritual is being performed,” Ponsaë JomFigza reported. “He must caution everyone that while a Ritualist is able to guarantee whether a ritual he observes will have some definite result, by no means whatsoever may the precise . . .”
What interrupted the man's legally meaningful speech sent Dirant Rikelta to the floor. The Ritual Revelation ability both possessed alerted them to the completion of the Delivery Ritual by flooding them with that pure sensation which the gods divided into pleasure, pain, scratchiness, slickness, heat, cold, and every other feeling lest it overwhelm the mortal creatures soon to populate the world.
“AaAaAgh,” Dirant said.
“Oooooooggg,” the other Ritualist concurred.
“Ressi! Ressi!” Takki sounded so close to panic that Dirant began a struggle to reassure her, but it turned out not to be much of a struggle. The Ritual Revelation ceased seconds later, and along with it the debilitating sensation. He popped right back up to explain.
“The Delivery Ritual is completed. Again the world is guarded from deterioration.” As much gravity as he could manage went into that proclamation despite the fact that, while he was able to guarantee and so on, he had to accept the specifics on faith. Surely a ritual that did that to him from so far away had some heft to it, though. He glanced at a spot the rest of the people would perceive as empty, excepting perhaps the other Ritualist, and saw Holzd. One of the god's weird, wobbly arms looped around itself and ended in a salute.
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“Well done, little priest,” the god told him. Dirant sniffled. His southern counterpart whipped around and stared; evidently that was his first religious experience.
“Good news for all of us, eh?” Audnauj accepted the proclamation at face value, which showed how seriously people took legal disclaimers.
Takki also ignored the fine print, albeit in favor of other important concerns. “Next we must uncover the truth of what that means, but are you certain you're all right?”
“It is so. As sudden and violent as our reaction must have seemed, it was due merely to the activation of Ritual Revelation, a standard if optional class ability. To anyone considering a class change to Ritualist, I recommend several other abilities above it. Ritual Humility is especially consequential in commerce. Now I must thank Mr. laGabohnsay for his possibly world-altering assistance.”
“Oh, you know. Heh.” Then, to cover his embarrassment, the triumphant Edition Freezer said, “This globe is amazing though. Incredible.”
Seeing that Vogdi JomOdro was busy interrogating his domestic Ritualist, Glainai Gabas addressed another audience, this time in impeccable Yumin. “It truly is, sir, and no less incredible is your skill as an exemplar of your extraordinary class. I won't hold back in praising anyone who does good for this fascinating world that contains everything worth loving, and I couldn't be happier to hear it won't deteriorate any more than it already has since the heroic past. I am inspired now to set out and enjoy it a little more.” He switched to Adaban. “Mrs. JomFigza, why don't I leave my icon with you? I hope to hear favorable results when I return for it tomorrow, but please don't tell polite lies to console me. There it is. Now, Miss Desonn, shall we?” He and Desonn Sheglei departed, just a couple of art fiends off for a larceny-free night on the town.
Both questionable statuettes in hand, Ponsaë JomFigza turned to Dirant Rikelta with the same expectant look as a child on her birthday, if Stegzins did that sort of thing. He was in a mood to allow what at other times he might refuse, what with the nebulous safety of the planet assured for some indeterminate duration, and therefore he said, “I also permit you to examine my idol. Please refrain from allowing Glainai Gabas, Desonn Sheglei, or the security here near it before I reclaim it tomorrow.” Deliëraï JemmzIszti might have taken umbrage at that if anyone had translated it for her. “What else is there? More exhibition, I suppose. Miss Takki, Lord Audnauj, Mr. laGabohnsay, shall we?”
The four returned to the party even readier to party than before. Dirant Rikelta and Foshkay laGabohnsay had both discharged crucial duties which had long disturbed their equanimity and so came to resemble ships riding high in the water after delivering their cargo, bobbing around as the winds and waves moved them. Millim Takki Atsa had accomplished nothing, but she felt relieved from a weight as well. All that time before the fateful globe inspection she had held back from disturbing those two by engaging them in dense conversations about intriguing items in Vogdi JomOdro's collection. No longer did she restrain herself. As for Audnauj Olzenchipt Stavripdeu Blawraj, two of his companions had carried on an acquaintance with him long enough to realize his mood had something odd in it, but too short to comprehend the nature of it. Though he remained attentive, at times a smile or frown unrelated to the surroundings crossed his face. He remained a properly festive party guest for all that.
Eager attendees kept the Eight-Way Scale working all night, but it was a little too dull for thrill-seekers such as Takki, who preferred another relic just set up on the second floor known as Sofan's Field. At first sight a simple board for playing grid-based games with pieces, its miraculous nature revealed itself in repeated contests between the same players, for the returning winner became incapable of moving some of his pieces from their starting positions no matter his Muscle.
“The staff encouraged me to do so. They assured me I would never succeed in breaking the thing, and they were right,” reported Kitslof's representative in the Greater Enloffenkir assembly to Dirant after finding out the latter's family name to be Rikelta. He also asked how Stadeskosken fared, if old Haderslant had a son of every class yet, and so on.
“His pace has slowed worryingly,” Dirant was forced to admit.
The exhibition succeeded admirably as a social function, and doubtless many of the visitors departed full of ambitious plans to expand their own collections and fund archaeological undertakings. Others undertook to unearth their servants only to find them gossiping with the other retinues through a complex network of people who almost understood several languages.