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to his finest academicians.
    "And yet," Danlo said, "the Entity hopes that some day some woman or man will remember this secret."
    "But not," Lord Nikolos said, "some god?"
    "Possibly some god," Danlo said. "Possibly my father. But most of the gods are nothing more than vast computers. Neurologics and opticals and diamond circuitry. They ... do not live as a man lives. They cannot remember as we remember."
    "And do you believe that the Solid State Entity would have us remember for Her?"
    "Yes."
    "Then She would use us — our Order — as the Silicon God uses the Architects and the warrior-poets?"
    "My father," Danlo said, smiling, "once wrote that the Entity referred to man as the instrumentum vocale. The tool with a voice."
    "And you find this amusing?"
    "Truly, I do," Danlo said, looking down at the flute he held in his hand. "Because these tools that we are also have free will. And our lives are the songs that sing the universe into existence."
    "What songs will we sing, I wonder, if we become involved in the gods' wars?" Lord Nikolos asked.
    "I do not know," Danlo said. "But if we could remember this secret of the Eddas, then in a way it would be we human beings who used the Entity to destroy the Silicon God, yes?"
    "Is this what you advise, Pilot? That the Order use its resources in helping the Entity fight Her war?"
    Danlo suddenly fell into silence, and he gripped his flute so hard that the holes along the shaft cut into his skin. He said, "I ... do not believe in war at all. The Lord Akashic must know that I have taken a vow of ahimsa."
    Never to harm any living thing , Danlo thought. Even at the cost of one's own life, never to dishonour another life, never to harm, never to kill.
    "Well, I don't believe in war either," Lord Nikolos said from his chair. "War is the stupidest of human activities, with the possible exception of religion. And as for the kind of religious war of which you've spoken today ... "
    Lord Nikolos let his voice die for a moment as he turned to catch the eyes of the Sonderval and Morena Sung and the other lords sitting near him. He shook his head sadly as if all agreed that religious war was by its very nature insane. Then he continued: "Nevertheless, it is upon us to consider this war that the Architects fought among themselves and would bring to other worlds. Perhaps we must also consider the wars of the gods."
    Danlo looked at Lord Nikolos then, and quickly bowed his head.
    "Pilot," Lord Nikolos asked, "have you finished your story?"
    "Yes."
    "Then I must ask you to wait outside while we consider these stupidities and crimes that you have brought to our attention."
    Danlo bowed his head. He knew of the rule that only lords and masters may attend the most serious deliberations of the Order. He stepped out of the black diamond circle and moved to pick up his wooden chest where it sat on the floor.
    "A moment," the Sonderval said suddenly. He slowly stood away from his chair and stretched himself up to his full eight feet of height. "I would like to applaud the Pilot's accomplishment in discovering so much and falling so far."
    So saying he rapped his diamond pilot's ring against the table. Helena Charbo and Aja, sitting across the room at the master pilots' table, knocked diamond against wood, as did Lara Jesusa and Alark of Urradeth. But none of the other lords and masters in the hall that day wore rings, and so they had to content themselves with clapping their hands together and bowing their heads in honour of Danlo's great feat.
    "And now," the Sonderval said, "I would like to ask Danlo wi Soli Ringess to remain here with us today."
    At this unexpected presumption, Lord Nikolos turned abruptly and shot the Sonderval a puzzled and offended look.
    "I would like to ask him to remain as a master pilot," the Sonderval explained. "Can anyone doubt that his accomplishments merit his elevation to a mastership? I think not. And therefore, as Lord Pilot, I welcome him to the rank of master. We will