out of sight of the 2 purple trees. I was settling in for the
night and the rest of the next day. I hoped to see if anything
interesting would happen at the full moon.
I was imagining and wondering about this, when an Orga Hemlock
wandered by, then a very strange orga, that I had never seen.
It approached me, glared at me with a horrible fanatical eye,
then began chanting. I realized then that this was an Orga
Zealot, and braced myself for new horrors. It lit my fallen
body afire, once, twice...
Suddenly, everything swirled about as if in a whirlwind. I
might have fainted briefly... or a long while, who knows?
I came to my senses in a new place. Around me strode awful
orga of many known kinds. Death Vermine ran about like rats.
But also there was a new sort... An orga the size of a Frenzy,
perhaps bigger, walked around me. It did not have the insane,
yet intelligent glow in its eye of the Zealot. But it did
wear a orange sash over its huge red and blue streaked torso.
To my north stood a hut, with ghastly decorations atop it.
A ring of skulls were fixed atop, and two fresh but very
dead naked humanoid corpses, were stretched on either side
of the curtained entrance. To the west I saw something almost
familiar. It looked like one of the 2 weird purple trees seen
on the east of Boneswood. It stood only half as tall, and had
a correspondingly smaller canopy, otherwise the resemblance
was remarkable. Large campfires blazed all about, and warmth,
rather than cold was the problem on that muddy ground.
For a short time I gazed and wondered at these amazing (and
terrifying) sights. I was so afraid, (coward that I am) but
I could not depart when there seemed to be something new to
learn. Yet I almost despaired, all alone in that place.
Suddenly, almost on top of a campfire, I saw a fallen body
appear. I heard the remains of an echoing yell, "An Orga
Zealot!" Then I looked more closely and recognized Severian.
We discussed our predicament and speculated why the Zealot
had selected us two. Perhaps we would join those unfortunates
spreadeagled on the side of the hut. Perhaps the Orga had an
idea for a ... a... breeding program. /action blushes.
Then POP! McBain appeared nearby! One by one, following each
other fairly quickly, we heard the yells of more fallen exiles
as they too found themselves in an unfamiliar and terrible
location. Confusion and shouting ensued as we informed the
newcomers of what little we knew.
Gradually the tumult died down, save for the grim growls,
padding feet and pounding drums of the Orga. I began to
attempt an estimate of the size of this place, and its
features. Gimli could see a stream to his east, and a bridge
crossing it. From the western trees to the stream and from
the Northern trees to the Southern the place seemed to be
no bigger than ... oh, the undine cave, probably smaller.
We sensed fellow exiles bravely progressing through the Snaggy
Wood in an attempt to rescue the fallens they thought were
still there. In fact, they did rescue several poor souls. But
when they reached and conquered Boneswood, they could not find
any entry to the Orga Village, nor any new paths at all. I felt
that there might be some connection nearby, for I saw several
orga disappear into the trees.
Boneswood? Or the 4th Orga Camp? No one knows. For one by one
the transported exiles gave up the wait and took the low road
back to Puddleby. As I write this, I sense my friend Gimli
nearby still. All the others are gone. Strange things have
happened at the time of the full moon. Can I keep my senses
and my courage to wait through the long two days till then?
I do not know...
I am sending this message with Polychrome, the last besides
Gimli and myself waiting, wondering, hoping for a miracle.
If I never see you again... Goodbye to my many friends. To
my enemies, I say I never knew the cause of your enmity, be
it thinking me a threat, my sex, my youth, or my opinions.
You will have won. But do not count me out yet.
--Nyssa
