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. How do you intend to prove
their presence?"
"I'm glad you asked!" he declared, positively beaming.
His enthusiasm, I must admit, was quite contagious.
Before he spoke further, he took my arm and led me
back along the forested path, toward the rocky notch
leading into this grotto. He explained as we climbed
steadily upward.
"There are powers in the world that derive from
sorcery," he said, "and others - reputedly vanished since the
Cataclysm - that can be traced only to the gods and their
faithful priests and priestesses. These powers, these clerical
abilities, have been long since lost, abilities that no sorcerer
can wield. Surely an astute historian like yourself is familiar
with examples of those who have tried and failed."
True," I allowed. "Such things as the healing of wounds
and sickness, the communing with gods, auguries of the
future, powers over trees and water and air, come only from
the gods and are granted only to their most faithful servants
- not to mention darker powers," I added as an afterthought.
"From gods of evil."
He brushed that aside. "Surely you see, then," he noted,
"that any who can wield these powers must have gained
knowledge of the true gods - and more than that, he must be
the recipient of their favor!"
We came through the rock-bordered notch, and I saw
several people waiting for us.
Where they had come from was a mystery, for there
were no dwellings - not even a simple homestead or farm -
within sight. The group included a dozen or so people
dressed in plain, dark brown robes, each person's face
concealed by a blank plaster mask
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