Translating the Inscription

The Never Ending Quest - Episode 30798

Astra pondered the bounds of the terrible oath as she watched the watch candle slowly burn toward the four hour mark. The yellowish orange light reflecting on the cavern gave it an otherworldly glare. Astra had determined not to wake Checkers until the four hour mark was reached, for she knew that Checkers was in the least debt to Belboz, and would be the most likely to turn against him, and find a way to free her from the oath. As it was, Astra determined that she would fulfill it scrupulously, but passively. If given an order, she would obey it with as much grace as possible, but she was under no moral obligation to do more than that. So she could not tell Checkers what she knew. But she really could not see how showing Checkers the medallion would do Belboz harm. Belboz, for reasons of his own, might want Astra to show Checkers the medallion. So it was not an act of defiance, she reasoned.

As the candle reached the four hour mark, Astra gently prodded Checkers in the ribs with the haft of her sword, just under the line of where her wings protected her. A wing darted down toward the sword tip and the Glider's body lurched back. Checkers was a lighter sleeper than she thought. Checkers grabbed her spear and stood up, then relaxed, still groggy as she now understood that Astra had awakened her for her share of the watch.

"Did you get a good nap?"

"As good as one can expect here. I hope that this is our last night in the caves." She paused, and then added. "Somehow I think that I could have said that better. Well, anyway, it is my turn."

"Checkers, I found something. I have never seen anything quite like it. I would like your ideas as to what it is."

Astra handed Checkers the medallion. Checkers glanced at it, and turned it to the reverse side. She frowned, and rubbed at it, trying to pick up some details by the glow of the watch candle. She moved closer to the candle, in order to get more light.

"Do you know what that is?"

"I have some ideas, but in some ways they just make things more mysterious. Where did you find it?"

"On the top shelf, tucked away. It was shiny, so it caught my attention."

"This is in Belboz's possession. He may not be quite what he seems."

"What makes you think that?"

"The inscription on the back. It is some form of Dolomite - like the Old High Dolomite in the book that I read earlier. I would guess that he does not know what it says. There are some words that I do not know, and one of these is on that inscription."

"What do you think it is?"

  1. "It reads, Propa Marblewing, *magus*, the Seal of the Chief Judge of the Second Riding."
  2. "It sort of looks like the elder's badge that Sylvain Goldenrod showed our cadre once. The inscription on this one reads, 'Vitinae, *sfiniti* of Minestus Tragami. Safe conduct to the White Park of Celestial Mountain.' Vitinae is not a Glider name."
  3. "It reads, By authority of the King of Great City of the Caves - Glideri auxilliary - right of residence in exchange for service in maintenance, repair, or *petrana* "
  4. "It looks as if it allowed the holder to have the priviledge of *telimite* in the City of the Caves. *Telimite* is the untranslatable part. But the name engraved in the medallion is definitely a Glider name."

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7/16/2003 9:30:51 PM

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