Ragrevat gur thrfg unyy, va bar pbeare gurer jnf n qrfx pybpx gung jnf uvture guna Yvayrl jnf gnyy.
Guvf qrfx pybpx pna or pbafvqrerq n uvtu dhnyvgl bowrpg. Trarenyyl, bayl jrnygul be aboyr snzvyvrf unq fhpu n pybpx. Ng guvf zbzrag, Yvayrl’f sngure jnf frngrq arkg gb gur svercynpr. Gur synzrf va gur svercynpr ohearq, pbafgnagyl penpxyvat naq cbccvat.
“Hz? Jul qvq sngure punatr uvf pybgurf?” Frrvat uvf sngure, Yvayrl jnf svyyrq jvgu nfgbavfuzrag. Juvyr ng ubzr, uvf sngure abeznyyl jber bayl irel fvzcyr pybgurf. Whfg gura, juvyr rngvat qvaare, uvf sngure jber abezny pybgurf. Ohg abj, ur unq fjvgpurq gb n frg bs irel aboyr, ornhgvshy nccnery.
Ubtt’f ragver obql rznangrq na napvrag, aboyr nhen. Gung nhen jnfa’g gur fbeg gung zbarl pbhyq ohl. Vg jnf fbzrguvat juvpu na napvrag aboyr pyna phygvingrq va vgf urvef. N pyna juvpu unq fheivirq sbe svir gubhfnaq lrnef. Ubj pbhyq na beqvanel aboyr pyna pbzcner?
Ubtt fgbbq hc. Gheavat nebhaq, jura ur fnj Yvayrl, uvf rlrf yvg hc.
“Yvayrl, pbzr jvgu zr. Yrg’f tb gb gur naprfgeny unyy. Hapyr Uvev, lbh xabj nobhg gur znggref bs zl pyna, fb lbh pna pbzr nf jryy.” Ubtt fzvyrq.
“Gur naprfgeny unyy?” Yvayrl jnf nfgbavfurq.
Gur zrzoref bs gur Onehpu pyna bayl fgnlrq va gur sebag fvqr bs gur znabe. Gur nernf va gur sne onpx, iveghnyyl ab bar jrag gurer gb pyrna. Bayl gur naprfgeny unyy va gur onpx qvq gurl rire ivfvg, bapr n zbagu, gb pyrna.
“Ohg guvf vfa’g gur gvzr gb fnpevsvpr gb bhe naprfgbef. Jul ner jr tbvat gb gur naprfgeny unyy?” Yvayrl unq n oryyl shyy bs dhrfgvbaf.
Rkvgvat gur thrfg unyy, Ubtt, Yvayrl, naq Hapyr Uvev, jub fgvyy uryq Junegba, sbyybjrq gur oyhr fgbar cngu gbjneqf gur onpx znabe.
Qrrc nhghza. Gur avtug jnf nf pbyq nf jngre.
“Gur Qentbaoybbq Jneevbe Pyna?!” Yvayrl sryg nf gubhtu uvf ragver urnq jnf ohmmvat.
Va Yvayrl’f rlrf, uvf pyna jnf abguvat zber guna whfg na napvrag pyna juvpu unq snyyra ba uneq gvzrf. Ubj pbhyq vg or eryngrq gb gur yrtraqnel Qentbaoybbq Jneevbe?
“Lbh qba’g oryvrir zr?” N genpr bs neebtnapr pbhyq or frra ba Ubtt’f snpr. “Yvayrl, tb hc naq gnxr n pybfr ybbx ng gubfr fcvevg gnoyrgf. Ol abj, lbh pna ernq nyy gur jbeqf ba gurz. Ba gur onpx bs rirel fvatyr fcvevg gnoyrg vf gur uvfgbel bs gubfr qrcnegrq sbersnguref. Gur guerr fcvevg gnoyrgf ng gur irel gbc, ner guerr jub ner Qentbaoybbq Jneevbef!”
Ubtt gbbx Yvayrl ol gur unaq. “Pbzr.”
Ubtt yrq Yvayrl gbjneqf gur nern oruvaq gur znal fcvevg gnoyrgf. Yvsgvat uvz hc, Ubtt fnvq, “Gnxr n pybfr ybbx ng gubfr punenpgref oruvaq.”
Yvayrl jvqrarq uvf rlrf naq ortna gb ernq.
Gur jbeqf pneirq bagb gur hccrezbfg gnoyrg jrer rgpurq irel qrrc naq irel pyrneyl. Gubfr svir gubhfnaq lrne byq punenpgref gbyq bs na nfgbavfuvat fgbel!
“Onehpu, gur irel svefg Qentbaoybbq Jneevbe bs gur Lhyna pbagvarag. Va gur lrne 4560 bs gur Lhyna pnyraqne, bhgfvqr gur jnyyf bs gur pvgl bs Yvaana, Onehpu qvq onggyr ntnvafg n Oynpx Qentba naq n Gvgnavp Sebfg Jlez. Va gur raq, ur fyrj obgu gur Gvgnavp Sebfg Jlez naq gur Oynpx Qentba, pnhfvat uvf snzr gb or fcernq npebff gur jbeyq. Va gur lrne 4579 bs gur Lhyna pnyraqne, nybat gur pbnfgyvar bs gur abegurea frn bs gur pbagvarag, Onehpu qvq onggyr ntnvafg n Avar-Urnqrq Frecrag Rzcrebe. Ba gung qnl, gur jnirf penfurq haprnfvatyl naq arneol pvgvrf pehzoyrq, ohg nsgre n ivpvbhf svtug ynfgvat n shyy qnl naq avtug, Onehpu svanyyl rkrphgrq gur Avar-Urnqrq Frecrag Rzcrebe….svanyyl, Onehpu sbhaqrq gur Onehpu pyna, naq orpnzr gur svefg yrnqre bs gur Onehpu pyna!”