| tekst |
Gehn's Speech from Riven
I apologize for the cage.
I'm afraid this situation has often required of me a more
primitive code of conduct than I might otherwise have chosen.
I am Gehn.
I assume you have heard of me.
Yes.
Well, I suspect you have acquired some
false information of who I am now.
Not that my son would have lied to you about me.
No, not Atrus, it's just that . . .
Well, I'm sure he believes me to still be
the depraved father I once was.
Yes.
I even tried to kill him once.
God, if I had accomplished that
who knows what I would have become.
A great father indeed who tries to murder his own son.
Thankfully, he trapped me on Age Five;
a prison of my own creation.
No books, no precious inks, no ages to link to . . .
Nothing but my own . . .
foolish ambitions.
That was thirty years ago, 30 years, 30 lifetimes.
What does it matter ?
No sentence could be too harsh for the man I was.
But.
I have changed.
To be sure, the deeds of my past
can never be completely atoned for,
but my mission was an honourable one.
I'm sorry.
This is all a bit awkward.
I . . .
It's been a long time since I have attempted
to persuade anyone of my intentions.
Most of the people here
have already made their minds up about me.
One way or another.
I myself do not trust the words of most men.
So, I don't expect you to believe me.
In the end though, you may discover
that I do have more than mere words to offer.
Atruses's choice of punishment
has been hard on the people of Riven.
And many have suffered because of it.
The island has been steadily decaying for years.
But, according to my most recent measurements
it appears that the Fifth Age has entered it's final days.
Unless the villagers can be relocated soon
the Island will collapse entirely and everyone will perish.
It has taken me a long time to do it, but.
It appears that finally I'll be able
to make some substantial ammends
to my past transgressions.
Especially in . . .
Well.
I'm afraid I have had some trouble with Catherine.
And the Moiety.
In any society there will always be a small percentage
of the population with rebelious tendencies !
Before Catherine appeared,
the Moiety, as they call themselves,
had been relatively harmless.
I mean.
The natives here are a fairly violent people by nature.
But I'd almost come to accept their presence.
It seemed inevitable under the circumstances.
Upon Catherine's return, however,
their violence intensified considerably.
It seems she's become some sort of
religious saviour to them.
And as far as I can tell,
she has come to believe this herself.
So, I've had no alternative:
I had to separate her from her people.
I must admit though that my concerns
were not entirely for her safety alone.
The actions of Catherine and the Moiety
have put my own life at risk.
On numerous occasions !
Consequently, the lives of all the people here.
Therefore, I must ask you to refrain
from any attempt to free her.
Although I am sure Atrus desires it.
Indeed.
He must desire it with all his heart.
But he is completely unaware of her recent state.
I know that you have arrived in the Fifth Age
with a book which was immediately stolen from you.
Needless to say, it's reacquisition is of interest to me.
Though my personal history with the Moiety
does not give me much hope for it.
Still.
There is a chance you might somehow manage to retrieve it.
If you do, I would ask for the safety of all concerned,
that you bring it to me at your earliest opportunity.
Again, to be honest, my reasons here are partly selfish.
There is so much yet to be resolved between Atrus and myself.
Especially in light of what has become of Catherine.
In any case:
My immediate concern is the completion of
the Sanctuary I have long promised to all the Islanders.
In the meantime,
as a token of my good intentions,
I will allow you . . .
free access to my linking books . . .,
crude, though they may be,
and to the rest of the Fifth Age . . .
As for the stolen linking book.
We should probably not meet again until you've recovered it.
I will know if you have succeeded and will await your return.
Good luck with your search.
I hope to see you back here, shortly !
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