Pages 33-70 Summary

Brutha brings Nhumrod to the garden to show him the talking tortoise. Om, who hoped to speak to the high priest, vehemently expresses his displeasure. The novice master can't hear the voice of Om, and so concludes that Brutha's religious fervor has gotten the better of him. Nhumrod picks up the tortoise, deaf to Om's impotent threats of fire and brimstone, and carries the tortoise to the kitchen, there to be made into soup.

Later, Brutha sneaks into the kitchen and rescues Om from beneath a pile of herbs. Brutha tells the tortoise that he does not believe him to be the incarnation of Om. Om, by way of proof, summons up a small thunderbolt, striking Brutha with the force of static electricity.

Fri'it and Drunah meet atop the citadel roof. Fri'it suspects that Drunah might also be a secret revolutionary...