Sung-Hoi was still standing in the same place, hands at his sides. He was still staring upward, unmoving. Simms waited a long time before he spoke.

"Sung-Hoi..."

The priest did not move.

"Sung-Hoi..."

"Take everything you have and leave here immediately."

"But, Sung-Hoi..."

"The Eternal One is angry. We used killing machines. We did evil. That is why he did not return. You will leave tonight and never come back."

"What will you do?"

"We will move the discs again. To the southern spire."

"Move the discs again! Sung-Hoi it will take a million years! You can't just..."

"We will. It is not The Eternal One's fault that we disobey."

"But... the Noisy Ones. They are coming. They will kill your children. They will topple these towers."

"We will fight."

"You can't fight them, Sung-Hoi! You can't win!"

Sung-Hoi's fists clenched. He said nothing.

"Sung-Hoi. Where I am going... there are oceans."

Sung-Hoi jerked his head around, and his face was an iron mask, his eyes were dying embers, growing cold, now out and dead. They saw nothing, they were dead and blind, and his jaw trembled so that his speech was slow, difficult.

"You will leave now. You will never come back."

Simms looked at him for a long moment. Then he turned and walked slowly away, into the forest, and was gone.