He pointed towards the chariot enclosure.
'There's one of them fires burning over there now and, as I speak, twenty or so little turds are warming themselves beside it.'
He glanced at the queen, who had just rejected another pebble, then returned his attention to Tom.
'Now ... where was I?'
'You were going to tell me what happens after the stones of destiny have gone into the fire.'
'Quite right. Well, after a while the fire dies down and the criminals gather about it and try to see their stone in the glowing embers. Then, as each one finds his stone, he snatches it up and runs as far as he can as fast as he can.'
'How does that help with the auguring?'
'I was just coming to that.' Thunder cast a dark glance at Tom. 'Well ... not all the stones are rejected by the fire. Some are accepted and when that happens you know you've got a candidate. With the number of criminals we've got tonight you'd expect two or three.'
'You mean two or three who can't find their stones?'
'Correct. They can't find them and you take 'em, one by one, to the House of Ways ... that is just round the corner ... and you say to the priest that is there "I present the first of the candidates". Or the second or whatever.'
'Yes,' said Tom.
'Then you get the candidate to stand still while the priest goes round and sticks a sword in him. You step back as the candidate falls down and the priest watches how he twitches and so on as his life force flows out and his soul light enters the void. After that the priest tells you the things you want to know ... like, will there be a good harvest or when are your enemies going to attack. It's very clever. They have to study for a long time and pass all sorts of tests before they're allowed to do it.'
'I'll take your word for it,' Tom said.
The queen finished her inspection and handed the leather bag to Thunder. She turned to Tom.
'Sky Warrior, when you completed your warrior training, did you take part in the ceremony of rebirth?'
Tom described the ceremonies he'd been through in the army and the Boy Scouts. None satisfied the old woman. 'I wish you to become a member of my household,' she said. 'Before that can happen, you'll have to go through the formalities of rebirth. A ceremony is taking place tonight.'
***
A full moon was in the sky when they left the village. Tom and Thunder followed a procession making its way through partly cleared land. Thunder said the ceremony of rebirth was being held for a group of young warriors who had just completed their training. Tom decided to make good use of his time and learn as much as he could about the art of war in his new realm.