...Dwllis received an entirely unexpected visit from the druid Hedalgwadey. As usual, Hedalgwadey was cloaked and cowled, and even in the light of the Cowhorn Tower’s central chamber his face was concealed. Despite Dwllis’ obvious consternation, Hedalgwadey spoke as if everything was normal and his visit was a natural consequence of events in the Cemetery. It turned out that this was in fact the case.
“Do you have news for me?” Dwllis asked.
“What is news?” Hedalgwadey conversationally replied. “That which was in the future and which has just occurred. But we druids hear faint echoes of the afterlife, which for all of us is a place of the future, and so we are, after a fashion, soothsayers. Time spreads. Sometimes we become disorientated.”
“My good man, why are you here?”
“Since your visit to the Cemetery I have taken an interest in you. I have heard your rumour on the radio frequencies of the afterlife. I believe that you have an appointment.”
“Who with?”
“Why, yourself.”
Confused, Dwllis said, “How can that be?”
“You have seen visions in the lens. I would guess the lens to be personalised to you, for it is attracted to the Cowhorn Tower, and you claim to have seen yourself in it.”
“On occasion.”
“We druids punt across the Swamps, listening, ever listening. We wish to make the future more certain by listening to its possibilities. I have seen parts of your future. There seem to be two paths, one trod by you, one by another, and depending on circumstance one of these paths will come about, and its walker triumph. But that is all I have heard. I am here to make you aware of your position.”
“I was already aware of it,” Dwllis said haughtily. “But you say you travel the Swamps?”
“Yes.”
“Do you not worry that ordinary Crayans will find you out?”
“Not at all,” Hedalgwadey replied. “Even if you were to report me, nobody would listen. Social inertia takes care of that. It is believed that the Swamps are a deadly region, and rightly so. People would mock you even if you were to relay tonight’s discussion.”