"People of the Fifth Age," Ghen began, his voice    
powerful, commanding. "It had come to my notice that      
some of you..." Gehn pointed to a little group Atrus      
had not noticed, or who had possibly not been there       
until that moment; who knelt there abjectly, just below   
Gehn, their hands bound: the two brothers, Carel and      
Erlar among them. "Some of you, as I say, have taken      
it upon yourselves to help my enemies. To nurse this      
imposter" - he turned, this time indicating Atrus, -      
"who dares to call himself my son!"                       
     Gehn turned back, raising his hands again. "Such      
behavior cannot be tolerated. Such defiance must be       
punished."                                               
     There was a great murmur of fear from the watch-   
ing islanders.                                           
     "Yes," Gehn went on. "You were warned, but you      
did not listen. And so, in punishment, there will be     
great tides..."                                          
     "No..." Atrus said, finding his voice.              
     "And the sun will turn black..."                    
     "No..."                                             
     "And the ground... the very earth will shake and    
the great tree fall!"                                    
     "No!" Atrus cried out a third time, this time loud   
enough for some among the croud to hear him. "No! He's   
wrong! I've fixed it. All of those things... all of      
the weaknesses in the book. I've put them right, I've..."
     Atrus stopped, seeing the hideous grin of triumph    
on his father's face as he stepped up to him.            
     "Well done, Atrus... I knew I could count on you."   
Gehn's smile was suddenly hard and sneering. "I shall    
be most interested to read the changes you have so       
graciously crafted for me."