"Now, you will be asked to swear that you will hold to the secrets ofthe Taus, even if you should decide not to join us. The challengesand rituals of ...his week shall not be spoken of to anyone who is nota Tau or currently pledging. To assure this, your agreement will bebound by the magic of this tome. Simply repeat the affirmation withyour hand on the book. We shall continue once everyone has beenbound," he explained. I turned to see the robed member present thebook to the first naked pledge. So what?"Another brief silence followed. This time, however, I began to explain my rationale."By itself, it's not that important. But when you add in all the other things that were going on..." Details, Pat," Evie said almost disparagingly. "Details. This is an ongoing problem with you; in this respect, you're the exact opposite of your girlfriend. You get so hung up on minute details and familiarities, that you lose the ability to view situations objectively. Even now, you're doing it. You. Groves of trees had been planted on either side of the river and at the northern end an artificial swamp had been made, complete with reeds and mud-holes. In the east, just below the foothills an area about a mile across was artificially drained and the topsoil had been replaced by sterilised sand to make a small artificial desert. This was kept drained and the water was used to maintain the swamp. The south-east quarter of the enclosure was a triangle about two miles by one of open grassland. She was startled to see me. All of a sudden, there was a worrying sign on her face.I smiled at her as I walked toward her.“You… you are…” she stumbled on her words.I was close to her now.“Yes. It’s me,” I said, standing close to Sneha.“I have seen you with sasurji (father-in-law),” She said“Do you know who I am, Sneha?” I asked as I placed my hand on her waist.“Please, no…” Sneha said, moving back from me.“What happened?” I asked her again as I went further toward her.“This is wrong. I have to.