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(Excerpted from the accounts of the wizard Tamerlin).
"The weeks that I have spent among the Green Men have finally begun to yield
results; they have come to trust me, and to understand that I mean them no
harm. One of their number, a creature named Lahsa, today agreed to act as an
interpreter, allowing me to communicate with certain of the local forms of
plantlife.
Conversing in their secret language, we spoke to several different forms of
plantlife. From our discussions I was able to acquire a fund of valuable
knowledge, both in the practical and theoretical realms. For instance, I
learned that the primary difference between plants and humanoids is their
perception of time. To plants, humanoids are mercurial, chaotic, and
unpredictable. By contrast, plants are steady, patient, and respectful of the
natural order.
All plants and trees are members of the plant kingdom, a hierarchy that
ranges in rank from the humblest lichens to the greatest and most ancient
mangs. As a general rule, the great trees tend to speak more eloquently than
shrubs and plants. Having lived longer, they are wiser than their younger
brethren. Stretching their limbs above the top of the forest they can sense
scents and sounds carried by the winds; through their network of roots they
can detect the presence of other creatures by vibration. According to Lahsa,
trees have a sense of history, a field of knowledge that they hold in high
regard. Plants and shrubs, on the other hand, are more concerned with the
here and now.
Of all the plants we spoke with, the least sociable by far was the spitting
crocus, which hissed at me as I approached and ordered me to go away (Lahsa
apolegized for the plant's rude behavior, which he said was typical of the
species). A spiny-stemmed repente likewise effected a stand-offish demeanor,
but under the gentle prodding of Lahsa it finally allowed me to touch it
without stinging. A great span-oak proved to be most cooperative. It talked
with us about its history and lineage for hours, until the twin suns set in
the west and the ancient tree fell fast sleep."
©1994 SMS
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