“Piang, all these creatures are going to be your friends.”
Piang seated himself on the soft turf opposite Ganassi; the fawn nosed her head under Piang’s arm and sank by his side.
“The charm that I am about to give you will protect you from tempest, danger, and deceit: no storm can destroy you; no animal can creep upon you unaware, and no man can lie to you. You will become the wise man of Mindanao, the guide of your people, the heart of the island.”
Solemnly the boy followed the words of the old man.
“You shall be taught all the truths of the nation, and you shall pass them along to the generations.”
Piang’s face brightened. At last he was to know the answers to many puzzling questions.
“Ask what you will, boy. I will answer you truthfully and justly, telling you the things as they are, as they have been since the day of creation.”
“Why, O Ganassi, must Mohammedans never eat the flesh of the wild boar? It is forbidden that we touch pork, yet the Christians find it good.” Ganassi’s brow clouded:
“Have you never heard of the Christian’s God? Do you not know that we hate Christians because they believe a Son of God could be killed by man? They call him Christ, but we know that the Almighty is Toohan, omnipresent, omnipotent and omniscient. Their prophet Isa [Jesus] once visited the great Mahomet, and when Mahomet demanded that he divine what was in the room beyond, Isa refused, saying that he had no wish to show power.
“‘Answer correctly, or you pay for it with your life!’ thundered Mahomet. Isa then replied that he had two strange animals in the room.