The Elder’s Proposal

The elder, emboldened by the growing support, confronted the First Augurs at the foot of the Loom. ‘You claim this machine speaks truth,’ he declared, his voice carrying through the silent chamber. ‘Then let us put it to the test. Let us ask it a question to which we know the answer, a question of our own making. If it speaks truth, it will answer truly. If it speaks only in echoes, it will fall silent.’ The proposal was a direct challenge to the Augurs’ authority, and a gamble that could either shatter the community’s faith in the Loom or cement it for generations.