The Karnala were also great artists, musicians and—what was highly worthwhile in terms of trade as well as everything else—the finest book producers in their world. The printing presses of Karnala, I learned, were of a flatbed type, not so fast as the rotary machines on Earth, but producing what appeared to my eye much sharper printing. The Sanskrit-like lettering I still could not read but, as Shizala took me round a small press, showing me some of the beautifully made books it produced, I soon learned to recognize many words as she pointed them out to me.

These books were in great demand across the whole continent and were a great asset to the Karnala, as were their artists and writers who produced the raw material.

Other industries thrived in Varnal. Their swordsmiths were also renowned throughout the world, I learned. The smiths still worked by the old methods, using furnace and anvil much as smiths on Earth worked—an earth that was yet to come, I realized.

Some farming was done now, but on a big scale and not by private landowners. Square miles of cereals were sown, I was told, and harvested all at once by volunteers from all over the Karnala nation. What was not used was stored in case of hard times, for the Karnala were well aware that a nation based on trade and industry cannot buy food in famine and will only survive if it can produce its own.

The absence of any places of worship was noticeable and I asked Shizala about this. She replied that there was no official religion of any kind, but for those who wanted to believe in a higher being it was better to look for Him in their own minds and hearts, not to seek Him in the words of others.

On the other hand, there were public schools, libraries, clinics, social centers, hotels and the like, and no one seemed under-privileged or unhappy in Varnal.

The Karnala political philosophy seemed to be one of armed neutrality. They were a strong nation and prepared for any attack. Besides this, an oldfashioned martial code still seemed to exist, because an aggressor never attacked without good warning.

After telling me this, Shizala added: "Apart from the more savage tribes, and they are no threat. Those-and the Blue Giants."

"Who are the Blue Giants?" I asked.

"The Argzoon. They are fierce and without code or conscience. They dwell in the far north and only venture out on raids. They have only once come this far south, and then my father's army drove them away ..." She bowed her head and tightened her grip of the reins.

"And never returned?" I said sympathetically, feeling I had to say something.

"Just so."