Cwendor and Tenereck, master builder and engineer, gave Asanka a grounding in mathematics, physics and chemistry to a level far beyond anything the Riders now remembered. Embelin taught him a little politics; the perspective of the Enclaves on the Rider communities they secretly watched and looked after. Even Gyrun gave lessons to Asanka, mainly on the subject of the rules of the Vow of Earth but also (and of more interest to the boy) on astronomy, pointing out the tracks of the Guardian's ancient silent orbital platforms, explaining the phases and the weather of the moon, how to identify the planets and how to navigate by the stars. On the surface it seemed that the interpreter had accepted the ruling of Hirrilow at the trial of Crinomu. Yet he had not. Through covert channels Gyrun managed to establish contact with sympathetic agents in the Conclave, bypassing the Curse of Kalonia. At some time during these years the interpreter of Kalonia made a fatal decision to betray his leader and his Enclave. A significant faction within the Conclave listened to his poisoned words. They devised a plan and they began to act.