Wishing his glasses weren't somewhere at the bottom of the river, Daniel squinted, attempting to translate the history of these people from the tapestries hanging behind the alter.

The story told how the people were led through the stargate by a loving Goddess to this planet when their homeworld was literally being blown apart much as the Tollen's had been, only theirs was by natural rather than technological disasters. The people believed their world destroyed by evil Gods to punish them for being weak. The Goddess forbid them to use the stargate and warned them to beware of all who came through.

The guards suddenly dropped to one knee as a handsome, powerfully built man in gold silk robes entered closely followed by the priestess. In respect, Daniel pulled himself onto his knees and bowed his head in reverence. He remained silent as the man roughly gripped his chin, raising Daniel's head, studying him for what seemed an eternity.

"You are not of this land although you appear to be Loshian." His eyes never left Daniel's face as the priestess whispered in his ear. "I am Gre'lac, ruler of all you see. Kylan tells me you come to us through the Circle of the Stars." Releasing him the man seated himself on the cushions in front of the alter facing the Egyptologist.

"My name is Daniel Jackson. The other man is Colonel Jack O'Neill. We are peaceful explorers from Earth." It took a moment for Daniel's brain to register that not only didn't he have translate the man's speech but that the last was a statement rather than a question.

"Use of the Circle of the Stars is forbidden. Where is this...Earth?"

Daniel had never quite figured out how to explain to less technologically advanced civilizations exactly where earth was located. "Well...as Jack would say...it's way,...way out there."

"You are the leader of your people?" Gre'lac continued to study him as if he were a bug under a microscope. His dark eyes were inquisitive but not unkind. Unfortunately Daniel couldn't say the same thing for Kylan.

"No. That would be...Jack." He hesitated wondering if he'd put his friend in further danger.

"Was it by your leader's orders that you interfered with the offering?"

"Offering?" His head was still pounding and the room briefly tilted. "No. As a matter of fact Jack is always bitching...uh....complaining because I rarely do what I'm supposed to."

"You are a warrior who does not obey orders?"

"I'm not mil-a warrior." How many times had that been pointed out to him since joining SGC?

"If not by his orders why did you stop the offering?"

"My people don't believe in killing for no reason...especially children."

"You must be a very weak people."

"He lies!" The priestess growled in the language she'd spoken at the river. "Your worship, if they do not wish to kill why do they carry weapons?"

"I don't lie!" Daniel retorted angerily. "We carry weapons only for protection."

Gre'lac jumped to his feet, a flash of fear in his eyes. A shiver of trepidation worked it's way through Daniel that had nothing to do with his still damp clothes and the lower temperatures inside the building. It was caused by the pure hatred shining in Kylan's eyes.

"Take him to my chambers and wait." The guards jumped forward at Gre'lac's orders pulling Daniel to his feet before practically running from the room.

"Gre'lac why do you waste time with this...thing?" Kylan spat the word. "He has angered the loving Gods and must be punished. You must follow the law."

"You forget yourself Kylan." The older man's voice was cold and deadly. "You forget who you speak to."

"I apologize your worship." He didn't see the intensity of her anger as she quickly bowed her head. The man was a fool. His mind grew weak with age.

"He interests me. I will call for you when I am done speaking with him."

Jack paced the room anxiously. Where was Daniel? Why had they been separated? He'd already checked the small area a hundred times and knew there was no way out other than the bolted door. Slamming his hand against the wall in frustration, he slid to the floor. Any belief he'd had in a spiritual being had died with Charlie but Daniel believed and he'd do anything to help his best friend. The colonel bowed his head whispering a small prayer.

"You speak the ancient tongue. How is this possible if you are not from this world as you say."

"I speak many languages of many worlds." Engrossed in the murals on the wall Daniel hadn't heard the ruler enter and once again dropped to one knee as he answered. Gre'lac dismissed the guards ordering them to wait outside until needed and motioned for the scientist to be seated on cushions across from him.

"May I ask if Jack's all right?"

"Your leader has not been harmed." Pouring two glasses of what appeared to be wine, he offered one to Daniel. "Tell me of your world...You claim you do not kill, yet the weapons you carry cause death, is that not so?"

"Yes but we only use them to protect ourselves if we're attacked." Daniel explained. "We were looking for a piece of equipment we lost. Something that looks like a large silver bird. I assure you we came to your world in peace."

"You mock our laws and anger our Gods."

As Daniel searched for the words needed to make the ruler understand they had no intention of mocking the villager's beliefs, two young women as beautiful, as perfectly formed as the women at the river entered carrying trays of food. Something flicked in the back of his mind. Something from the tapestries. Something he had noticed passing through the village but couldn't quite get ahold of at the moment.

"Eat. The food of our land is quite pleasing."

"What about Jack?" Daniel insisted.

"He will be fed."

"Your worship, we in no way intended to offend you or anger your Gods but as I tried to tell Kylan we don't make sacrifices. I couldn't stand there and watch a child die for no apparent reason."

"He was weak. He was offered to the Gods so that the rest of the village may survive."

"I'm sorry, I don't understand."

"His foot turned inward. If we had ignored the law and he had been allowed to grow to manhood, he would have weakened the village if attacked. He was given back to the Gods so they would continue to protect us." Gre'lac spoke as if explaining how to plant corn. The flickering in the back of Daniel's mind flamed to life, coming forward into full view. The villagers were all pictures of health and perfection. No sick. No weak. No deformed. No elderly. Only the perfect were allowed to live.

Jack ignored the tray of food, sipping at the wine to quench his thirst. He hadn't eaten since early morning and his mind told him his body would need the food to keep its strength and energy but his appetite fled at the thought of what might be happening to Daniel.