what tak wrote.
In 'Second Convocation Hubland Dwarfish' (basically, Old Dwarfish. If you know Dwarfish, you should be able to figure it out), the Cube says:
[tapping noises]
Art thys thyng workyng?
The first thyng Tak did, he wroten hymself; the second thyng Tak did, he wroten the Laws; the thyrd thing Tak did, he wroten the World; the fourth thyng Tak did, he wroten ay cave, the fyfth thyng Tak did, he wroten a geode, ay egge of stone; and in the gloamyn of the mouth of the cave, the geode hatched and the Brothers were born; the first Brother walked towards the light, and stood under the open sky. He was the first Man. He found no Laws and he was enlightened. The second Brother walked towards the Darkness, and stood under a roof of stone. He was the first Dwarf. He found the Laws Tak had written and he was endarkened. Then Tak looked upon the stone and it was trying to come alive, and Tak smiled and wrote "All things strive", and for the service the stone had given, he fashioned it into the first Troll, and delighted in the life that came unbidden. These are the things Tak wrote!
[then, shouted:] I who speak to you now am B'Hrian Bloodaxe, by right of the Scone the true King of the Dwarfs.
[Quieter] We were washed into the caves by the flood. We sought one another, voices in the dark, we are dying. Our bodies are broken by the terrible water with teeth of stone. We are too weak to climb. Water surrounds all. This testament we will entrust to young Stronginthearm, who is still nimble, in the hope it will reach daylight. For the story of this day must not be forgotten. This outcome was not meant. We came to sign a treaty! It was the secret, careful work of many years.
[Sound of groans and rushing water.]
[Then, in Old Troll, not that anyone understands it, but if it's put through a translator...]
I am Diamond King of Trolls. Indeed, we came to make peace. But the mist came down upon us, and when it rose, some trolls and dwarfs cried 'Ambush!'. They fell to fighting and would not hear out commands, so troll fought troll and dwarf fought dwarf and fools made fools of all of us as we fought to stop a war, until the disgusted sky washed us away.
And yet, we say this. Here in this cave, at the end of world, peace is made between dwarf and troll and we will march beyond the hand of Death together. For the enemy is not Troll, nor is it Dwarf, but it is the baleful, the malign, the cowardly, the vessels of hatred, those who do a bad thing and call it good. Those we fought today, but the wilful fool is eternal and will just say this is a trick. And so, we implore, come to the caves under this valley, where you will find us sharing the peace that cannot be braken.
A note: In the book, Ardent, naturally, being one of those people who do a bad thing and call it good... claimed it was a trick. Also, to start the cube talking, you have to say 'awk', and to stop it, it's h'rada. It also kinda... does a weird moving puzzle thing when it starts and stops. :D
The italics in the first bit is where it differs from the version Ardent believes.
[tapping noises]
Art thys thyng workyng?
The first thyng Tak did, he wroten hymself; the second thyng Tak did, he wroten the Laws; the thyrd thing Tak did, he wroten the World; the fourth thyng Tak did, he wroten ay cave, the fyfth thyng Tak did, he wroten a geode, ay egge of stone; and in the gloamyn of the mouth of the cave, the geode hatched and the Brothers were born; the first Brother walked towards the light, and stood under the open sky. He was the first Man. He found no Laws and he was enlightened. The second Brother walked towards the Darkness, and stood under a roof of stone. He was the first Dwarf. He found the Laws Tak had written and he was endarkened. Then Tak looked upon the stone and it was trying to come alive, and Tak smiled and wrote "All things strive", and for the service the stone had given, he fashioned it into the first Troll, and delighted in the life that came unbidden. These are the things Tak wrote!
[then, shouted:] I who speak to you now am B'Hrian Bloodaxe, by right of the Scone the true King of the Dwarfs.
[Quieter] We were washed into the caves by the flood. We sought one another, voices in the dark, we are dying. Our bodies are broken by the terrible water with teeth of stone. We are too weak to climb. Water surrounds all. This testament we will entrust to young Stronginthearm, who is still nimble, in the hope it will reach daylight. For the story of this day must not be forgotten. This outcome was not meant. We came to sign a treaty! It was the secret, careful work of many years.
[Sound of groans and rushing water.]
[Then, in Old Troll, not that anyone understands it, but if it's put through a translator...]
I am Diamond King of Trolls. Indeed, we came to make peace. But the mist came down upon us, and when it rose, some trolls and dwarfs cried 'Ambush!'. They fell to fighting and would not hear out commands, so troll fought troll and dwarf fought dwarf and fools made fools of all of us as we fought to stop a war, until the disgusted sky washed us away.
And yet, we say this. Here in this cave, at the end of world, peace is made between dwarf and troll and we will march beyond the hand of Death together. For the enemy is not Troll, nor is it Dwarf, but it is the baleful, the malign, the cowardly, the vessels of hatred, those who do a bad thing and call it good. Those we fought today, but the wilful fool is eternal and will just say this is a trick. And so, we implore, come to the caves under this valley, where you will find us sharing the peace that cannot be braken.
A note: In the book, Ardent, naturally, being one of those people who do a bad thing and call it good... claimed it was a trick. Also, to start the cube talking, you have to say 'awk', and to stop it, it's h'rada. It also kinda... does a weird moving puzzle thing when it starts and stops. :D
The italics in the first bit is where it differs from the version Ardent believes.