Part 16 (2/2)
Guild declared warlockry a menace to be destroyed. You would reluctantly yield to their authority, since magic is their area of expertise.”
”And we would be blameless. And if people are unhappy with the Wizards' Guild, it won't makemy beer taste any worse.”
”Of course not.”
”So, Lord Faran, wouldthat suit you? Or do you still argue that the warlocks must live?”
”It would seem my stated objections have been countered,” Faran admitted.
He did not sound pleased about this; in fact, he realized that he still sounded unconvinced, and that Azrad knew him well enough to recognize that.
He had been working closely with the overlord for more than twenty years-Azrad had come to power upon his father's death twenty-eight years ago, and Faran had spent his entire adult life in the Palace, working his way up in Azrad's esteem. Lying successfully to the overlord would take a little more effort than his usual casual facade.
”You have unstated objections, then?”
Faran certainly did-foremost among them that he was himself a warlock, but of course he couldn't admit that. He knew Azrad too well to think that knowing his chief advisor was a warlock would change the overlord's opinion of warlocks; it would instead, he was sure, change his opinion of Faran. Azrad always chose the more negative option in such cases.
Especially when he was scared, which he clearly was.
”Nothing I can put into words,” Faran said. ”It just seems wasteful.”
”Better wasteful than dangerous,” Azrad replied.
”What if the Wizards' Guild decides the warlocks pose no great threat?”
”You deal with the Guild more than I,” Azrad said. ”Do you think it likely?” He s.h.i.+fted heavily on the throne. ”And if it's likely, can you change that?” ”I don't know,” Faran admitted.
”Then find out,” Azrad snapped. ”I have sent several messages to the Guild, asking their representatives to wait upon me at their earliest possible convenience, and I expect them to oblige me no later than tomorrow.”
”Lord Azrad, you've cut off many of my best sources of information by forbidding all entry to the Palace.
Might you relent, perhaps, in the case of my nephew Hanner and my niece Alris?”
Azrad considered that, chewing his lip and staring at Faran.
Faran gazed serenely back, but internally he was seething. The fat old fool didn't see the possibilities in warlockry! He didn't realize how hard it would be to detect warlocks, didn't see that he had one right here beside him-he would never be able to exterminate them all, but would instead drive them into hiding.
Warlocks would make perfect spies, ideal a.s.sa.s.sins. They could fly over walls, break locks with their magic-Faran wasn't sure yet whether they could open locks without breaking them-and could kill anyone from a distance, leaving no mark.
If the Hegemony were touse those abilities they could rule the World, retake theSmallKingdoms and thePirateTowns and the northern lands. If they tried to stamp warlockry out those abilities would be turned against them instead.
Sayingthat would be unwise, though-Azrad clearly had his mind made up, and would almost certainly prefer a handful of openly hostile warlocks in hiding to hundreds of undecided ones living openly in the city.
Faran, on the other hand, saw the possibilities clearly. All the other varieties of magic had drawbacks, weaknesses, limitations- wizardry required exotic materials and intricate rituals; witchcraft strong enough to be any use left the user exhausted and weak; theurgy was limited to coaxing whimsical and rule-bound G.o.ds to cooperate, and so on, while a warlock need merelythink of what he wanted, think hard and it would happen. With this magic at his disposal, an ambitious man could accomplish almost anything.
If Faran were to reach out with his mind now, and grip Lord Azrad's overworked heart. ..
But it was too soon to move so openly. Besides, Azrad the Younger, Azrad's son and heir, who would someday be Azrad VII if all went as expected, was a vigorous man of thirty-five, far less familiar and far less easily manipulated than the present bloated and slothful overlord.
”I don't think so,” Azrad said at last. ”From what I've heard, both of them have been a.s.sociating with several warlocks. I don't think we can trust them until those warlocks have been disposed of.”
”But they can probably tell us a great deal about the warlocks! We could learn just how big a danger they actually are ...”
”Thatsubject isclosed, Lord Faran,” Azrad said. ”They've shown themselves to be dangerous enough that they must be removed.”
Faran had never before been so irked with his master; the temptation to squeeze that heart was growing.
”Of course, my lord,” he said. ”When this is all over, Lord Manner and Lady Alris will be permitted into the Palace again-that is, a.s.sumingthey aren't warlocks.”
”But not before?”
”Not before.”
”In that case, my lord, I think I had best set about finding others I can send on certain errands.”
Perhaps the throat, rather than the heart. Perhaps if Azrad were to choke slightly, but recover ...
No. That wouldn't change anything, except to make the overlord suspicious.
”Be about it, then,” Azrad said with a wave of dismissal.
”Yes, my lord.” Faran rose, bowed slightly, and turned to go.
As he crossed the room his fingers were clenching and unclenching. He could feel the power in his mind, like rising dough, pressing outward, eager to be used. It took an effort to reach for the door handle with his hand, rather than with magic .. .
And then the door swung open before he reached it, almost slamming into his nose, and his mind lashed out, shoving it closed again. He stepped back, startled.
The door opened again, more slowly this time, and Captain Vengar stepped in, peering around the panel at Faran.
”I'm sorry, my lord,” he said, ”I didn't know you were there. Lord Azrad signaled for me.”
”You still should have knocked!” Lord Faran said angrily.
”Captain,” the overlord called sharply, in a tone Lord Faran had never heard before in all his years in the Palace. Startled, Faran turned to see the overlord sitting bolt upright on the throne.
”Yes, my lord?” Vengar said.
”Captain, this man is a warlock,” Azrad said, speaking slowly and clearly and louder than his wont-and not entirely steadily. ”When he closed that door on you just now he did not touch it. Remove him from the Palace at once and see that he is not readmitted without my specific permission.”
”What?”Faran burst out. ”Azrad, that's absurd!”
”I saw what I saw, my lord. Your hands were at your sides when that door slammed shut. Why you did not see fit to tell me of your altered circ.u.mstances I do not know, but it's quite obvious I can't trust you anymore. Go peacefully-and I might suggest that you consider leaving the city, as well as the Palace, for your own safety.”
The overlord's eyes were unnaturally wide and staring, Faran saw-and wet, as if he were on the verge of tears. ”But it's ... you couldn't, from across the room ...”
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