Rick Cook - The Wizardry Quested

"I think we need more information," Wiz said. "We don’t know where this thing is from, how many of them there are, how their magic works or even much about how they operate."

"What he means is we’re still in the fact-gathering phase on this one," Danny said. "We gotta get our information together and work out a strategy." Malkin snorted. "And once you have done all that? What then?"

"Then," Wiz said grimly, "we are going to lack some serious magical butt." All three of them were early for the council meeting but they found Bal-Simba already in the council chamber with an elaborately chased bronze bowl before him.

"My Lords, My Lady," the big wizard greeted them as they entered.

"Have you found them?" Malkin asked, noting the scrying bowl on the table.

"We are not sure, but we have located the place where the effect is most powerful."

"Where?" Wiz, Danny and Malkin demanded as one.

In response Bal-Simba gestured. The water in the bowl darkened and then the image sprang up bright and clear. The image of a ruined black city on the slope of an extinct volcano.

The City Of Night!" Wiz breathed.

"So it would appear," Bal-Simba said grimly. The force is strongest in the caverns and tunnels beneath the place."

"We should have wiped it off the face of the earth," Wiz said bitterly. "It’s been nothing but trouble since the Dark League built it."

"Do not be so eager to upset the balance of the World," Bal-Simba told him.

"Still, we have been remiss in how we watched the place."

Theoretically the City of Night was deserted, save for occasional roaming monsters left over from the Dark League’s reign. Part of the city had been destroyed in the climactic magical battle in which Wiz and the Council had broken the League’s power and killed many of its members.

In practice the place had needed the attentions of the Council twice since, once when Wiz was kidnapped there by a remnant of the Dark League and once to lay the slaying demon Bale-Zur, who had been the League’s most potent weapon. Since then the Council had watched the place by magic and occasional patrols of dragon cavalry but otherwise left it alone.

"What do we do now?" Wiz asked.

That is for the Council to decide, I think"

"Hmpf!" said Malkin, in a tone that left no doubt about her opinion of the Councils decision-making ability. Wiz tried to ignore her and look on the bright side.

Four hours later it was abundantly clear that Malkin had been looking on the bright side.

"So we are at least agreed, are we not, On the need for action?" Bal-Simba rumbled wearily. That produced a general murmur and nodding of heads all the way down the table. Of course, Wiz noted sourly, some of the older heads were nodding because they were having trouble staying awake after going around and around over the same issues.

"Oh, certainly,’’ old Androclus said from his seat halfway down the table,

"but," he waggled an admonitory finger, "with caution."

"Caution be fornicated," growled Juvian. "We must act before this thing strikes again." He traded glares with Androclus, they being opponents of long standing. From his seat next to Bal-Simba, Wiz looked over at Malkin sitting against the wall. They exchanged looks of complete sympathy. If some of the older members were having trouble staying awake at this late-night session, Wiz and Malkin were having trouble keeping from strangling the council members. Danny and June had taken Ian to bed a couple of hours ago when it became abundantly clear where this session wasn’t going. Wiz and Malkin had stayed and fretted and fumed.

"My Lords," Bal-Simba said. "I think we need to sleep on this before we decide further. " Let us meet again at mid-day tomorrow. By then perhaps we shall know more." That produced the strongest agreement Wiz had heard all evening and the meeting broke up without having decided anything at all.

"Well," Wiz growled to Bal-Simba as they left the room, "that was a complete and utter waste of time."

"Because we did not set out on crusade this evening?" the big wizard asked. "You judge too quickly, Sparrow."

In reply Wiz drove his fist into the stone wall beside them. The scabs on his knuckles broke and blood marred the smooth white limestone.

"Speaking of wastes of time," Bal-Simba said mildly.

"Yeah, but it’s so frustrating! We’re spinning our wheels wasting time and Moira doesn’t have much time."

"A wizard must be the master of his frustrations. If you let them master you they will lead you to disaster entire. Besides, we learned several things this night."

"Name three," Wiz snapped.

Bal-Simba ticked them off on his fingers. "We learned that none of the Mighty has ever encountered this thing before, nor, as far as we can find, have the hedge witches or any other human magician. That means that it struck first at the heart of the human lands. Which in turn means what happened was not some chance encounter but a planned attack with magic we have never seen. That suggests in turn that this thing has been biding its time while it honed its powers elsewhere. And that: but there are your three, Sparrow, and several besides." "So what are we going to do about it?" "Scant choice in that, is there? We will fight this thing and I hope we shall defeat it. As to the details-" Bal-Simba shrugged "-those we shall decide in Council." "I wonder if that bunch will ever decide anything." "Unjust, Sparrow. True, the Council is a deliberative body but would you rather we dash off heedless and ignorant against an enemy who is clearly prepared for us?" Wiz looked at him narrowly. "You’re not real unhappy about the way things went tonight, are you?"

"There are worse paths to follow than to gain information before acting. As we know more I think the Council’s position will become more definite." And the worst of it is, Wiz thought as he turned down the hall to his quarters, he’s right. In spite of his loss and anger, Wiz understood Bal-Simbas caution. They desperately needed to know more about this strange enemy and there really was no good strategy that could be formulated until they knew more. From his time on the Council Wiz also understood that Bal-Simba had deliberately let the meeting drift so the Council would not commit foolishly to a plan. He knew all that, he understood the need for it and he didn’t like any of it. He opened his door and nearly tripped over his wife’s tail.

The dragon jerked its head upright with its neck taut. Then the eyes seemed to soften and the body relaxed as Moira asserted control.

"I’m sorry, love, you startled me." "Sorry. I was thinking about something else." The dragon slithered around to face him. "It did not go well?" Wiz forced himself to look into the reptilian eyes. "Well enough, I guess. The Council didn’t decide anything, but at least they’re not going charging off on a wild goose chase. Why didn’t you tell me you were pregnant?"

Moira started at the change of subject. "I meant to, but first I wasn’t sure and then with the Winter Fair coming on, I didn’t want you to worry."

"I wish you had told me."

Moira sighed, a great sulfurous sigh. "I wish I had too."

Instinctively Wiz moved to take Moira in his arms, but the only part of her he could get his arms around was her long scaly neck and that put her head well above his. She lowered her head and he adjusted his grip to just behind her ears but found he couldn’t look at her that way. He settled for dropping into a chair and Moira resting her head in his lap.