Lawrence Watt-Evans: The Sword Of Bheleu

The smoke showed the first signs of dispersing, and it occurred to him that he need not restrict himself to those who had attended the meetings. He remembered one more who had been at Kholis, though, and named him first, saying, "Phamakh the Wise!"

Abruptly the red fog thinned and vanished, and the room was suddenly crowded. Every person he had named was present, jammed together in the area around the golden pentagram; all were looking about themselves with varying mixtures of surprise and fear.

Shandiph realized that he had missed an opportunity to settle Shang's fate definitely once and for all by summoning him as well; or he might have called for someone who could provide a firsthand account of recent events in Dыsarra. He considered using another of the crystal spheres, but decided against it.

There was a sudden babble of voices as the new arrivals all began to talk at once; the only question that was decipherable in the confusion of noise was one that was repeated by several speakers, though the pages of the guidebook riffled wildly in trying to answer every startled query.

"Where are we?" was the one question that could be understood.

"Fellow councilors!" Shandiph called. "Your attention, please!"

The questions ceased, the book's pages lay still, and the entire group turned to face him.

"You are in the vault where our ancestors placed much of their magic for safekeeping; you were brought here by an ancient spell because we felt that the unexpected wealth of this lost magic was more than we four could handle by ourselves. If you will look around you, you will see that there is far more here than was anticipated; every single thing in this chamber is magical, it appears, and every book here contains arcane knowledge. As may be determined by the ease with which you were brought here, using a single, simple device-beware that you don't step on those shards of glass-much of this magic is extremely potent by our standards. We thought that all of you should have some say in the management of this treasure trove."

"You thought so, Shandiph, you and Thetheru," Karag said. "We four were appointed as representatives, and I see no need to waste time in further debate. We were sent to find powerful weapons to use against the overman Garth, and there are undoubtedly powerful weapons here around us. I say that we should find them, using that guidebook, and then go and deal with this overman and his magic sword before he becomes any more dangerous than he already is."

There were a few calls of support from the gathered crowd and several shouted questions; once again, the guidebook tossed pages back and forth, attempting to answer them all at once.

"Shandiph, where are we? Where is this vault?" someone called over the general din. Shandiph looked for the speaker and tried to call an answer.

Deriam and Thetheru were each beset by two or three of their comrades demanding explanations; most of the others crowded around Shandiph, barraging him with questions and opinions. Karag, too, drew his share of attention; the wizard Alagar and Kubal of Tadumuri, both old friends, came toward him. One or two individuals wandered off down the long room, looking at the thousands of trinkets and talismans.

Karag saw an opportunity in this complete disorganization and made his way to the reading stand, where he asked in a low voice, "What are the most powerful weapons in this chamber, and where are they to be found?"

Alagar and Kubal watched with him, saying nothing, as the pages turned and revealed a long list-much too long to be of use.

"Which of these are the three mightiest and most effective?" he asked.

Two pages flipped back, and Karag read, "The Ring of P'hul, on the Chairman's ring finger, the Great Staff of Power, first in the third rack of staves on the right-hand wall, and the Blood-Sword of Hishan of Darbul, fifth in the second rack of blades on the right-hand wall."

"We can't use the Ring," Alagar whispered.

"You both intend to join me; then?"

"Yes, of course," Kubal replied. "These fools will be arguing for hours. They'll thank us when it's done."

"True enough. All right, book, what is the fourth most powerful among the weapons here?"

The book turned a few pages. "The Sword of Koros," Kubal read. "I'll take that."

"I'll take the other sword," Alagar said.

"And I'll take the staff," Karag agreed.

"Karag, what are you doing?" Shandiph called. He had finally noticed that the other was using the guidebook.

"I thought that the book might be able to advise us on how to proceed."

"Has it?"

"No, not yet; give it a few more minutes."

"Well…" Shandiph was uncertain. Karag was impetuous, he knew, but usually meant well. Several of the newcomers had given him news that directly concerned Karag, but he was distracted by another question about the guidebook's working before he could tell Karag. He decided to trust Karag for the moment and to wait before telling him that his secret departure from the High King's castle had led to a dispute between the King and the Baron of Sland. Chalkara said that the Baron had accused the King of kidnapping Karag to deprive the Baron of his services. There was a. great deal of acrimonious talk going on, though no action had yet been taken.

While Karag and Shandiph spoke. Alagar had been using the book; when Karag looked down again it was to find complete instructions for the use of the three weapons chosen. He read through them quickly, as did Alagar and Kubal.

Shandiph remained distracted; the Baron of Therin had been conjured in his true person, rather than the simulacrum that had come to Kholis, and was therefore able to relay information. The disappearance of the other magicians was creating quite a stir, and Dor's other self, together with Sindolmer of Therin, who had arrived after the foursome had left and therefore been excluded from Shandiph's listing, were trying to calm matters. The coincidence that both the apparent survivors were from Therin did not make their task easier.

Deriam had become entangled in a debate concerning the nature and origin of the crypts, and Thetheru was explaining the red crystal spheres to Sharatha and Miloshir. No one paid any attention to Karag, Alagar, and Kubal.

"What is the quickest means by which we three may be transported, with our chosen weapons, to wherever we may find Garth of Ordunin?"

Karag read the answer, and then closed the book.

"It is yours, Shandiph, to do with as you please," he called.

"Thank you, Karag. I'll want to speak with you in a moment."

"You have no objection if we look around, do you?"

"No, not if you're careful." Shandiph was too busy to be really suspicious; he was trying to answer questions about the vault room even as he asked his own about the Baron of Sland and affairs at the High King's castle.

Moving casually, so as not to draw attention, Karag and his two comrades gathered their chosen weapons, ignoring the questions and comments of the other wizards. When they were armed, Karag opened the first chest on the right and took out a blue crystal sphere very much like the red one that had summoned the majority of the Council.

At that point it became impossible to hide their actions and intentions any longer, and Kubal and Alagar, brandishing their swords, ordered that the pentagram be cleared.

Startled, the other councillors obeyed.

The three stood in the center of the golden star, and Karag announced, "We are going to do what must be done, without wasting any more time. We go to face Garth of Ordunin!" With that, he dropped the blue sphere.

It exploded in a cloud of bright blue smoke; when the smoke cleared instants later, the three wizards were gone.

As Koros reached the top of the first low ridge, Garth turned for a final look at Skelleth. The town's silhouette was subtly changed from the last time he had seen it from this spot, when he had ridden down from Ordunin with his little trading party; a few of the old rooftops were gone, lost to the fires he had spread, and not rebuilt. None of the new structures were high enough to be seen from this distance.