David Grace - The Accidental Magician

Shortly the Gogols, Hazar in the lead, formed up their prisoners and marched them off to Cicero. As soon as the last soldier had disappeared Buster made his move.

With an agility that transcended his physical limitations Buster slipped noiselessly across the stream and followed Obron to her lodgings. A third of the way from the bottom the decision maker halted and made three chirping sounds. From within the pile of rock two chirps answered her. A few feet ahead and to the left a stone slab was pushed aside. Obron scuttled forward into the opening, but before the passage could be closed Buster, too, entered, his left arm hooked around Obron's throat and the point of one of the knives he had stolen from the kitchen scratching Obron's side. The Gray went stiff with fear, unable even to cry out against her attacker. Obron's mates were horrified and seemed rooted to the floor of the entrance tunnel.

"Push back the stone," he commanded. "Conduct us inside. I have business with our decision maker."

Terrified, Obron's mates led the way into the softly lighted, rock-walled parlor. There Buster pushed Obron away so that the two could see each other face to face.

"What do you want of me?"

"You betrayed our people Decision Maker. For that treachery I intend to make you pay."

"I have betrayed no one. I merely reported a human and a Fanist who, without my permission, took up residence here in the tumbles. We owe them no duty of protection."

"The human and the Fanist came to us for help. They are the enemies of our enemy. You also betrayed one of our own into Hazar's hands. Castor was my friend, and it is you who have condemned him to a horrible death."

"I've done nothing other than to discharge my responsibilities. Our way is to serve. Castor knew that. He was warned. If he chose to break the rules of our people, then the consequences are on his own head, not mine."

"What rules of our people are you talking about? Our duty is to survive, not to serve. We were never slaves on Ajaj. Hunted, yes. Threatened, yes. Struggling against a hostile world, yes-but never slaves. The Pales across the mountains are not slaves. Never have the Ajaj willingly cooperated with evil. Never have they turned cannibal, feeding on their own, until now."

"What right have you to lecture me? I am the decision maker. The people have given me the power."

"You are the decision maker by the rules of chance. Thus were you chosen and thus now will you end your term, for I am the random element. I, Buster, and this Gogol knife will be the ill luck which separates you from your post at the same time it cleaves your head from your body. Perhaps it will change nothing, but the random factor must not be denied."

"No, don't! That is unnecessary. I did not ask to be decision maker. I was chosen. It was my burden, my duty. If you are indeed the random factor who is to remove me from my office, then so be it. I relinquish the post. I will remove my token and those of my mates from the pile, and you may cast the stones again. Pick another leader and see if his decisions conform more to your own opinions. If so, that is the way of our people, but if not, then leave, for you cannot kill us all."

Obron's words buzzed within the old Gray's brain and he could not seem to make out their meaning. His body felt flushed. As if in a trance he limped forward, knife waist-high in front of him, its tip drawing a small twinkling circle in the air. Obron gasped and moved back, flattening herself against the wall. Her mouth hung open. She sucked in great drafts of air, causing her belly to palpitate as if it contained a living organism.

Buster moved closer, but as he approached his senses seemed to clear. He halted, then shook his head. Lowering the knife, he turned back and collapsed into one of Obron's woven chairs.

"Very well. I would do myself no honor taking your cringing life. Bring out the tokens and the stones. We will choose a new decision maker."

A panting Obron gestured to her mates, who, as if released from a spell, raced to an alcove and brought forth a ten-sided chest. Inside, inscribed on polished stone disks, were the names and numbers of every Gray in the community. The top third of the container swung up on its hinges, and from within a small square wooden box was removed. In this box reposed three ten-sided stone dice, each face inscribed with a numeral.

"Go ahead, go ahead. Choose whomsoever you wish," Obron commanded.

"No, we will follow the rules, such as they are. Is it not true that it is the outgoing decision maker who picks the successor?"

Obron did not respond, merely nodded dumbly.

"Pick them up, then. You know the routine."

Somewhat diffidently Obron approached the box. Swirling her hand deep inside, she removed an inscribed stone disk. She mixed the clattering, clacking tablets until at last she had withdrawn fifteen tokens. She arranged them in descending numerical order, then took up the dice. These were shaken and released onto the chiseled floor. The topmost numeral of each of the dice was now read from left to right: 2-1-5.

Obron made a show of searching through the disks, then shook her head to indicate that no match had been found. The decision maker was about to pick up the dice again when Buster limped forward and restrained her hand. In double-checking the tokens Buster was filled with wry amusement to see that Obron had attempted to cheat him. Apparently Gray number 2-1-5, a certain Velo, was not to Obron's liking. From then on Buster carefully monitored each toss.

At the end of fifteen throws an amazing three matches had been found, a result far greater than that which would have been predicted on the basis of pure odds. Buster carefully examined the tablets once again. Those initially chosen were Velo, number 2-1-5; Hanther, number 4-0-8 and Brax, number 6-6-6. Buster clenched the tokens tightly in his right fist and ordered Obron's chief mate out into the night to collect the three. Together with Buster and his knife, Obron and the other mate remained in the parlor, hostage to the messenger's faithful completion of his errand.

Almost exhausted by his swashbuckling exertions. Buster slumped in a chair and massaged his throbbing knee. Time passed. The Gray's head lolled forward until the bump of his chin against his chest awakened him. In the corner Obron was stealthily making her way to the exit. She halted her motion upon a peremptory wave of Buster's knife.

For the next few minutes Buster strained himself to stay awake. Finally he heard the noise of visitors in the passage. The first to emerge was Obron's mate, followed by three undistinguished Grays. The first two were not familiar, but the third, Brax, he recognized as one of the laborers in Topor's market. The three Ajaj moved nervously to the center of the room and viewed Buster with expressions of mingled fear and curiosity. The old Gray painfully arose from the chair to address the newcomers. Noticing the fixed direction of their gaze, he slipped the knife back into his belt.

"I am Buster, formerly a servant in Hazar's kitchen, One of my helpers there was the Gray known as Castor. Each of you must have heard of Hazar's plan to send forth an army to conquer the Hartfords. In aid of this scheme he has obtained control of gemstones of great psychic power. If his plans are not disrupted the plot will succeed.

"Castor and I were determined to foil his scheme. Through a turn of fortune allies, a human with a bloodstone of great power and a Fanist, arrived here this morning. They would, I think, with some persuasion, have lent their strength to our cause. Unfortunately this one"-Buster pointed accusingly at the corner where Obron cowered -"saw fit to betray them to the Gogols in hopes of earning Hazar's favor. Not satisfied with condemning the travelers to death, she implicated Castor, guaranteeing a sorry end for him as well. In so doing she has betrayed us all and forfeited the right to her office. Tonight, at my bidding, she cast the stones fifteen times and immediately derived an amazing three matches, those three being yourselves. One of you shall become the new decision maker. To that purpose have I asked you here."