World of Mazes

" What is this?" yelled Knoton. He glanced around. The other mechanicals stood silently along the walls. Humans crowded in close to the stage. " What right do you have to declare yourself Lord?"

Jonrod blinked, as if not believing his own eyes.

" You' re a mechanical," he said. " I don' t have to answer to you. But I will," he said hurriedly, when he saw the angry surge in the mechanical army. " I have spoken with the others who ran for the position. They agreed unanimously I am the best choice. Jonrod the Flash is new Lord of the Twistings!"

" There is no more Twistings," said Knoton.

" So? A Lord is still required to give the people what they need most." Illusions danced around the stage at Jonrod' s feet.

" He' s right, you know," said Lan. " There is a need for someone to fill the post."

" This man is irresponsible, a thief! He' d ruin not only Dicca but the entire planet during one single term of office." The mechanical was clearly outraged at the idea of Jonrod being elected to any position more responsible than grounds keeper.

" Oppose him. There ought to be an election. Let the people decide whether you or Jonrod is fit to rule. Remember, there are humans out there who bitterly opposed the former Lord and Silvain. I doubt they' ve been wiped out entirely. They' d support you."

The mech simply stared at Lan. Humans around the stage began to mutter, then one came over and slapped Knoton on the back.

" I' m getting pretty tired of the way things are done. Maybe you can change them. After all, Knokno' s park is pretty damn good."

" I' d st-" Lan cut off the mechanical before he said anything that would ensure Jonrod' s election.

" My friend was about to say he' d start opening the park to all the people. Can Jonrod match anything Knokno, a mechanical, creates?"

" Wait. I' m Lord. This is outrageous!" protested Jonrod.

" Elect Knoton!" came the cry from the perimeter of the room. The mechanicals who had followed Knoton in the Twistings, and the ones who had joined after his escape, all began cheering. Soon, many of the humans were, too.

" Very well," said Knoton with ill grace. " I' ll run against him. But there will be changes if I' m elected Lord!"

Lan smiled as Knoton was swept up in the enthusiasm of the crowd. He turned to Inyx and Krek and said, " I' m sure there will be."

" It opens at any moment," said Krek, peering into the open crypt.

" How are we going to do this?" asked Inyx. " Claybore and Silvain are sure to have their soldiers waiting for us."

" Time flows differently between worlds. We might be able to arrive close enough on Silvain' s heels that he hasn' t had time to contact Claybore."

" A faint hope."

" Yes," Lan Martak admitted. " But still a hope." He and Inyx stood with arms around one another. The cenotaph began to glow, to open its gateway onto a new world. This time they' d walk the Cenotaph Road together.

Lan, Inyx, and Krek crowded forward to squeeze into the cenotaph on their way to adventure.

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