but we knew he was—showed up and sadly presented us with young Forretpuranson’s copy of the family principle, written on leather, wrapped ’round his music stick, and tied with the ribbon his mother had used when his father first made the keepsake. Told us a tale, which didn’t ring true, and went off, expecting we believed the pack of lies.”
“What do you want me to do, Namutdonlowmack?”
“Tell Paladin,” he said between gritted teeth, “that it isn’t just principles they’re twisting. It isn’t just controlling people’s ways of doing things. They’re lying, thieving murderers.” The tumanhofer bowed his head after his outburst.
Bardon rested a hand on the servant’s shoulder. “I will.”
“Go then.” Namutdonlowmack sniffed and gestured toward the steps. “The gateway’s at the top.”
Bardon bolted up the stairs and through the portal. He emerged in Paladin’s palace courtyard. One of the two guards on duty escorted him directly into a chamber where Paladin was conversing with two emerlindian grands.
All three men rose as the footman announced their visitor.
“Good,” said Paladin as he came to greet Bardon. “Now we have a warrior to send forth. Enough of our academic splitting of straws, gentlemen. Wulder has provided us with eyes and ears. Come in, Sir Bardon. Tell us what you have discovered.”
“Do you know of the Followers?”
“Yes, and we are concerned. More than concerned. Ready to gather information so we might act wisely.”
“They say you initiated their work.”
Paladin gently shook his head as he guided his knight to a chair. “And you have reason to doubt, of course. We have yet to determine exactly where this offshoot sprang out of the main branch. We know these Followers have taken what was initiated from this office and forced it to grow in a direction not intended. They’ve grafted on a foreign branch and are trying to pass it off as the tree itself.”
Bardon sat with Paladin and his two advisors. “What do you want me to do, sir?”
“I hear you’re going on a quest to find the meech colony.”
“Yes, but I can put that aside if you have another mission for me.”
“No, this suits our purpose well. You will have a legitimate reason to be seeking information and to be away from your usual business. Go on your quest, Sir Bardon, but along the way, gather the facts we need to face our new enemy.”
“Enemy? These are mariones and o’rants, our own people.”
Paladin’s eyes saddened, his face grew more solemn. “It is true that the enemy we face so often turns out to be ourselves.”
8
B EFORE THE B ALL
Kale came out of the side room to find Bardon alone in their quarters. “Where—?”
“I sent the minor dragons out to explore and perhaps bring back some tidbits of useful information.”
Kale nodded and unbuttoned her blouse. She would hang up her clothes and give them a thorough cleaning before she rearranged the fabric and color to make her evening gown.
“That water closet is amazing, Bardon. Namee has a cylinder tank that holds water for a bath. The water is heated right there.” She mumbled more to herself than to her husband as she continued to hang her clothes on the wall hooks provided. “Not all of his guests are wizards who can heat their own water. I’ve studied it and see the principle upon which it works but haven’t figured out all the details.” She draped her split-skirt next to her blouse.
Bardon lounged against a wall, arms crossed over his chest. “I’m not very interested in Namee’s system for hot bath water.”
“What?” Kale turned toward him and saw the look in his eye. “Oh.”
“I am alone with my wife. Toopka is gone. The dragons are gone. I thought…”
“I know what you’re thinking. Even with Namee’s block on mindspeaking, I know what you are thinking.”
“I’d like to kiss my wife.”
“You are having a string of excellent ideas today,
“What do you want me to do, Namutdonlowmack?”
“Tell Paladin,” he said between gritted teeth, “that it isn’t just principles they’re twisting. It isn’t just controlling people’s ways of doing things. They’re lying, thieving murderers.” The tumanhofer bowed his head after his outburst.
Bardon rested a hand on the servant’s shoulder. “I will.”
“Go then.” Namutdonlowmack sniffed and gestured toward the steps. “The gateway’s at the top.”
Bardon bolted up the stairs and through the portal. He emerged in Paladin’s palace courtyard. One of the two guards on duty escorted him directly into a chamber where Paladin was conversing with two emerlindian grands.
All three men rose as the footman announced their visitor.
“Good,” said Paladin as he came to greet Bardon. “Now we have a warrior to send forth. Enough of our academic splitting of straws, gentlemen. Wulder has provided us with eyes and ears. Come in, Sir Bardon. Tell us what you have discovered.”
“Do you know of the Followers?”
“Yes, and we are concerned. More than concerned. Ready to gather information so we might act wisely.”
“They say you initiated their work.”
Paladin gently shook his head as he guided his knight to a chair. “And you have reason to doubt, of course. We have yet to determine exactly where this offshoot sprang out of the main branch. We know these Followers have taken what was initiated from this office and forced it to grow in a direction not intended. They’ve grafted on a foreign branch and are trying to pass it off as the tree itself.”
Bardon sat with Paladin and his two advisors. “What do you want me to do, sir?”
“I hear you’re going on a quest to find the meech colony.”
“Yes, but I can put that aside if you have another mission for me.”
“No, this suits our purpose well. You will have a legitimate reason to be seeking information and to be away from your usual business. Go on your quest, Sir Bardon, but along the way, gather the facts we need to face our new enemy.”
“Enemy? These are mariones and o’rants, our own people.”
Paladin’s eyes saddened, his face grew more solemn. “It is true that the enemy we face so often turns out to be ourselves.”
8
B EFORE THE B ALL
Kale came out of the side room to find Bardon alone in their quarters. “Where—?”
“I sent the minor dragons out to explore and perhaps bring back some tidbits of useful information.”
Kale nodded and unbuttoned her blouse. She would hang up her clothes and give them a thorough cleaning before she rearranged the fabric and color to make her evening gown.
“That water closet is amazing, Bardon. Namee has a cylinder tank that holds water for a bath. The water is heated right there.” She mumbled more to herself than to her husband as she continued to hang her clothes on the wall hooks provided. “Not all of his guests are wizards who can heat their own water. I’ve studied it and see the principle upon which it works but haven’t figured out all the details.” She draped her split-skirt next to her blouse.
Bardon lounged against a wall, arms crossed over his chest. “I’m not very interested in Namee’s system for hot bath water.”
“What?” Kale turned toward him and saw the look in his eye. “Oh.”
“I am alone with my wife. Toopka is gone. The dragons are gone. I thought…”
“I know what you’re thinking. Even with Namee’s block on mindspeaking, I know what you are thinking.”
“I’d like to kiss my wife.”
“You are having a string of excellent ideas today,
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