Read Online The Master's Chair (The Chronicles of Terah) by Mackenzie Morgan - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Mackenzie Morgan
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keys were altered so that intense feelings of fear would automatically activate them, transferring the holder and, unfortunately, anyone near him to the gate on Terah.
Over the years, the responsibility of the Gate Keeper gradually shifted from welcoming visitors from Earth to protecting the secret of Terah’s existence, and with the changing function of the Gate Keeper, the outward appearance of the Gate House had been altered.
When approached from the gate, it appeared to be an old cabin, made of logs and thatch, with a stone chimney held together by mud. There were no windows, only a couple of small holes in the wall covered by scraps of cloth, and there were no lawns or gardens, only forest.
That cabin was all that people from Earth ever saw. As soon as they arrived, they were escorted back to the gate and sent back to Earth. Returning them was never a problem; they were more than willing to go, and they were very willing to attribute any memories they had to dreams or hallucinations once they woke up back on Earth.
However, once someone actually entered the house, the illusion vanished. The front room was larger than most houses on Terah, with wide bay windows overlooking well-kept lawns and gardens. The huge kitchen could be used to prepare meals for one or banquets for hundreds. There was a small table for four in the kitchen, an elegant table for twenty in the dining room, and a separate banquet hall that could seat several hundred. There were a dozen guest rooms in the main house and several guest cottages nearby. The stable had thirty horse stalls and eight large open stalls for visiting pegassi and unicorns. A large wagon, several small wagons, and a few carriages were stored in a nearby shed for the convenience of the guests.
Looking after all of this was too much for one dwarf, and since there was no longer a housekeeping staff, the local brownies helped out, especially when Kalen was expecting guests, but this time Kalen had quietly prepared everything himself. He didn’t want anyone else to know about this meeting.
Kalen was in the kitchen fixing dinner when Pallor suddenly materialized at his elbow.
“Why can’t you use the door like everyone else?” Kalen fussed as he wiped up the stew he had sloshed out of the pot at Pallor’s abrupt appearance.
“Sorry,” Pallor answered as he swallowed a chuckle. “The stew looks good.”
“Well, have you found someone to take the child?”
Pallor laid a stack of folders on the counter and tapped them. “I’m not sure. I’ve interviewed six couples, but after you read these reports, you may want me to keep looking.”
“I hope not. I want this thing settled. And I’m sure Badec does too,” Kalen said as he turned back to the pot. “I’ve been thinking about this a lot, and I don’t think it would be a good idea for any of us to know the names of any of these people or where they live. You have to, but we don’t, and anything we don’t know, we can’t tell.”
“I understand what you mean, but it’s too risky for only one person to know where the child is. Something could happen to me. I could get killed.”
“I still think it’s best if none of us knows anything. I’m sure our meeting with Badec didn’t go unnoticed, and when Yvonne dies and the child disappears, it won’t take very long for someone to put it all together. I don’t want the information in my head.”
Pallor thought about it for a few minutes and then shook his head. “This is Badec’s son we’re talking about, the future Master Sorcerer. Someone on Terah has got to know where he is. Who, if not one of you? Badec?”
“I doubt he’ll want it in his head either, but I may have a solution. We’ll talk about that later. What I’d like for you to do right now is go through your folders and mark out anything that could be used to identify these people.” Kalen poured a big mug of scog and handed it to Pallor. “You’ve got a couple of hours. Use my
Over the years, the responsibility of the Gate Keeper gradually shifted from welcoming visitors from Earth to protecting the secret of Terah’s existence, and with the changing function of the Gate Keeper, the outward appearance of the Gate House had been altered.
When approached from the gate, it appeared to be an old cabin, made of logs and thatch, with a stone chimney held together by mud. There were no windows, only a couple of small holes in the wall covered by scraps of cloth, and there were no lawns or gardens, only forest.
That cabin was all that people from Earth ever saw. As soon as they arrived, they were escorted back to the gate and sent back to Earth. Returning them was never a problem; they were more than willing to go, and they were very willing to attribute any memories they had to dreams or hallucinations once they woke up back on Earth.
However, once someone actually entered the house, the illusion vanished. The front room was larger than most houses on Terah, with wide bay windows overlooking well-kept lawns and gardens. The huge kitchen could be used to prepare meals for one or banquets for hundreds. There was a small table for four in the kitchen, an elegant table for twenty in the dining room, and a separate banquet hall that could seat several hundred. There were a dozen guest rooms in the main house and several guest cottages nearby. The stable had thirty horse stalls and eight large open stalls for visiting pegassi and unicorns. A large wagon, several small wagons, and a few carriages were stored in a nearby shed for the convenience of the guests.
Looking after all of this was too much for one dwarf, and since there was no longer a housekeeping staff, the local brownies helped out, especially when Kalen was expecting guests, but this time Kalen had quietly prepared everything himself. He didn’t want anyone else to know about this meeting.
Kalen was in the kitchen fixing dinner when Pallor suddenly materialized at his elbow.
“Why can’t you use the door like everyone else?” Kalen fussed as he wiped up the stew he had sloshed out of the pot at Pallor’s abrupt appearance.
“Sorry,” Pallor answered as he swallowed a chuckle. “The stew looks good.”
“Well, have you found someone to take the child?”
Pallor laid a stack of folders on the counter and tapped them. “I’m not sure. I’ve interviewed six couples, but after you read these reports, you may want me to keep looking.”
“I hope not. I want this thing settled. And I’m sure Badec does too,” Kalen said as he turned back to the pot. “I’ve been thinking about this a lot, and I don’t think it would be a good idea for any of us to know the names of any of these people or where they live. You have to, but we don’t, and anything we don’t know, we can’t tell.”
“I understand what you mean, but it’s too risky for only one person to know where the child is. Something could happen to me. I could get killed.”
“I still think it’s best if none of us knows anything. I’m sure our meeting with Badec didn’t go unnoticed, and when Yvonne dies and the child disappears, it won’t take very long for someone to put it all together. I don’t want the information in my head.”
Pallor thought about it for a few minutes and then shook his head. “This is Badec’s son we’re talking about, the future Master Sorcerer. Someone on Terah has got to know where he is. Who, if not one of you? Badec?”
“I doubt he’ll want it in his head either, but I may have a solution. We’ll talk about that later. What I’d like for you to do right now is go through your folders and mark out anything that could be used to identify these people.” Kalen poured a big mug of scog and handed it to Pallor. “You’ve got a couple of hours. Use my
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