he is not yet ready to consciously put his talents to good use. Currently, he’s no better than some of the inhabitants of the Refuge for the Mad . . . Hold on, boys. That’s where we
need to sniff around a bit. I have no idea where we will find our client, but we have a pretty good chance of encountering a couple of his victims in the Refuge for the Mad. You’re absolutely
right, Shurf—there’s no way you could have been his first prey. You are way too tough for a novice traveler through Xumgat. What we’ve got here is a very, very experienced
Rider.”
“I believe you are correct,” said Lonli-Lokli, nodding. “It is unfortunate that I will not be able to take part in the search. The timing could not have been worse.”
“Very true,” said Juffin. “But there’s nothing we can do about it now. Do you want to stay here? I’d rather you stayed here, although, frankly speaking, you’d
be much more comfortable in Xolomi.”
“Naturally, I shall stay here. Comfort is not the topmost priority at the moment. The small room in your office where we used to keep prisoners is exactly what I need now. It is as
isolated from the world as Xolomi is. At the very least, I shall be nearby and you will be able to observe me safely. In addition, I may perhaps bring some benefit without even leaving these
premises.”
I glanced in perplexity first at Juffin, then at Lonli-Lokli. Shurf noticed my confusion and raised the corners of his mouth in a sympathetic smile. “This Rider might straddle me yet
again,” he said in a soft voice. “I gave Sir Juffin my gloves, but I am quite a capable Magician even without them. You know, as far as I understand, he feels something akin to personal
hatred toward you. I had to be subject to his emotions, so I can assure you that his attempt on your life was born of a passionate desire to kill you, not a necessity. If that creature was afraid
of your telling Sir Juffin about my problems, he would have made me silent from the outset: he is powerful enough to do that. When he comes, I have nothing to counter him with—a disgusting
feeling. For this reason, I will have to be locked up for the time being—at least until you and Juffin are done with this creature that has straddled me. You know, you were not the only one
walking on the edge today. I still cannot fathom the magnanimity you must have had not to spit your venom at me. You had more than one opportunity to do so.”
“Nah, it’s not magnanimity,” I said, embarrassed. “To demonstrate magnanimity, I’d have needed a little time for consideration, and there wasn’t any time. No
time to decide to spit or not to spit. I just didn’t. Why? Magicians only know. Maybe because I was sure that it wouldn’t work on you. I thought that the only right thing to do would be
to do something completely unexpected, something I’d never done before, something you’d have no idea I’d be capable of doing. Actually, now, in retrospect, it’s hard for me
to reconstruct how my logic worked back then. Chances are I didn’t use any logic at all.”
“Allow me to assure you that I had no ready-made antidotes to your poison. I am a living human being, and I would have died from your spit just as any other person would, provided I had
not been able to shield myself with my protective glove. The creature that possessed me had no particular reason to value my life. Had I died, my Rider would have found another ‘horse’
for the joint descent to Xumgat. I believe he has enough of them in his ‘stables.’ I just wanted you to know that you stood a very good chance of finishing me off.”
“Good golly!” I said. “It would’ve been almost as bad as your finishing me off. Or worse?”
“There is nothing worse than your own death, for when it arrives, everything else collapses. Other events may only destroy a part of your personal universe,” said Lonli-Lokli in a
didactic tone. He thought for a moment and then added,
need to sniff around a bit. I have no idea where we will find our client, but we have a pretty good chance of encountering a couple of his victims in the Refuge for the Mad. You’re absolutely
right, Shurf—there’s no way you could have been his first prey. You are way too tough for a novice traveler through Xumgat. What we’ve got here is a very, very experienced
Rider.”
“I believe you are correct,” said Lonli-Lokli, nodding. “It is unfortunate that I will not be able to take part in the search. The timing could not have been worse.”
“Very true,” said Juffin. “But there’s nothing we can do about it now. Do you want to stay here? I’d rather you stayed here, although, frankly speaking, you’d
be much more comfortable in Xolomi.”
“Naturally, I shall stay here. Comfort is not the topmost priority at the moment. The small room in your office where we used to keep prisoners is exactly what I need now. It is as
isolated from the world as Xolomi is. At the very least, I shall be nearby and you will be able to observe me safely. In addition, I may perhaps bring some benefit without even leaving these
premises.”
I glanced in perplexity first at Juffin, then at Lonli-Lokli. Shurf noticed my confusion and raised the corners of his mouth in a sympathetic smile. “This Rider might straddle me yet
again,” he said in a soft voice. “I gave Sir Juffin my gloves, but I am quite a capable Magician even without them. You know, as far as I understand, he feels something akin to personal
hatred toward you. I had to be subject to his emotions, so I can assure you that his attempt on your life was born of a passionate desire to kill you, not a necessity. If that creature was afraid
of your telling Sir Juffin about my problems, he would have made me silent from the outset: he is powerful enough to do that. When he comes, I have nothing to counter him with—a disgusting
feeling. For this reason, I will have to be locked up for the time being—at least until you and Juffin are done with this creature that has straddled me. You know, you were not the only one
walking on the edge today. I still cannot fathom the magnanimity you must have had not to spit your venom at me. You had more than one opportunity to do so.”
“Nah, it’s not magnanimity,” I said, embarrassed. “To demonstrate magnanimity, I’d have needed a little time for consideration, and there wasn’t any time. No
time to decide to spit or not to spit. I just didn’t. Why? Magicians only know. Maybe because I was sure that it wouldn’t work on you. I thought that the only right thing to do would be
to do something completely unexpected, something I’d never done before, something you’d have no idea I’d be capable of doing. Actually, now, in retrospect, it’s hard for me
to reconstruct how my logic worked back then. Chances are I didn’t use any logic at all.”
“Allow me to assure you that I had no ready-made antidotes to your poison. I am a living human being, and I would have died from your spit just as any other person would, provided I had
not been able to shield myself with my protective glove. The creature that possessed me had no particular reason to value my life. Had I died, my Rider would have found another ‘horse’
for the joint descent to Xumgat. I believe he has enough of them in his ‘stables.’ I just wanted you to know that you stood a very good chance of finishing me off.”
“Good golly!” I said. “It would’ve been almost as bad as your finishing me off. Or worse?”
“There is nothing worse than your own death, for when it arrives, everything else collapses. Other events may only destroy a part of your personal universe,” said Lonli-Lokli in a
didactic tone. He thought for a moment and then added,
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