LITMIR.BIZ

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possible,’ said Magnus. ‘I’ll speak to my father tonight. I hope, however, that shuttling the Talnoy between our worlds will not prove necessary and that an effective ward will be provided soon.’

      Nakor said, ‘If we have to, we can move the Talnoy through the rift quickly, to Stardock and then perhaps somewhere else.’

      The three Tsurani magicians bowed. ‘As always, convey our respects to Milamber,’ Illianda said, using Pug’s Tsurani name.

      Magnus and Nakor returned the courtesy. ‘I will, and as always he sends his respects to the Great Ones of Tsuranuanni.’ They left the room containing the Talnoy and walked through several halls to the rift room.

      Unlike in the past, the rift between the Assembly of Magicians on Kelewan and the Academy at Stardock was not left open continuously anymore. With the current concern over rifts from the Dasati world, Pug and the Great Ones of Tsuranuanni had thought it best to only open a rift when they most needed to.

      Magnus stood before the rift device and held out his arms, incanting the appropriate spell. Nakor watched him without comment and the younger magician went through the ritual necessary to attune the energies that would bridge the gulf between the two worlds.

      An odd buzzing filled the room for a moment, and the hairs on Nakor’s and Magnus’ arms and neck stood up, as if a lightning strike had occurred nearby. Then, a shimmering grey void appeared before the two men. They both stepped through without hesitation and suddenly they found themselves upon the island of Stardock.

      A few magicians had gathered when the rift had appeared, but upon seeing Magnus and Nakor they nodded their greetings and departed. Magnus turned and with a wave of his hand he willed the rift out of existence. With a wry smile, he said, ‘My father told me he almost died trying to close the first Tsurani rift.’

      Nakor said, ‘I’ve heard the story. Before you become too full of yourself, just remember he had to shut down a machine created by a dozen Great Ones, and he had to have your grandfather’s help to do it.’

      Magnus shrugged. ‘I wasn’t comparing myself to my father, or grandfather, Nakor.’ He started walking towards the beach. ‘I was merely remarking on … oh, never mind. It’s just an idle thought.’

      When they reached the edge of the lake, Magnus drew out an orb, and an instant later the two men stood at the door of Pug’s study. Magnus knocked and Pug’s voice answered: ‘Come in.’

      Nakor paused and said, ‘You tell your father what we’ve done and found. I’m going to go and look for Bek.’

      Magnus nodded, and Nakor took his leave.

      A few minutes later he found Bek sitting under a tree watching some students listen to Rosenvar lecture. When he saw Nakor approach, he jumped to his feet and said, ‘Are we leaving?’

      ‘Why, are you bored?’

      ‘Very. I have no idea what that old man is talking about. And the students here are not very friendly.’ He looked at Nakor and said accusingly, ‘And that thing you did in my head …’ His expression was one of frustration verging on tears. ‘One of the boys insulted me and normally I would have just hit him very hard, probably in the face. And if he had gotten up, I’d have hit him again. I’d have kept on hitting him until he didn’t get up.’ With an almost pained expression, Bek said, ‘But I couldn’t, Nakor. I couldn’t even ball my fist. He just stood there looking at me like there was something wrong with me, and there was! And then there was this pretty girl I wanted, but when she wouldn’t stop to talk to me and I tried to grab her, the same damn thing happened! I couldn’t bring my hand up to—’ Bek looked as if he were on the verge of tears. ‘What did you do to me, Nakor?’

      Nakor put his hand on the large youngster’s shoulder and said, ‘Something I would rather not do to anyone, Bek. At least for a while, you can’t do harm to someone else except if you’re defending yourself.’

      Bek sighed. ‘Am I always going to be this way?’

      ‘No,’ said Nakor. ‘Not if you learn to control your own impulses and anger.’

      Bek laughed. ‘I never get angry, Nakor. Not really.’

      Nakor motioned for Bek to sit and sat next to him. ‘What do you mean?’

      Bek shrugged. ‘Sometimes I get annoyed, and if I’m in pain I can really break things up, but I find most things either funny or not funny. People talk about love, hate, envy and the rest of it, and I think I know what they’re talking about, but I’m not certain.

      ‘I mean, I’ve seen how people act around each other and I sort of remember feeling things when I was really little, like the way it felt when my mother held me. But mostly I don’t care about the same things that other people care about.’ He looked at Nakor and there was almost a pleading quality to his expression, ‘I often thought that I was different, Nakor. Many people have told me I am.

      ‘And I’ve never cared about that.’ He lowered his head, looking at the ground. ‘But this thing you’ve done to me, it makes me feel—’

      ‘Frustrated?’

      Bek nodded. ‘I can’t … do things like I used to. I wanted that girl, Nakor. I don’t like not being able to have what I want!’ He looked Nakor in the face and the little gambler could see tears of frustration forming in Bek’s eyes.

      ‘You’ve never had anyone say no to you, have you?’

      ‘Sometimes, but if they do I kill them and take what I want, anyway.’

      Nakor was silent, then he thought of something. ‘Someone once told me a story about a man travelling in a wagon which was being chased by wolves. When the man reached the safety of a city, he found the gates closed and while he shouted for help, the wolves overtook him and tore him to pieces. How do you feel about that tale, Ralan?’

      Bek laughed. ‘I’d say that it is a pretty funny story! I wager he had a really amazing look on his face when those beasts caught up with him!’

      Nakor was silent, then he stood. ‘You wait here. I’ll be back shortly.’ The Isalani walked straight to Pug’s study. He knocked, then opened the door before Pug told him to enter.

      ‘I need to speak with you, now,’ Nakor said.

      Pug looked up from where he sat before an open window, enjoying the summer’s breeze. Magnus sat opposite him and both men studied the excited looking Isalani. ‘What is it?’ Pug asked.

      ‘That man, Ralan Bek, he is important.’

      ‘So you have said,’ Magnus replied.

      ‘No, even more important than we suspected. He understands the Dasati.’

      Pug and Magnus exchanged startled expressions before Magnus asked, ‘Didn’t we agree not to speak of them to anyone outside our group?’

      Nakor shook his head. ‘I’ve told him nothing. He knows them because he is like them. I now understand how they came to be the way they are.’

      Pug sat back and said, ‘This sounds fascinating.’

      Nakor said, ‘I don’t mean I understand every detail or even exactly how it is so, but I know what has happened.’

      Pug motioned for Nakor to sit and continue.

      ‘When Kaspar described what Kalkin had shown him of the Dasati world, we all had the same reaction. After our concern over the threat they pose, we asked ourselves how such a race came to be. How could a people rise, grow and prosper without compassion, generosity and some sense of common interest?

      ‘I suspect they had them once, but evil became ascendant in that world, and this man is an example of what we will all become if the same evil gains pre-eminence here.’ Nakor paused, then stood and began to pace as if struggling to form his thoughts.

      ‘Bek is as the gods have made him.’ He looked at the young man, who

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