“Why?”
“Not for any reason we understand. The spells of thought masking are known. It was nothing of that sort. It was as if your mind held some property we had never encountered before. Perhaps a natural talent unknown to us, but common to your world, or the result of some training at the hands of your Lesser Path master protected you against our mind-reading arts.
“In any event, it created something of a stir in these halls, you may be sure. Several times during your training, the question of your continuing was raised, and each time our inability to read your mind was given as reason for your termination. Each time more were willing to see you continue than not. On the whole you present a possible wealth of new knowledge and, as such, deserve every benefit of the doubt—to ensure we do not lose such a valuable addition to our storehouse of talents, of course.”
“Of course,” Milamber said dryly.
“Yesterday the question of your continuation became critical. When the time came for your final acceptance into the Assembly, the issue was put to the vote and ended in a tie. There was one abstention, myself. As long as I remain unallied with one side or the other, the question of your survival is moot. You are free to act as a full member of the Assembly until I recast my vote to ratify your selection into the Assembly, or not. Our tradition does not allow a change of vote, once cast, except abstentions. As no one absent during the voting may add their vote later, I am the only one who can break the tie. So the result of the voting, no matter how long delayed, is mine to decide.”
Milamber looked long and hard at the older magician. “I see.”
Hochopepa shook his head slowly. “I wonder if you do. To put it in its simplest form, the question of the moment is, what am I to do with you? Without meaning to, I find your life is now in my hands. What I have to decide is whether or not you should be killed. That is why I wished to see you, to see if I might have erred in judgment.”
Suddenly Milamber threw back his head and laughed, long and hard. In a moment tears were running down his cheeks. When he quieted, Hochopepa said, “I fail to see the humor.”
Milamber raised his hand in a placating gesture. “No offense was intended, my civilized friend. But surely you must see the irony of the situation. I was a slave, my life subject to the whim of others. For all my training, and advancement in station, I find that this fact has not been altered.” He paused for a moment, and his smile was friendly. “Still, I would rather have you hold my life in your hands than my former overseer. That is what I find so funny.”
Hochopepa was startled by the answer, then he, too, started to laugh. “Many of our brothers pay little heed to the ancient teachings, but if you are familiar with our older philosophers, you will understand my meaning. You seem to be a man who has found his wal. I think we have an understanding, my barbaric friend I think we have started well.”
Milamber studied Hochopepa. Without knowing the unconscious process whereby he reached the conclusion, he judged he had found an ally, and perhaps a friend. “I think so, as well. And I think you also a man who has found his wal.”
Feigning modesty, Hochopepa said, “I am but a simple man, too much a slave to pleasures of the flesh to have reached such a state of perfect centering.” With a sigh he leaned forward and began to speak intently. “Listen to me well, Milamber For all the reasons enumerated before, you are as much a weapon to be feared as a possible source of knowledge.
“Tsurani are slaves to politics, as any student of the Game of the Council can attest; while we of the Assembly are reputed to be above such things, we have our own factions and infighting, not always settled in a peaceful, bloodless manner.
“Many of our brothers are little more than superstitious peasants, distrusting that which is alien and unknown. From this day forward, you must bend yourself to one task. Stay peacefully hidden within your wal, and become Tsurani. To all outward appearances, you must become more Tsurani than anyone else in the Assembly. Is that understood?”