‘The one the demons are coming through. That could be very nasty in a short while.’
Pug sighed. ‘He’s right. The Emerald Queen’s army is a catastrophe, but a major invasion of demons would make it look like a bunch of street roughs trying to roll a drunk.’
‘But I think that might wait until we defeat the Emerald Queen,’ said Nakor. ‘What we’ve seen of the demons indicates they haven’t fully reached into this realm yet, and while they’re influencing the Emerald Queen, she is the one who is here. For all we know, once she has the Lifestone, she may use it to bring the demons into our world.’
‘What are we missing?’ said Miranda.
‘What do you mean?’ asked Pug.
‘I don’t know,’ she said, concern clearly written on her face. ‘Somewhere in all of this is a missing piece, something to do with why we’re not swooping down on the invasion fleet as it reaches the deepest part of the ocean and sinking it.’
‘There are a lot of Pantathian priests on those ships,’ said Nakor. ‘They may not have Pug’s power, or Macros’s, or yours, but together -’
‘Pug could destroy them in seconds,’ Miranda interrupted. ‘I saw what he did in the Celestial City; I’m not a beginner. I’ve been studying magic for two centuries, and what he did is so far beyond my abilities it’s staggering.’
Macros nodded. ‘He forced himself into my mind . . . Sarig’s mind, and ripped me away like pulling a cork from a bottle. This was no trivial thing.’
Pug said, ‘It’s not that simple.’
‘It is that simple,’ said Miranda. ‘If we don’t act, a lot of people are going to die.’
‘What if we’re wrong?’ asked Pug. ‘What if we die in the attempt?’
‘life is risks,’ answered Macros’s daughter, and for a brief second Pug saw the resemblance between father and daughter.
‘If we perish,’ said Pug, ‘then there is nothing to stop the Emerald Queen from taking the Lifestone.’
‘There’s Tomas,’ reminded Miranda.
Pug thought it over for a long time, then said, ‘First we must make sure that Tomas knows what we are going to do.’
‘Agreed,’ said Macros.
‘Send Nakor and Dominic to Tomas,’ said Macros.
‘No!’ said Nakor. ‘I want to see what you’re going to do.’
‘Your curiosity is endless,’ said Pug, ‘but we’re going to be facing something awesome by any standards.’ As Nakor started to object. Pug raised his hand and cut him off. ‘You claim there is no magic, but you know more about the workings of magic than just about anyone else in Midkemia, save Macros, Miranda, and me.’
Nakor’s eyes narrowed. ‘I always wanted to ask you about that,’ he said. ‘You told James to tell me “There is no magic” a long time ago, to get me to go to Stardock, and I always wanted to know about that.’
Pug smiled. Til tell you when this is all over.’
Nakor’s grin returned. ‘Very well, but we have a few problems to address before we return.’
‘Yes,’ said Dominic. ‘No one may return to Midkemia with the knowledge of Nalar or even a desire to discover that knowledge intact. While the God of Evil is locked away, Midkemia is his home, and he will attune his influence to anyone who is receptive, much as Sarig took Macros to his service all those years ago.’
‘Have you the means to remove the memory of Nalar, Dominic?’ asked Pug. ‘We can put blocks on our own minds, not letting the knowledge surface, but it will still be there.’
Dominic nodded. ‘Among our order it is common to deal with just this sort of problem, as we cannot let anyone know the secret of Ishap and the other Controller Gods. If you do as I instruct, we will leave here ignorant of Nalar.’ He turned to face Macros. ‘You trod perilously close to becoming Nalar’s tool, had you not been protected by the lingering magic of Sarig. Even though the God of Magic gave you that protection, it will not last.’
‘I know,’ said Macros, ‘but we had to understand what we faced.’
‘Agreed,’ said Dominic, ‘though the High Father in Rillanon will find it difficult to accept my word.’
‘Is that what you did, sending that sealed chest?’ asked Miranda.
Dominic nodded. ‘Each Abbot at Sarth prepares against the time of great trial, when we shall see the abbey destroyed. Against that day we are preparing another place, one that will be called That Which Was Sarth. The repository exists and awaits, and we only waited for the foretold sign.’
‘And we were that sign?’
Dominic nodded. ‘In our dealings with the Greater Gods, we have come to understand their limits as well as their power; they communicate to us in a fashion that can only be called disjointed. One thing above all else, though, was the event of our first contact, ages ago, when we were warned that one would come, with companions, who knew the secret and at that time the world would change. Yes, your arrival is the signal that we need to begin moving the great library at Sarth to That Which Was Sarth.’