Macros said, ‘Pug was right and we were not.’
Miranda’s expression showed she felt terrible guilt over her part in Pug’s precipitate attack. ‘It is my fault.’
Nakor said, ‘It is no one’s fault or everyone’s fault. No one forced Pug, your father and you to attack the Emerald Queen. We thought it risky and it was.’
‘They were better prepared than we anticipated,’ said Miranda.
‘More than that,’ said Macros. To Miranda he said, ‘You were too far removed from the battle to see what Pug and I saw, and you have no way of knowing.’
‘What?’
‘The woman who was your mother is but a shell, an illusion. I suspect she is long dead. The creature at the head of this army is a demon. He identified himself to Pug as Jakan.’
‘Jakan?’ said Nakor.
‘You’ve heard of him?’ asked Miranda.
‘In a roundabout way,’ said the little man. ‘He’s a demon captain, not a big one, like Tugor, First Servant to Maarg, Ruler of the Fifth Circle, but one with some reputation.’
Tathar said, ‘We have had contact with such once or twice in the history of our race. How do you know of them, human?’
Nakor shrugged. ‘You hear things, here and there.’
Miranda said, ‘You’re an infuriating little man.’
Nakor grinned. ‘Your mother said the same to me when we were married.’ He sighed. ‘I wish I had had a daughter like you.’
Macros said, ‘No you don’t.’
Suddenly laughter filled the council and everyone knew the relief was at Pug’s apparent recovery as much as from the banter. Then Nakor’s expression turned serious. ‘About a century or so ago I found my way into the Hall of Worlds and spent some time at Honest John’s. It’s a good place to gamble.’ He made a sour face. ‘Hard place to cheat. Anyway, in the course of my time there I heard about some troubles with the demons.’
‘Such as?’ prompted Macros.
‘That someone was stirring them up and they were attempting to breach the barriers out of the Fifth Circle into the higher realms.’
‘Someone provided them a way,’ suggested Macros.
‘That’s what worries me,’ said Tomas. ‘In the memories of the Valheru, we struggled with the demons, and among our foes, only the Dread were more powerful. But the Dread and the demons were confined to realms far from our own, and for them to be here, both at the time of the Riftwar and now, means an agency of great power is behind all of this.’
Macros and Miranda exchanged looks. ‘I sense we know something . . .’ said Miranda.
‘Knew something,’ said Macros. To the Queen and Tomas he said, ‘There are larger forces at play here, but I also have some sense that we have limits as to what we may do. I suggest we consider what may be our next best course of action.’
Tomas said, ‘It’s obvious the fleet is well protected and that another attack of the sort Pug mounted would prove unwise.’
‘Agreed,’ said Macros. ‘They may not know my and Miranda’s abilities, but they must know Pug has allies of significant power and have defenses in place. This demon who has taken the Emerald Queen’s place may not be a great demon lord, but he has firm control of those around us, from what little I glimpsed as I saved Pug.
‘We must consider the risk that the demons are in a position to slip more of their captains and lords through into Midkemia. We must attend to that danger, while I think we’d best leave the more mundane concerns of invasion to those who are best equipped to meet it: Prince Patrick, Duke James, and Knight-Marshal William.’
Tomas said, ‘We will, though we will aid them when the time comes.’
‘I understand,’ said Macros. He stood and moved to the middle of the circle. ‘With Pug injured, I must again put myself in the center of this struggle.’
Aglaranna said, ‘Years ago you came to us and were instrumental in saving our home, Macros. Your wisdom is always welcome here.’
Macros rubbed his beard. ‘My wisdom is somewhat lacking at the moment, lady. Before I had Sarig’s gift of future sight, and the ability to travel at will back and forth through time. Since the severing of our ties, I fear I have but a bare sense of where to start looking next for our course of action.’
Miranda said, ‘Well, we need to find the Rift and close it forever.’
‘Perhaps you need to look at the place Calis and Miranda found those tainted artifacts.’ It was Tathar who spoke. ‘I’ve studied the artifacts our Calis sent to us as much as anyone, and while I can put no name to the alien presence that has touched them, I can say it is powerful, and what is there is well hidden. It must be the demons, and that must be where they are entering our world.’
Acaila held up his hand and nodded in agreement. ‘Absolutely. Tathar and all the Spellweavers have indicated this is magic of great power and subtlety, well hidden, masked to disguise its origin and clever in its construction.’
Macros said, ‘That sounds likely.’