Miranda said, “Now that you are no longer a Duke of the Kingdom, what are your plans?”
“I still have many thousands of Saaur to relocate to the Ethel Duath. Eventually I will have to return to Shila and destroy whatever demons may linger there, then be about the business of reseeding enough life on that world so that in a few centuries the Saaur may return.” He smiled. “Then there’s the matter of the students here. They need to be taught, and learned from as well. And there’s the problem of finding and destroying Nalar’s agents wherever they may be hiding. Other than that, I think I may take up fishing.”
Nakor laughed. “Fishing teaches patience. That’s why I never took it up.”
“Tens of thousands died during the Riftwar, and more than twice that number during this latest war, this Serpent-war. These catastrophic events must never be allowed to be duplicated again.”
“How are we to insure they don’t?” asked Miranda.
Pug said, “That I need to think on. And it’s something we all need to be involved with. I think I may have some ideas I’ll share with you and the others living on this island. The first thing we must be certain of is that there can be no manipulation of those who serve on our behalf. Those are the tactics of our enemy, and as one who was subjected to such manipulation by your father, my love, 1 find the idea of continuing that practice distasteful. This is why this island must become our bastion, and those who serve here must do so willingly and with as much knowledge as it is safe for them to possess.”
“What of Stardock?” asked Miranda.
Pug said, “Stardock was begun with good intentions, but I made too many errors. I thought I would give the students more of a voice in the organization of the Academy, and to be frank, I was a product of the Tsurani Assembly. It’s been enough years since then that I think I recognize those errors.
“Stardock will continue and be an asset to us; before I built the community there, magicians were often persecuted by those fearful of their talents. ‘Witches’ were hunted down and their pitiful woodland huts burned to the ground, or ’wizards’ were walled up in caves to die of starvation and thirst, unless they became powerful enough to keep people away through fear, or they had patrons who were noble or rich. At least now those have a haven if they care to make their way to Stardock.
“And we may find recruits to our cause among those who study at Stardock for a time and leave, seeking something else.”
“How do we insure we don’t make the same mistakes?” asked Miranda.
“There are many things we will do differently; I will be the final authority here. I may seek your wisdom and that of others, but in critical matters I will decide. I erred in thinking that was ignoble and arbitrary at Stardock, and now I know it is the opposite. Without a vision, we become a debating society and a place where habit quickly becomes ‘tradition.’ Tradition often becomes an excuse for repression, bigotry, or reactionary thinking.”
“My Blue Riders will keep them from being too tradition-bound.”
“My friend,” said Pug, “your Blue Riders will become another tradition. And those who survive the fight of the those traditionalists who are now calling themselves ‘The Hand of Korsh’ and “The Wand of Watoom‘ will become just as fixed in their ways. Even Korsh and Watoom would be appalled to see what their followers have created.”
“Maybe I should go back there,” offered Nakor, half in jest.
“Maybe not,” replied Pug. “Stardock will endure, and there will be times we will be grateful it does.”
Looking around the room, Pug said, “We here are embarking on a long fight. There are powers moving through the universe, vast terrible powers that we have only glimpsed. The two great wars we have so far endured are but the opening moves in a game of chess.”
Miranda said, “What are the Gods on our side doing about all this?”
Nakor said, “They are helping you.”
“How?” asked Miranda.
“In ways obvious and subtle,” said Nakor.
Pug said, “During the Chaos Wars, the very nature of things changed, and since then the Gods have acted through agents and minions. We are who we are because the gods have chosen us to be their agents.”
“Even Gods need to learn,” said Nakor. “Your father’s relationship with Sarig was not particularly effective, from the God’s point of view, so rather than repeat that mistake, he’s elected to try a different tactic.”