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who didn't think there was some vast conspiracy behind it all thought warlocks were dangerous. Warlocks
were dangerous, as they had demonstrated under Faran's leadership. The Council, once it existed, would
have to convince everyone that danger was under firm control.
At this point, no one would believe anything warlocks told them. Hanner would need to find someone they
would believe, and convince that someone to speak up on the warlocks' behalf.
The obvious possibilities were the established powers of the Hegemony-the overlords, the city guard, the
Wizards' Guild, the Sisterhood of Witches, the Brotherhood of Witches, and so on. The overlord and the Guild
in particular would be convincing, since both had acted openly against the warlocks. If Hanner could just
convince Lord Azrad ...
He stumbled over his own feet at the thought and realized that Bern had continued to talk, explaining how the
warlocks had reacted to Manrin's proposals, while he had been lost in his planning. He listened for a few
seconds, decided that what Bern was saying wasn't important and he could always ask Bern to repeat it
later, and resumed his chain of thought.
If Uncle Faran hadn't been able to talk sense to Lord Azrad, Hanner certainly couldn't hope to. The Wizards'
Guild, though- the Guild wanted to minimize trouble. If they thought wiping out the warlocks was the way to
do that, then Hanner and the others were as good as dead-though they'd take several wizards with them, he
was sure.
But if they were convinced wiping out the warlocks would be more trouble than accommodating them, then
the Guild would be the warlocks' natural ally. Faran had talked about appealing to them as fellow magicians,
but hadn't really carried through. Hanner knew better than to try to appeal to their better nature or fellow
feeling, but if he could present them with solid reasons that accommodation with the warlocks would be in
their own best interests ...
He thought he could.
"I need to talk to Ithinia," he said, interrupting Bern's description of how they had dealt with Desset's
nightmares.
"Now?" Bern asked, startled.
Hanner looked around, suddenly aware that they were nearing Warlock House, and the normal morning
crowds that had surrounded them since leaving the Palace were no longer present.
The people in the street had been pushed back away from them; they were walking down a cleared path
leading directly to the open iron gate. Desset stood in the dooryard, watching them- clearly, the path was her
doing.
"But she's already having nightmares!" Hanner said, breaking into a run.
Caught off guard, Bern took a moment to follow.
Hanner did not say anything, but inwardly he was seething. Didn't these people realize how the Calling
worked? Hadn't they seen what happened to Rudhira and Varrin? The more magic a warlock used, the more
powerful she became. The more powerful a warlock became, the more powerful the Calling was, until at last it
became irresistible. The nightmares were a warning. Of the little group Bern had listed as still at the house
Desset was the most powerful warlock remaining who had not been Called, with only Kirsha and maybe
Ulpen coming anywhere close to matching her. That made her the obvious choice for big jobs like clearing a
street so Hanner and Bern could get inside safely-but it also made her the worst choice, because at any
moment the Calling might get the better of her and sweep her away.
"Get in here!" Hanner called as he pushed past her into the open doorway.
Startled, Desset and Bern hurried after him. He slammed the door behind them and turned to Desset.
"What is it?" she said breathlessly. "What's the matter?"
"You don't use magic anymore," he told her, shaking a finger in her face. "Not unless you absolutely must!"
"But Bern and Alris needed to get out, and you and Bern needed to get in," Desset protested.
"I don't care," Hanner said. "It's not your job! Get one of the others-or if one can't handle the job, get two or
three or four. But not you. You've had the nightmares."
Desset's mouth opened, then closed.
"You'll hear the Calling!" Hanner said. "Like Rudhira and Varrin. Unless you want to go flying off northward in [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]