Then Hederick began to descend the flights of steps, slowly and regally, still nodding to each side as though he
were leaving to the roar of a standing ovation.
"Tarscenian! I cannot hold the building much longer."
Goaded by Ancilla's call, Tarscenian and Mynx raced up the steps. Between them, they wrestled the portly High Theocrat onto Tarscenian's shoulders, then fled down the steps and out the lakeside door.
The moment they stepped into the sunshine, Erolydon erupted into a volcano of block, flame, and ash. Mynx and Tarscenian went flying into the trampled grass of the western courtyard. They came to rest against a section of standing wall and burrowed against it.
When the explosion died away, the two lifted their heads. There was no sign of Hederick.
They made their way around what was left of the steaming building. Every now and then, more fires would explode. Soon Mynx and Tarscenian didn't even flinch at the continuing eruptions.
"What are you looking for?" Mynx asked Tarscenian after the old man climbed carefully from one jagged block of marble to another.
The tall man surveyed the littered courtyard. The bod shy;ies of Hederick's forces as well as those of a few mages lay sprawled between him and the column that marked where the front gate used to be.
Tarscenian gestured. "There. There she is."
Mynx saw a huddled figure in a white robe. Scars of flame marred the cobblestones on every side but did not touch the body, the robe, or the cascades of curly gray hair.
As they watched, something shiny crept onto the fig shy;ure's shoulder. The flash of a diamond brightened the battle scene.
With a metallic cry, the tiny jeweled dragon launched into the air. Tarscenian bowed his head. "It would never have left her if she were alive," he said softly. "Not will shy;ingly." His gray eyes were haunted.
The Diamond Dragon darted like a silver hummingbird over the desolation. Now and then it dived toward the ground, touched the cobblestones with its clawed feet, and arced back upward again. It performed the act at least twenty times. Then the magical creature moved outside the site of the former temple building and repeated the ritual.
In each spot, a tendril of green appeared. As Tarscenian and Mynx gazed on, each tendril became a thick stem, then a sapling. The saplings stretched toward the sky, thickened, and Mynx recognized the bark of vallenwoods.
The Diamond Dragon circled overhead, alternately swooping down to observe its handiwork, then soaring back up above the rapidly spreading tree limbs. It plum shy;meted once more to Ancilla's body and settled itself into the angle of her neck, nuzzling the tangle of hair.
The metallic creature gave one last cry, and both woman and dragon vanished.
Chapter 28
"Erolydon is destroyed, the priests and novitiates scattered. Even if Hederick has survived, the Highseekers Council in Haven would be fools to give him such power again." Tarscenian paused and considered before continuing. "At least I hope so. That's one of the things I hope to persuade the Highseekers."
Mynx and Tarscenian were making their way along the road to Haven.
"You think Hederick might still be alive, then?"
"Ancilla swore never to hurt him. Her word meant everything to her. Yes, I believe Hederick survived."
Mynx turned that over in her mind. "Do you think they will give you a fair listening in Haven?"
"From what I hear, Elistan will turn me an unbiased ear, but the rest of the Highseekers… I don't know." Tarscen-
ian shook his head. "I am, after all, a fallen Seeker priest. That will weigh heavily with them, I'm afraid. How heav shy;ily, we can only wait and see. Over the years, Ancilla and I grew accustomed to defeat when reason predicted suc shy;cess."
Mynx turned her attention elsewhere. She stroked the armor that Tarscenian had bartered for her before they'd left Solace. It was missing a few pieces, but the pieces that were there matched each other-and fit her perfectly.
"Tarscenian," Mynx said suddenly as she and the swordsman rode on through the late afternoon sunshine. "Hederick and Ancilla were brother and sister. Why were they so different? How could anyone be so evil as Heder shy;ick?"
Tarscenian raised one eyebrow. "He believes he is good. What he has never understood is that some of the greatest harm in the world has been done by people convinced that they, too, were doing good."
"Nonetheless…"
"Nonetheless, Mynx, you are right. Hederick has caused great suffering, as you have said." Tarscenian frowned and gazed at the pommel of his saddle while he sorted out his thoughts.
"At some point in people's lives," the old man finally said slowly, "if they live well, they have to take stock of what is true and what is illusion. They must do this hon shy;estly. Once they have gazed at what is darkest within their beings, they must move resolutely on-casting off the shadow of illusion and living as best they can in the light of what they have learned to be true. This takes great courage. I'm afraid Hederick was never brave or honest enough to do that, Mynx."
"And you have done this?"
"I did it in a tiny village called Garlund, on the prairie just west of the Garnet Mountains. And I have done it daily since then."
I'm not sure I understand this, Tarscenian." "It's a long ride to Haven, Mynx. We'll have plenty of time to talk."
Tarscenian and Mynx certainly were making fast time, Kifflewit Burrthistle thought as he bounded along the Solace-Haven road. "Won't the two of them be surprised to see me, though!" he said to himself, chuckling.
His pockets were full again. The people rushing pell-mell from the exploding temple had paid little attention to a kender running alongside them.
They'd paid even less attention to their pocketbooks and pouches.
He'd lost most of his own pouches and their contents when the materbill roared fire. It was lucky that he'd found-so soon! — so many wonderful things to replace them with. "Even a few new pouches," he murmured.
A few nights later, red and silver moonlight glinted off the helms of twenty goblins and one hobgoblin as they watched a portly man approach. He carried himself like a king, double chin up haughtily, bulging eyes cold over bulbous nose, and a permanent sneer on his mouth.
"Still thinkhe we servants," one goblin muttered. "Seekerfool."
"Shutup, morefool," the chain-mailed hobgoblin leader snapped.
Hederick's foot caught against one of the chunks of blackened marble that littered the area, and he stumbled. Only a short time after the fire, and already the forest was reclaiming the scarred land. At this rate, within months there would be no sign of what had once been the greatest wonder of the Seekers, Hederick thought bitterly.
"Magic," he said suddenly. "Even in death, the witch ensorcels me, steals back my Erolydon. But she could not kill me. Ha, not she! Sauvay saved me."
Hederick stumbled again.
"Drunksick," the talkative goblin murmured. "All-thetime now, drunksick he. If we atehim, weget drunk-sick, too, certain. He not last long under Highlord, certain." A companion guffawed, the hobgoblin hissed another warning, and both goblin soldiers fell silent. They waited in the ruins and marked the High Theocrat's irreg shy;ular progress.
Finally Hederick stood before them. He spoke first, slurring his words but eliminating none of the contemptu shy;ous tone. "I see you have found reinforcements. Good. I have another task for you: Eliminate Dahos. He has out shy;grown his usefulness to me. His incompetence brought about the destruction of my Erolydon. I cannot trust Dahos. Or anybody."