"Needmore steel coins then, muchmore."
Hederick lurched against a piece of marble. "I've told you, you idiot, that all my money has gone to bribe the Highseekers in Haven. They will rule in my favor. All but Elistan, the fanatic, but he'll be a lone voice. I will remain High Theocrat of Solace, and there will be plenty of money to pay you later. But you'll have to wait."
"You notgo away. You owe we! Owe plenty!" The hob shy;goblin towered over Hederick. "You notgo away."
"Of course not." Hederick hiccoughed. "Where would I go? I shall remain in the old Seeker chapel in Solace. My priests are returning, even Dahos, and a few new novi shy;tiates."
Hederick's attention wandered. He seemed to be talk shy;ing more to himself than to the hobgoblin and its com shy;rades. "I still preach to the townspeople morning and evening, and they support my needs. Sauvay smiles upon me. I have bribe money enough. Imagine: Krynn-a Seeker theocracy, with me at its head! I will emerge victo shy;rious yet." Hederick shot them an unfocused look. "You will be wealthy enough then, vermin."
One of the goblins in the back erupted in what could have been a cough or a laugh, hastily muffled. The hob shy;goblin put a mailed hand on the hilt of its sword and glared equally at Hederick and the goblins.
In response, Hederick's hand went to his chest, felt briefly for something, then fell away empty.
For a moment, his watery blue eyes shone with fear. Then his eyelids drooped, and he staggered away from the goblins without comment or dismissal. A silver flask appeared in his hand.
His words drifted back in the night air.
"So what if it's gone, I don't need it, I don't need her. I don't need anybody!"
Epilogue
Astitms, leader of the Order of Aesthetics, surveyed the scribes before him and permitted a half-smile to grace his face for a frac shy;tion of a moment. Then it relaxed again into sternness.
Shortly before, Olven, Eban, and Marya had completed the manuscript, cut the scroll into uniform lengths, and bound the leaves into a book. That now book lay atop Astinus's desk in his private cell. He patted the tome as he addressed the scribes- now two, not three.
"You have done good work," he said. "You are apprentices no longer, but assistant scribes. Welcome."
Eban sighed in relief. But Marya said, "Where is Olven, mas shy;ter?"
Astinus didn't answer right away. Instead, the historian slipped off the stool, picked up the Hederick volume, and placed it on the wooden cart by the doorway. Later in the day, an assistant
would list the book in the library's records and assign it a place on the already overloaded shelves.
"Olven decided that he preferred a life out in the world," Astinus said after he returned to the stool. "We talked long. He felt chafed by the strictures he found here. Olven decided that he could not be happy for long if he were merely recording history. He is, I believe, on his way to Solace."
Eban's freckled face appeared mystified, but Marya suddenly smiled.
"And you, Marya?" Astinus asked her gently. "Can you remain here?"
The woman nodded. "For the time being," she whispered. "1 have things to learn first, before going my own way. Perhaps eventually I will follow Olven."
Eban looked from one to the other without comprehension. But the historian and the female scribe exchanged glances of perfect understanding.