around his neck. As he did so, the clanging waterfall
ceased. The floor of the Quorum chamber was awash
in knives of every shape and size- Markus kicked a
few of them aside and bowed.
"As my employers wish." He swept a hand out to
Alan Dean Fofltcr
10
encompass the armory. "A gift to the Quorum and to
the citizens of Quasequa, my adopted home."
"They're only knives," Cascuyom muttered.
"You'd prefer swords?" Markus asked him, over-
hearing. "Or maybe something more lethal still? Like
this." He threw his left hand toward the ceiling- A
burst of lightning flew from his fingers to shatter the
pole holding a banner across the table. Splinters and
fabric tumbled onto the Quorum. Markus grinned as
they fought to extricate themselves while maintaining
their dignity.
"Something more impressive?" he inquired.
"No, no, that will be quite satisfactory," harrumphed
Trendavi, trying to untangle himself from the fallen
banner.
"You can feed and you can destroy," snapped
Opiode, "but can you create?"
Again the salamander's hands moved in time to his
mouth.
"Jewels of the earth
Scarce and profound
Gems of great worth
Come forth from the ground
Rise here to please us
To tempt and to tease us!"
Crystals of blue and yellow, of rose and lavender
began to take shape in the center of the table. They
seemed to grow out of the wood, catching the light
as they developed, throwing back delightful colors at
the enraptured members. By the time Opiode con-
cluded the incantation, the entire table was encrusted
with crystals. A smattering of applause came from
the servitors gathered along the walls-
But Markus the Ineluctable only smiled wider as
THS MOMEHT OF THE MAQtCIAM 11
he moved his fingers against one another. The ap-
plause for Opiode turned to awed whispers.
Flowers began to appear, growing out of the na-
ked stone of the walls and ceiling. Exotic, alien
blossoms that put forth the most exquisite smells. A
blaze of color and fragrance filled the Quorum cham-
ber to overflowing.
You could see the opinions of several members of
the Quorum begin to shift in/Markus's favor.
"Satisfied yet?" Markus asked them. "You tell me
which of us is the more powerful magician."
"A magician is a trickster, not a wizard," said
Opiode.
Markus shrugged. "I prefer magician. I'm comfort-
able with it. I've always called myself a magician. As
for my 'tricks,' they seem just as effective as your
wizardry. Had enough?"
"There is one more thing," said Opiode slowly.
"You have shown what you can do for others, but can
you do for yourself?" So saying he pointed a red-and-
black arm at Markus's face and uttered an incanta-
tion so powerful the words cannot stand repeating.
A slight but steady breeze sprang up, rippling the
fur of the onlookers, and the glow bulbs grew dim. No
one in the chamber dared to breathe, lest a fraction
of that energy latch onto them and turn them to
dust.
As they stared, Markus the Ineluctable began to
rise from the floor. He put his hands on his hips and
considered his levitation thoughtfully, then nodded
appreciatively in Opiode's direction.
"Hey. not bad. Not bad at all." Then he raised one
hand and murmured something almost indifferently.
Opiode the Siy, Opiode the clever, Opiode the
principal advisor in matters arcane and magical to
the Quorum of Quasequa, vanished.
Shouts and cries from the servitors, mild panic
Aim Dean roster
12
among the more impressionable members of the.
Quorum as Markus settled gently back to the ground.
"What have you done with him?" Domunnur's
teeth were clenched, but he knew when he was
overmatched. There was little more he could do than
ask. "Where is he?"
"Where is he? Well now, let me think." Markus
rubbed his chin. "He might be over... there!" He
pointed sharply toward a far doorway. Servitors
stationed there scattered, dropping a platter of fruit
behind them. Markus turned, inspecting the chamber.
"Or he might be... under there." A couple of the
members of the Quorum inadvertently peered un-
der the table, hastily sat up straight in their chairs
when they realized how easily the newcomer had
manipulated them.
"But he's actually probably right... here." Markus
the Ineluctable removed his black hat, turned it
upside down, and tapped it once, twice, a third time.
Out plopped a dazed and very disoriented Opiode
the Sly. Disdaining Markus's proffered hand, the
salamander struggled to his feet and backed away,
shaking his head and trying to regain his bearings.
From the Quorum came a rising cry in support of
Markus.
Opiode ignored it, stared narrowly at his opponent.
"I don't know how you did that, but of one thing I
am certain: it was no clean wizardry."
"Oh, it was clean enough," said Markus smugly.
"Just a mite different from what you're used to,
that's all. Are you afraid of something different,
something new?" He turned to face the Quorum.
"Are you all afraid of something different, even if it's
better than what you've been used to?"
"No," said Trendavi quickly. "We are not afraid of
what is different, or of what is new. We of Quasequa
pride ourselves on accepting new things, on promot-
TBS MOMENT OP TSOE MAGICIAN
13
ing innovation." He gazed sorrowfully in Opiode's
direction. "It is my recommendation and I hereby
move that the Quorum officially nominate Markus
the Ineluctable to the position of chief advisor to the
Quorum on matters arcane and magical, and I fur-
thermore move that Opiode the Sly, who has served
us so well lo these many years, be retired from the
post with a vote of thanks and an official commenda-
tion to be decided upon later."
"Seconded!" said a pair of voices simultaneously.
And that was that. It was done, over, and Markus
stood smiling, arms crossed before him as his sup-
porters gathered around to congratulate him on his
victory and those who had opposed him moved to
offer grudging words of acceptance. A few would
have offered their condolences to the defeated Opiode,
but the salamander did not linger. Instead, he left
quickly and with dignity, still a bit shaken from the
manner in which Markus had handled him, but in
no way cowed or t>eaten.
It was dark in the wizard's study. But then, Opiode
preferred the dim light and the dampness. His rooms
were situated at the edge of the Quorumate Com-
plex and below the water line. Ancient stones held
back the warm water of the Lake of Sorrowful Pearls
while allowing a pleasant dampness to seep through.
Thick moss, red as well as green, grew on the stones
and ceiling. The furniture was fashioned of stone or
boram root, which resists rot.
Glow bulbs dangled overhead, their magic lights
dimmer than usual, the weak illumination a reflec-
tion of the wizard's uncomfortable state of mind.
Opiode stared steadily at one flickering bulb as he
lay in his thinktank. The stone basin was filled with
freshly drawn lake water rich with lichens, mosses,
tight blue hot pads, and minute aquatic insects.
14 Alan Dean Foster
Altogether, the rooms constituted a benign and
thoroughly salamandrine environment.
But as Opiode lay on his back, his arms crossed
over his chest, his tail gently agitating the water, it