The stormcaller

He still thinks that all magic-related research should remain in the restricted libraries until he and his colleagues see fit. He insisted I collect this in person.'

‘So they did contain Malich's research? How did you convince him to release them?’ Bahl sounded a little impressed at his Chief Steward's power of persuasion.

'Because they did indeed contain the research; and because it was principally necromancy, your religious status has legal primacy.' Lesarl gave a satisfied grin. 'I'm sure that with a little prodding I could also have extracted a message of thanks to you for letting them do the translation in the first place.'

'Despite the fact it would have taken much longer to find anyone else capable?'

'Well, yes, but he appreciated my point all the same. Anyway, in between bouts of paranoid ranting that greatly flattered the abilities of my spies, Malich focused mainly on one of Verliq's conjectures to develop his rituals that followed a progression of-'

'What was the conjecture?' The burr of Eolis and Siulents down below was wearing Bahl's patience thin.

Lesarl thumbed through the pages of parchment hurriedly. 'Here we are: this is what the Archmage wrote as a quick explanation for me: "A Crystal Skull – being created specifically to counteract the magic of the gods in general, and Death in particular – cannot return a soul from the land of no time. Experiments have proved that souls do not retain sufficient integrity when removed from the physical world. However, in the state in-between the realms, ghosts and wraiths should preserve enough of their self to be returned to life if a suitable vessel is found."

'Malich did not record the actual ritual he claimed to have devised, but the College council believe they could recreate it from his various allusions; not that they would dare do so, of course. There were a number of additional factors: performing the ritual when the Gods stepped back from the Land, during twilight or on Silvemight, as well as the sacrifice of life according to some sort of covenant-'

The Law of Covenant,' supplied Bahl absentmindedly, 'the most fundamental principle in magic.'

'Yes, that's it. Anyway, this all requires the channelling of vast amounts of energies through the Skull.'

'Strange that he would devote his life to something he could never expect to test.'

That is why I doubt much of what was written. Advancing the theory of necromancy is an odd obsession for a man wanting t° achieve immortality. What use this would be to him I have no idea‹ neither he nor that Menin apprentice could have helped their cause

by it.This concerns long-departed souls, not the recently dead that he used as soldiers, and who of note could they return to life? Malich does claim that he returned a childhood friend once; that he managed to obtain a Skull for a brief while-'

'Hah!' said Bahl, with a snort of derision. 'I think we might have noticed that when we took the castle. 'I doubt I would have survived

a fight against a necromancer of his skill if he held a Crystal Skull. Did he enlighten us as to which Skull?'

'Surprisingly, yes; he claimed it was the Skull known as Knowledge.'

Bahl laughed. 'Not only was the man a liar, he was a bad one at that. Knowledge was destroyed almost seven thousand years ago. Mal-ich's mind must have been more rotted that we thought; the owner destroyed Knowledge in his madness after the Last Battle. If he hadn't, it would have resurfaced constantly over the years since, as those that did survive have done.'

'Exactly, my Lord. It makes Malich's claims as ridiculous as his influence is dangerous. He's caused us enough problems; the Azaer daemon-cult he championed has spread heresy throughout the tribe. Now that he's dead, can we not just erase any possible legacy?'

'Bring me everything the mages have first. I want to read these theories of his in greater detail.'

'My Lord?' The Chief Steward looked surprised. 'I wrote the summary myself so no one else would read this material. The evil Malich wrought has been corrosive enough. Even the wizards themselves took no chances; that's why they divided the work between twenty of them. Necromancy will bring damnation to anyone, even to you, my Lord. And Nartis has every reason to hate the Skulls after the death of his brother Veren_'

Bahl half-rose from his seat, sparks of anger flashing from his white eyes. 'Do not presume to lecture me on theology! The prattling of Priests and the chatter of old wives do not concern me.'

Lesarl froze for a moment, then dropped to one knee. Grim-faced, he bowed his head in apology. 'Forgive me, my Lord, I forgot my place.

Of course you know better than I do.' After all these years he should

be used to Bahl's outbursts, but they were unpredictable and alarming

and could still sometimes catch him off-guard. Bahl felt a second surge of anger at Lesarl's accusatory expression, but he made it subside. His Chief Steward was correct. Damn you,

Lesarl; I do know how dangerous a course I'm taking. I don't need you to remind me of that, but you aren't the one tormented by dreams of the dead. Uncomfortable silence reigned for a dozen heartbeats before Bahl eased back into his seat.

Lesarl took that as his cue to rise again. He had served Bahl for most of his life and had long since learned to bear the old lord's fluctuating mood. There was a longer pause until he spoke again.

'There was, my Lord, one other point of interest. Malich's Menin apprentice added a footnote which stated that his master had mentioned a Skull being located in the palace on the White Isle. It had been during one of the many fits that the man must have been suffering by then. Malich would not have been capable of writing for long periods, according to the Archmage; the journals are frequently in his apprentice's handwriting. He mentions preparations for a journey, but no destination, so we cannot be sure. My opinion would be that it is merely babble; a madman's raving, but-'

'But it's hard to be sure,' Bahl finished. 'There are ways to find out such information if you're willing to pay the price. He was in league with several daemon-princes, after all. The elves of the forest? Perhaps they hoped Malich could be made to get it for them. The White Isle is certainly somewhere no elf would dare venture, but a man might survive, and Malich's ascendance did their position no damage at all.'

'Lord, would it be presumptive to ask what you propose to use the Skull for?' asked Lesarl, his voice wavering a little.

'Yes, it would. Be content that it is my will. Do whatever you must.' Bahl's face softened a little. 'Lesarl, I know you must ask those queS' tions that no one else would dare, but do not press me any further on this.'

Bahl thought back to Cordein Malich's beginning: he had been a student of astonishing promise when he arrived at the gates of the College of Magic; talented enough that the conceited mages in Tirah had not questioned why he had travelled all the way from Embere to enrol. After Malich's second summer there, his behaviour had grown increasingly erratic. A number of bizarre accidents befell several. people on his growing list of enemies. The Archmage of the day had been on the point of throwing Malich out – despite his remarkable talent – because of the unhealthy influence he held over the other students, when Malich suddenly disappeared, together with a number

of forbidden works from the restricted library. Some decades later, Bahl only just managed to prevent all-out civil war when, during a pre-emptive attack on Malich's fortress deep in, the forest, he had succeeded in killing the necromancer.

What they found there had sickened even the white-eyes of the c rd and resulted in more than a hundred Parian nobles and mages u 'ne condemned to death for treason and heresy. Before the castle burnt to the ground, Bahl had removed Malich's entire library. Some of the works were carefully and totally destroyed; some were spirited away to be studied secretly, and at length.