Estriss's research was best when it touched on the truths or near truths of the Spelljammer's legends. Estriss was especially interested in Teldin's account of his journey to Nex, and his confrontation with the devolved Juna and their protective world-mind. He was disappointed to hear of their regression to the primitive, but was fascinated by the concept of a living planet.
"I have discovered something else," Teldin said, "but without the benefit of hard facts. I am receiving images, feelings of some sort, of events long ago that had to do with the Spelljammer. I do not pretend to understand all that I have seen, but I have been shown that the Spelljammer was not created by solely the Juna. I believe they were but one race that helped in its creation."
Estriss stared at him curiously. How do you know this?
Teldin wondered if the mind flayer would take him seriously. "The amulet. It is a guide to the Spelljammer. It has shown me much, and since I've been here, I have seen even more, visions of the past, I believe. The Spelljammer was created, yes, but I don't know why. It is a living thing, and I believe it was created through the combination of magic and life-a life-form that has long been extinct. And it was here, at the Broken Sphere."
Estriss watched him closely. There's something else, isn', there? Estriss queried. Teldin nodded. "The Spelljammer. It did this."
CassaRoc stared silently, his ale frozen halfway to his mouth.
"Did what'" he asked.
"The Broken Sphere. Thousands of thousands of years ago, it was known as… Ouiyan. Then, in the throes of the Spelljammer's creation, the great ship itself destroyed the sphere. There were-" Teldin had to think. The number came to him. "There were eighteen planets here. All are dead now." He paused. "All dead. The Spelljammer is a murderer of worlds.
Stardawn paused in the open market to examine game pieces of molded pewter. He had found out what he needed to know. The Cloakmaster- for he was indeed the Cloakmaster- had no idea of his own power. There was still time to kill the simpleton and steal the cloak. Stardawn, alone among so many, knew that with the helm, all the Spelljammer's secrets would be his.
No more rumors. No more gossip. With Teldin Moore dead, all his theories about magical items brought to the ship would be proven correct. If they were, the greatest ship in all the spheres would soon be his, and his elven brethren would reign over the universe.
Lothian Stardawn would be their lord.
Humans, he thought, they're all so gullible.
Chapter Ten
"Amid the death, Amid the hatred, One shall come To honor the ages. Blood will run From bow to stern; Destiny calls, And all will learn That Life is not To be torn asunder. Life is wisdom And visions of wonder…" Excerpt, "
The main level of the beholder ruins was uncommonly bright. Usually the beholders disdained such light, preferring instead the comfortable coolness of the shadows.
But, for their honored guests, they were more than willing to make an exception.
Amid the toppled columns and the ruined statuary, ShiCaga the Enchantress, chieftess of the ogre population, stood surrounded by her towering sons, HiRotu and AziKash, and ten of her misshapen ogre warriors. ShiCaga was beautiful by ogre standards, and her face was decorated with white powders and lotions that made her appear like an ugly, towering ghost.
Opposite the ogres, waiting near one of the broad staircases spiraling up to the beholder quarters, stood a dozen representatives of the minotaur race. Onehorn, their newly elected leader, snorted angrily at the head of the group. His was the mark of the broken horn; and his was the shame of murdering his own king under thrall of the beholders' hypnotic powers. The eye tyrants had released the minotaurs from their spells, knowing well that the charms would shortly wear off anyway, and that the minotaurs could not be charmed forever. A treaty, Gray Eye had decided, would keep the minotaurs on the beholders' leash and send a powerful signal to the Spelljammer's general population.
Then the minotaurs could be disposed of when the time was right.
Onehorn groused at the beholders' rule, but he also knew that a treaty would keep the minotaurs alive- long enough, at least, until they could plan a suitable revenge- and from under the eye tyrants' spells of subservience. He shuddered with anger, remembering how Breakox had been slaughtered by his own uncontrollable hand. Breakox's blood was on his hands! Now, though, the protection of the minotaurs was most important. Vengeance, he determined, would most definitely come later, but his shame would last forever.
The final group arrived through the ruins' huge doors. Each standing more than twenty feet tall, the seven hill giants stooped to enter the ruins, then stretched to their full heights inside. As they came to a stop in the center of the room, the colony of beholders, led by their ancient leader, Gray Eye, floated down through the circular entrance in the ceiling.
The beholders, surrounded by their invited guests, hovered a few feet off the floor. On a table behind them lay a long piece of parchment detailing a series of agreements.
"Welcome," Gray Eye said, "to the first treaty of the beholders, and to the beginning of the end of the neogi."
The hill giants, a family of renegades from the giant tower who felt stifled under Taja Deeplunder's rule, grunted their approval. Their substitute leader, Torg Stoneater, rested his hand on the hilt of his mammoth battle-axe. "We welcome the chance to fight with our allies, the minotaurs. The giants have been lazy for too long under the rule of Taja Deeplunder. She is more neutral in matters of war than we prefer. We crave battle. We crave the spilling of our enemies' blood."
Gray Eye watched the giant with its opaque eye. "You will have your chance soon, Stoneater. The battles have already begun across the ship, and we must strike against the neogi before the Cloakmaster brings about the Dark Times. If we hesitate, our forces will be the first to feel starvation under the rule of the humans."
The assembled forces nodded in agreement. ShiCaga of the ogres stepped forward and said, "Let's get on with it, then. Let's sign the damned thing."
Gray Eye stared at her balefully. "That, chieftess, is precisely what you shall do. You have all read the treaty." The eye tyrant asked the ogre, "Do you wish the honors?"
ShiCaga took the quill from the inkwell on the table and hurriedly signed her name. "There," she said, "now let's draw some blood."
Onehorn strode to the table and signed the treaty, then turned to Stoneater and handed him the quill. "You honor us," the minotaur said.
"Your leader was strong," Stoneater remarked. "He was originally of the hill giants, as you probably know. We respected his strength, as we respect yours." The giant cast a quick glance at the beholders. "There will be time later…" he whispered.
Onehorn nodded briskly and walked away. The giant signed the treaty, then threw the pen onto the table.
"We are done," said Gray Eye. "We are now the Beholder Alliance, and I promise you unconditional victory in our war against the neogi.
"Our resources are great, our blades are sharp, and our forces are mighty. Now… we must plan for battle. By the end of the day, our swords will be red with the cold blood of our enemies, and then our prize will be laid out before us and our forces will be unbeatable.
"The neogi will be dead. We will have nothing to fear from the Cloakmaster, and the Dark Times will never come."
Building by building, Gaye explored the great ship. Her astral body floated unseen among the humans and the dwarves, the illithids and the halflings; through the open market she went, and above, through the ship's stores, and through all the floors and rooms of Leoster's Guild tower. She passed silently through the walls of the shivak terminal and the illithid tower and stayed for a while in the Citadel of Kova and studied the actions of the dwarves.