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We can wash our hands of it and do nothing, in which case our nice little
system is doomed to crack and fall, and armies will again march and
destroy and we might turn around and find Armageddon at any moment. Or we can
act now, preemptively. I say we can't take the chance nor shirk our
responsibilities. I say act and now! What say you?"
There was dead silence for a moment, although each
57
JACK L. CHALKER
Page 34
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of the wizards seemed to sink deeply into thought and occasionally make side
glances at the others.
"I take your silence for consent. The next question is what to do about it."
A regal-looking but ancient dwarf none had even noticed spoke up in a deep,
rumbling voice. "Go over there and kill the bastard. He is mortal now."
Ruddygore nodded. "Thank you. King Ewedol, for saying the unspeakable. I
concur. Boquillas alone is a defenseless human being. He must be killed, and
without mercy. Without him, Dacaro will be formidable but man-
ageable as he will not have that vast store of knowledge and experience the
Baron brings. With Boquillas dead, I
will once again be freed to cross the Sea of Dreams and deal with that slimy
little bastard personally."
"So whom are you going to send over there to do the deed?" the red-robed
Sargash asked him. "It is one thing to say that you will kill him, but he is
certain to be better protected than your vault! Those from here will remain
bound by the Rules, while his Earthly allies and demonic friends will not, and
none may be wizards of the top rank."
"Quite true," the Council leader agreed. "I am aware of the problems. I am
also aware that any we send will be known as soon as they arrive, if not
before. For that reason, the Company I shall form for this task will be done
entirely by me. Some of its members will be obvious to any here, but some will
not."
"Why not just take your damned Lamp and wish him dead?" the dwarf king
growled.
"A good question. The Lamp is old, and of limited effectiveness, although it
is still quite powerful. Unfor-
tunately, its reach will not extend across the Sea of Dreams in either
direction. To be used against someone or some-
thing on Earth, it must be on Earth, and that presents even greater problems,
as it really wasn't designed for there. On Earth it is erratic, unpredictable,
and very lim-
ited. To be useful at all there, the Lamp would have to be no more than a few
feet from the object of the wish.
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VENGEANCE OF THE DANCING GODS
58
Did you not all wonder why Dacaro didn't just take the
Lamp? It's because the thing can no longer travel by its own power across the
Sea of Dreams, and to carry it over the Sea would have put him at risk to my
own powers and agents." He looked around. "Are we agreed, then?"
Again there was dead silence, which pleased the big sorcerer.
"All right, then. In the meantime, I intend to find and stop the wizard on our
side and put an end to him or her. This person is no less dangerous to us and
the future than was Boquillas, and will remain no less dangerous, even if we
deal with the Baron. I do not intend any more loose ends. Had Hell not
interfered, I would have crushed the Baron on the castle walls. Hell will not
save this person this time!"
By the next evening, all had left to return to their own domains, leaving only
Joe, Tiana, and Marge as outsiders in Castle Terindell. Ruddygore had spent
the day seeing the others off and consulting with the rulers of the fairy
races who had also been present, the latter because he feared their use as [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]