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.Whoosh!Blue lights, magic fire.""As to that magic fire" this was the human male, adding his small modicum ofwisdom "the wizard might do the same to us if we make him mad.""Not likely," Xar murmured, smiling unpleasantly."I wouldn't waste theeffort."The mensch were having a meeting a private, secret meeting, or so theysupposed.Xar knew all about it, of course.He was seated at his ease in theSartan library in the citadel.The mensch were gathered down by the gardenmaze a good distance away, but Xar clearly heard every word they were saying."What is it you don't like about him, Aleatha?" the human female was asking.What was her name? Xar couldn't recall.Again, he didn't waste the effort."He gave me this lovely necklace," the human was continuing."See.I think itmust be a ruby.And look at the cunning little squiggly mark cut into it.""I got one, too," said the elf Paithan."Mine's a sapphire.And it has thesame squiggle.Lord Xar said that when I wore it, someone would be watchingover me.Isn't it pretty, Aleatha?""I think it's ugly." The elf female spoke with scorn."And I think he's ugly ""He can't help how he looks.""Something I'm certain you can understand, Roland," Aleatha interjectedcoolly."As to those 'gifts,' he tried to give me one.I refused.I didn'tlike the look in his eye.""Come on, Thea.Since when have you turned down jewels? As for that look,you've seen it a thousand times before.Every man looks at you that way,"Paithan said."Then they get to know her," Roland muttered.Either Aleatha didn't hear him or she chose to ignore him."The old man onlyoffered me an emerald.I've been offered better than that a hundred timesover.""And taken them up on their offers a hundred times over, I'll wager," Rolandsaid, more loudly this time."Come on, you two, stop it," Paithan intervened."What about you, Roland? DidLord Xar give you one of these jewels?""Me?" Roland sounded amazed."Look, Paithan, I don't know about you elves, butamong us humans, guys don't give necklaces to other guys.As to guys whoaccept jewelry from other guys, well.""What are you saying?""Nothing, Paithan," Rega intervened."Roland's not saying anything.He tookthe necklace; don't let him fool you.I saw him asking Drugar about the jewel,trying to get it appraised.""What about it, Drugar? How much are they worth?""The gem is not of dwarf-make.I cannot tell.But I wouldn't wear one.I get abad feeling from them." The dwarf's voice was low and gruff."Sure you do," Roland scoffed."Such a bad feeling you'd gladly take every oneof them for yourself.Look, Drugar, old buddy, never try to swindle aswindler.I know all the tricks.It has to be dwarf-made.Your people are theonly ones who dig deep enough below the leaf-level to find jewels like this.Come on.Tell me what it's worth.""What does it matter what it's worth?" Rega flared."You'll never get a chanceto cash in on it.We're trapped in here for the rest of our lives and you knowit."The mensch all fell silent.Xar yawned.He was growing bored, and thismindless chatter was starting to irritate him.He was beginning to regretgiving them the magical gems, which brought every word of what they said tohim.Then suddenly he heard what he'd been wanting to hear all along."I guess that brings up the real reason for our meeting," Paithan saidquietly."Do we tell him about the ship? Or keep it to ourselves?"A ship! Sang-drax had been right.The mensch did have a ship hidden aroundhere.Xar shut the Sartan book he'd been attempting to read, concentrated onlistening."What difference does it make?" Aleatha asked languidly."If a ship reallydoes exist which I doubt we can't reach it.We have only Cook's word on it,and who knows what she and her brats thought they saw out there? The tytanshave probably smashed it to toothpicks anyway.""No," Paithan said after another moment's silence."No, they haven't.And itdoes exist.""How do you know?" Roland demanded, suspicious."Because I've seen it.You can from the top of the citadel.From the StarChamber.""You mean all this time you knew that the others were telling the truth aboutwhat they saw? That a ship was out there and still in good shape and youdidn't tell us?""Don't shout at me! Yes, damn it, I knew! And I didn't tell you for the simplereason that you would have acted stupid the way you're acting now and rushedout like the others and gotten your fool head bashed in ""Well, and so what if I did? It's my head! Just because you're sleeping withmy sister doesn't make you my big brother.""You could use a big brother.""Oh, yeah?""Yeah!""Stop it, both of you, please ""Rega, get out of my way.It's time he learned.""You're all behaving like children.""Aleatha! Where are you going? You shouldn't go into that maze.It's.""I'll go where I please, Rega.Just because you're sleeping with my brother "Imbeciles! Xar clenched his fists.For an instant he considered transportinghimself down to them, shaking the truth out of them.Or perhaps choking it outof them.He grew calmer, however, and soon forgot about them.But not aboutwhat they'd said."You can see the ship from the top of the citadel," he muttered."I'll go upthere and look for myself.The elf might well be lying.And they're not likelyto come back soon."Xar had been meaning to take a look inside what the mensch referred to as theStar Chamber, but the elf Paithan had the annoying habit of hovering aroundthe room, treating it as if it were his own personal and private creation.He'd very proudly offered to give Xar a tour.Xar had been careful not toevince too much interest, much to Paithan's disappointment.The Lord of theNexus would examine the Star Chamber in his own good time by himself.Whatever Sartan magic happened in the Star Chamber was the key to controllingthe tytans.That much was evident."It's the humming sound," Paithan had said."I think that's what's drawingthem."Obvious enough that even a mensch had seen it.The humming sound undoubtedlydid have a startling effect on the tytans.From what Xar had observed, thehumming sent them into some sort of trance.And when it stopped, they flewinto a frenzy, like a fretful child who will only be quiet when it hears itsmother's voice."An interesting analogy," Xar remarked, transporting himself to the StarChamber with a spoken word of magic.He disliked climbing the stairs."Amother's soothing voice.A lullaby.The Sartan used this to control them, andwhile they were under this influence, they were slaves to the Sartan's will.If I could just learn the secret."Reaching the door that led into the Star Chamber, Xar peered cautiouslyinside.The machine was shut down.The blinding light was off.The machine hadbeen running erratically ever since the lord's arrival.The elf thought it wassupposed to work this way, but Xar guessed not.The Lord of the Nexus knewlittle about machinery; he truly missed the child Bane at this moment.The boyhad figured out how to work the Kicksey-winsey; he could undoubtedly havesolved the mystery of this far simpler machine.Xar was confident that he himself would solve it in time.The Sartan, as wastheir custom, had left behind innumerable volumes, some of which must containsomething other than their constant whining complaints about how tough thingswere, how awful their lives had become.He grew irritated every time he triedto read one
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