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Uriah peered up at the door, the dwarf fighter standing defiant and a flicker
of light starting to swirl around him.
I have eighty-nine fighters in here, Jimak said coldly. If you try
anything, I guarantee you that when they are finished parts of your body will
be raining down on this city for the next three days.
Uriah hesitated for an instant and then looked over his shoulder.
Open up, Jimak.
The Master of Ingkara could not conceal his surprise that the Grand Master
himself was outside the door. He had ignored the midnight summons to the
palace but the fact that the Grand Master would then lower himself to come to
the House of Ingkara in the hour before first bell was simply astonishing.
I ll not open up for you or anyone else, Jimak replied. You are breaking
all the covenants of the
Houses by appearing here and demanding a search.
Jimak, you know I have enough strength with my own fighters to take your
House. They re waiting just around the corner for my orders to blast their
way in.
Jimak turned his head away, spit, and then looked back.
And three other Houses will storm your palace before daybreak. We might hate
each other, but we ll always stand against you if you attempt to break us.
The same as with the Turquoise House? the Grand Master whispered.
Jimak looked over his shoulder and then back at the Grand Master.
That was different. Besides, they wouldn t ally with you against me.
And this is different as well. Now open up; I ll come in alone. I lose face
standing out here like this and
I intend to regain it one way or the other. Now open up.
Jimak hesitated for a moment and then stepped back, nodding to two of his
fighters to remove the heavy beam that blocked the door. The Grand Master
slipped through and the door slammed shut behind him.
If I m not back outside by first bell, this place will be a smoking ruin,
the Grand Master said haughtily.
Are you that afraid for yourself?
I just wanted you to know how things stand. As for fear, I think there s
reason enough for all of us to be afraid right now.
Jimak motioned for the Grand Master to follow him down the corridor and into
his office, closing the door behind them.
Now what is it?
How come you ignored my summons to appear before me? the Grand Master
snapped angrily.
At midnight? I don t give a damn if it was the Walker himself who commanded
it. I am a House
Master and I don t answer a summons like that from anyone.
Well, please excuse me if I didn t send a sedan chair over along with a
phalanx of scantily clad women to throw flowers in your path, but it was
urgent.
Those types of inducements are meaningless to me, Jimak replied coldly.
Try them on Varnel it d work with him.
The Grand Master settled into a chair without waiting for Jimak to offer the
hospitality.
Listen to me. We are a balance to each other. I rule this city and this
land but my power is balanced not only by the princes of neighboring realms
but also by the four Houses of magic fighters. No one of us is truly over
the others. I am stronger than any two of you put together and you, if
united, are stronger than I. We all know the game and we all play it. You
are divided by your mutual rivalries and I insure that those rivalries
continue. It is thus because the Eternal created it thus when the world was
young and the power of the mana was fresh. But we must live here for our
entire lives and the Walker comes but once a year to Festival.
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Why are you boring me with this lecture? Jimak interrupted.
Because I am leading up to something. I fear that there is some new factor
at play here, the same as what happened twenty years ago.
Oor-tael? Jimak said quietly.
The Grand Master nodded.
We destroyed them for their defiance of the wishes of the Walker.
He was merely a Grand Master then, Jimak snapped, so stop speaking of him
in such reverent tones.
He wanted to pierce the veil between worlds and frankly I didn t give a good
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