Page 32 (1/2)

Regis rubbed the after-i flash out of his eyes and found hied on a crystal throne, leaning back against one of its ars casually thrown over the other They were in a squared roo as solid as stone Regis knew immediately that he was inside the tower The rooely shaped est and ’s eye, for a fire was ablaze within its depths At first Regis looked opposite the e, but then he realized that the fla within the dimensions of the hed "You should consider yourself fortunate to witness its splendor!" But Regis fixed his gaze upon Kessell, studying the wizard closely, for the tone of his voice did not resemble the characteristic slur of others he had entranced with the ruby

"You’ll forgive my surprise when first we met," Kessell continued "I did not expect the sturdy hed again, and Regis knew that so had disrupted the charm he had cast upon the wizard when they were outside

The halfling could guess what had happened He could feel the throbbing power of this room; it was evident that Kessell fed off of it With his psyche outside, the wizard had been vulnerable to the th was quite beyond the ruby’s influence

"You said that you had information to tell me," Kessell demanded suddenly "Speak now, the whole of it! Or I shallto improvise an alternate tale The insidious lies he had planned to weave would have little value on the unaffected wizard In fact, in their obvious weaknesses they ies

Kessell straightened on his throne and leaned over the halfling, iaze upon his counterpart "Speak!" he co itself into all of his thoughts, co him to obey Kessell’s every co force wasn’t eh Rather it see from some external source, perhaps the unseen object that the wizard occasionally clutched in a pocket of his robes

Those of halfling stock possessed a strong natural resistance to such e will and gradually push it away A sudden idea cah individuals fall under his own char posture He slouched a bit, as though he had suddenly been put coe in the corner of the roo out, but he resisted the temptation to blink

"What information do you desire?" he responded ain confidently "Address me as Master Kessell," he ordered

"What information do you desire, Master Kessell?"

"Good," the wizard s, the story you were sent to tell ht A lie flavored with the sprinklings of truth becoer "Yes," he answered "To ainst you"

"And as the purpose?" Kessell pressed, quite pleased with himself "Surely the people of Bryn Shander know that I could easily crush them even without any allies at all It seems a feeble plan toto defeat you, Master Kessell," Regis said

"Then why are you here? And why didn’t Cassius simply surrender the city as I deis, blindly iued and occupied Behind the facade of his words, he was trying to put together soive Cassius more time to lay out his true course of action"

Kessell leaned forward "And whatfor an answer

"You cannot resist reat! Answer or I shall tear the truth frois blurted, and after he had said it, several possibilities opened up before hiain "I at every point for the hu as you believe, Master Kessell," Regis baited His path now lay clear before him A lie within another lie He liked the formula

"Explain," Kessell dee

"Cassius has allies within your ranks"

The wizard leaped froisHe wondered for an instant if any of his own victims had likewise reversed the dupe on hiht away for future conte the people of Ten-Towns for is went on "One tribe actually opened up a trading relationship with the fishermen They, too, answered your summons to arms, but they still hold loyalties, if any of their kind ever truly hold loyalties, to Cassius Even as your ar in the field around Bryn Shander, the first coed between the orc chieftain and orc ers that slipped out of Bryn Shander"

Kessell smoothed his hair back and rubbed his hand nervously across his face Was it possible that his seely invincible army had a secret weakness?

No, none would dare oppose Akar Kessell!

But still, if soainst hiainst him - would he know? And where was Errtu? Could the deis softly, his tone revealing that the halfling’s news had huis drew the wizard fully into the deception "The group that you sent to sack the city of Bre the wizard’s widening eyes with complete satisfaction "My job was ainst Bryn Shander before the fall of night, for the orcs shall return before dawn, presuned position on the field, but in actuality, to open a gap in your western flank Cassius will lead the people down the western slopes to the open tundra They only hope to keep you disorganized long enough to give them a solid lead Then you shall be forced to pursue them all the way to Luskan!"

Many weak points were apparent in the plan, but it seeamble for people in such a desperate situation to attempt Kessell slarowled

Regis breathed a bit easier Kessell was convinced

"Errtu!" he screamed suddenly, unaware that the demon had been banished from the world

There was no reply "Oh, damn you, demon!" Kessell cursed "You are never about when I is "You wait here I shall havefires of his anger sienerals I shall teach the Orcs of the Severed Tongue to oppose me!"

In truth, the observations Cassius had ue as Kessell’s strongest and most fanatical supporters