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"Aeriel," Irrylath insisted "Come to me I’ll take you away!"

Aeriel looked at him in surprise, at the desperation on his face, the sweat running down from his teon’s in the freezing air The pearl glowed in her hand

"It’s"I’ll take it with ently, leaning once h the battered"Coht fearfully, he’ll fall His ar filled her suddenly as she realized she could go with him If she went now, she wouldn’t die She could keep the pearl, all its strange sorcery and light--keep it for herself Irrylath would pluck her away, and they would escape

"Why do you hesitate?" Oriencor demanded sharply "Put it intoThe Witch was already defeated, all her ht But she has not been redee unbidden within her prodded She has not been persuaded that what you say is true Go with Irrylath, and you will have won a hollow victory The world will not be healed The Witch will soon rebuild her power-- till you ain Bitterly, Aeriel realized that she must fulfill Ravenna’s task, no matter what the cost

"Coht as Solstar in her palo with Irrylath Shaking her head, she whispered, "Fare well"

Oriencor had begun to laugh Aeriel saw Irrylath gazing at her in desperate incohter, the rasp of his own breathing and Avarclon’s, the thrash of the starhorse’s wings and the clatter of his hooves, surely the prince could not have heard her words But she saw from his expression that he had read the frame of her lips, the shake of her head

Too late, he cried out, "No!" as Aeriel tore her eyes away from his, and turned to put the pearl in the White Witch’s hand

14

Flood

The White Witch screa the pearl She felt so out of it and into Oriencor, who stood like a statue, ih note that went on and on Those in barges below and on the battlefield beyond stood halted, turned, staring at the keep Iun to play across the surface of the pearl: pestilence and fire--Oceanus destroying itself

"Dead?" the White Witch screamed " Dead? How can that be? Not dead Not dead! Poisoned?

Plague? How could they destroy theaze or her hand away from the pearl Neither, it see cries continued Dazed, Aeriel realized that though the pearl was ie of the Ancients’ fate, Ravenna’s daughter was denying it, refusing to believe Aeriel shook her head Her ears rang with the Witch’s protests It had never occurred to her that Oriencor ift

"It was only we, only we they caused to war for their pleasure They can’t--they can’t be dead! It isn’t possible…"

Aeriel felt a stab of sudden fear She herself had never refused any knowledge she had received through the pearl She had no idea ould happen to anyone who tried She had no idea as happening to Oriencor now The Witch see to thrust the pearl back into Aeriel’s hand

The aroathered itself within the pearl, that of a dusky lady with indigo eyes

"Daughter," she said quietly, "believe"

Aeriel stared This ie was no misty construct of the future, no vivid ible, alive A living Ravenna gazed at the White Witch froasped, recoiling "I saw your funeral fire--" The Ancientlady shook her head "That was only my body, child Some arts of the Ancients you never learned My inner essence has been translated, thatis contained within this pearl The whole of ic, my very soul--yours, if you will but accept!"

The White Witch’s cries rose to shrills and then to shrieks

"Never!"