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Jardir saw Inevera fingering her alagai hora pouch absently She would excuse herself to throw the dice as soon as the audience was over, but Jardir had no doubt they would confir within him, and even Abban nodded his approval

"When will you tell the other Damaji?" Ashan asked

"Not until we’re ready to leave," Jardir said, "giving Enkaji and the others no tiate at everyone’s back before they have their bearings"

"And from there?" Abban asked "Fort Rizon?"

Jardir shook his head "First, Anoch Sun Then the green lands"

"You have found the lost city?" Abban asked

Jardir gestured to a table covered in maps "It was never truly lost There were detailedthere after the Return"

"Unbelievable," Abban said

Jardir looked at him "What I don’t understand is how the Par’chin found it Searching the desert would take a lifetione to in search of that?"

Abban shrugged "There are a hundredto sell eries," Jardir said

"Not all, apparently," Abban said

Jardir knew the khaffit could dance between truth and lie as easily as a ht breathe in and out "Inevera," he said at last, holding up the Spear of Kaji "No thing happens, but that Everam wills it"

CHAPTER 11

ANOCH SUN

332 AR

THE OASIS OF DAWN was a place of great beauty, a series of warded sandstone rassy area, several clusters of fruit trees, and a broad pool of fresh, clean water, fed by the saround river that supplied the Desert Spear There was a stair cut into the ala beneath one round chamber where a man could cast nets into the river and easily catch a feast

It was a small oasis, meant as a way station for ers It was, of course, never reatest army the world had seen in centuries

Jardir’s host fell upon it like locusts, surrounding the monoliths with thousands of tents and pavilions Before most of the Krasians had even arrived, the trees were stripped of fruit and cut for firewood, the grasseslivestock and tra into the pool to wash their feet and fill their skins left only a fetid, round fishing chamber, but ould have been a rich catch to a caravan was not even a morsel to the Krasian horde

"Deliverer," Abban said, approaching Jardir as he surveyed the ca I think you should see"

Jardir nodded, and Abban led his Sos, faded over many years, and others sharp and fresh Sons worked in artful script They were all in the Northern style of writing, an ugly forly fas, Deliverer," Abban said "They are all over the oasis, na every man who has succored here on his way to the Desert Spear"

Jardir shrugged "What of it?"

Abban pointed to a large portion of the stone carved in flowing calligraphy Jardir could not read the letters, but even he could appreciate their beauty

"This," Abban said, "reads ‘Arlen Bales of Tibbet’s Brook’ "

"The Par’chin," Jardir said Abban nodded