'Men who rise above their disabilities are admired, and Sir Gareth continued his work on behalf of the order, working as a treasurer,' added Algorind.
'And that, too, has helped him, for such work is mostly solitary, and kept him from day to day contact with the men of his order. Familiarity might have dulled the sheen of his reputation and allowed men to see how dark his soul had become.'
'There is much wisdom in your words,' Algorind conceded. He looked up at Danilo, his expression uncertain. 'What should I do now, sir? I seek your council.'
That seemed to amuse the Harper. 'Shall I list the reasons why you shouldn't? In the interest of saving time, why don't you tell me what you think must be done.'
'My order needs to know about Sir Gareth.'
'Indeed,' he said slowly. 'It is possible that his facade will shatter when it is closely examined. But it is also possible that he has been magically protected from such inquiry. Did you pray for insight into his nature?'
'No, sir; it was my own heart I sought to know. I caught a glimpse of Sir Gareth's, almost like something seen from the corner of my eye.'
'Interesting. But it might be difficult to persuade your elders to try this method, or convince them that what you saw was the truth of Sir Gareth.'
'Then what should we do?'
Danilo considered this. 'If Sir Gareth put Cara on that south-bound ship, there will be records somewhere. As luck would have it, I have friends in low places. In time, I should be able to gather enough information to support your accusations. But a witness would be better.'
'But what good man has been witness to Sir Gareth's misdeeds?'
'That's the problem, isn't it?' Danilo mused. He shook himself and sent his guest a rueful smile. 'I have been remiss. You are hurt and in need of healing.'
Algorind frowned. 'You restored my size and my hearing.'
'Yes, but the healing potion I gave you was specific to that hurt. Your hands are nearly raw.'
Danilo rummaged among his collection of potions and took out a tear-shaped bottle filled with dark fluid in which swam tiny motes of light. He regarded it for a long moment before handing it over. 'This should solve the problem.'
The young paladin nodded his thanks and tipped back the bottle. A feeling of wonder suffused him as he regarded his unblemished hands. 'They were healed almost before I swallowed. Even the old scars are gone!'
'It's an unusually powerful potion,' Danilo said evenly as he reached for the empty vial. 'Now, about Sir Gareth…'
Yes, what about Sir Gareth? To Algorind's surprise, he was no longer certain what to think of the old knight. His doubts and fears, so firmly held just moments before, felt as insubstantial as wisps of morning fog.
'Sir Gareth is a hero of our order,' he mused. 'If the vision I saw was truly a glimpse of Sir Gareth's heart- and I am no longer so certain that it was-perhaps the darkness described the pain from his wounds, or perhaps he is suffering through a time of discouragement. If he had given himself over to evil, if he had truly done the things you suspect, surely my elders would have known!'
'I'm not surprised you think so,' Danilo said, idly turning over the empty potion vial in his hand. 'And what do you intend to do next?'
'I will go whithersoever Tyr and you deem fit to send me.'
Again the Harper laughed, but it seemed to Algorind that the sound lacked any real mirth.
'Tyr and me, is it? Now there are two vintages I never expected to see in a single goblet!' He abruptly sobered, looking more serious than Algorind would have thought possible. 'For the nonce, forget about my opinion. Forget about the Order. What do you think you should do?'
After a moment's consideration, Algorind said, 'I would warn the dwarves of Thornhold. Sir Gareth mentioned that they might be prevented from speaking at Summit Hall.'
'Indeed. Did he say how, or by whom?'
'He did not. But no doubt Sir Gareth has knowledge he did not see fit to share with me.'
'No doubt,' the Harper murmured. 'If a dwarf's got something on his mind and the desire to share it, he's not easily silenced, but I'll send word to Bronwyn at Thornhold.' Danilo lifted one brow. 'Unless you prefer to go yourself?'
'I would like nothing better, as I would beg her pardon and little Cara's for wrongs unwittingly done. And yet,' he added wonderingly, 'I feel compelled to return to Sir Gareth. It may be that he will need an aide in the years to come, someone he can trust to help him with all of his many duties.'
The Harper's smile seemed a bit sad. 'I thought you might feel that way.'
The silver owl chose that moment to flap over to the window and out into the night. Algorind watched it go, a wistful smile on his face.
'If you're to aid Sir Gareth, you'll need a horse and a new sword,' the Harper observed. 'I know a fine sword smith who doesn't mind doing business at this hour. As for a mount, well, it just so happens that I have friends at the Pegasus aerie.'
Algorind was on his feet at once. 'A winged horse would consent to carry me?'
'They're less particular than you might have heard,' Danilo said in a droll tone. 'Before we leave, there is one question my study was unable to answer. Of the twin knights, Wurthar and Dorlion, which inherited his sire's dark nature?'
'It matters not at all,' Algorind said, marveling at the truth of his own words. 'The light of Tyr's grace shines equally upon all men. What we are, we chose to become. What we do, we choose to do.'
Danilo nodded, but his gray eyes looked troubled. 'So you are not dismayed to learn the founders of your order were demon-spawned? You will hold nothing against Bronwyn and Cara, who share this heritage?'
'As long as neither of them shrinks me again,' Algorind said fervently, 'I will be content.'
Later that night, Danilo let himself back into his town-house with a muttered spell and an impatient wave of one hand. He was too tired and dispirited to be bothered with keys.
His commendable halfling steward had left a lamp burning in the entrance hall, but the study beyond was deep in shadows. Even so, he could make out the outline of a tall, broad-shouldered man seated near the softly glowing embers of the hearth fire.
'You should bolster your wards,' instructed a deep voice, slightly burred with the accent he occasionally neglected to hide. 'As you have just demonstrated, they are far too easy to breach.'
With a sigh, Danilo entered the room and flopped down into a chair opposite Waterdeep's archmage. 'I thought you might drop by. No doubt the smell of magical meddling drew you like strong cheese does mice.'
'You seem heavy of heart,' the great wizard observed. He held up the empty vial, the second potion Danilo had given the young paladin. 'It is no small thing, to magically control a man's will.'
'No small thing?' Danilo echoed incredulously. 'It's wrong. It's evil. It's no better than rape!'
'And yet… '
'And yet,' Danilo echoed softly. He rubbed his hands over his face and sent Khelben a rueful look. 'I have condemned you for far less. In truth, I have judged you harshly over the years.'
'That is what young men do.'
They sat together in silence, sharing the solitude that comes from great power and difficult choices. At long last, Danilo asked, 'Can any good come of this night's work?'
'No man can see all possible outcomes,' Khelben said, 'and on the whole, this is a good thing. The multiplicity of possible truths would drive one mad. So can too much power. And since there is nothing you fear so much as madness, you have fought against me these many years, shying away from realizing your full magical potential and rejecting any suggestion that you might be my successor at Blackstaff Tower.'
Danilo stared at him. 'I didn't think you knew.'
'You might be surprised how well I understand you,' Khelben said. He nodded to the untidy pile of books and scrolls on Danilo's study table. 'You have a wizard's talent, a bard's passion for history, and a sense of duty that demands you employ both in service to others. This is your path, and it is good and right that you follow it.'
Moved beyond words, Danilo merely nodded his thanks.
Khelben cleared his throat. 'So you will be leaving for Tethyr soon?'
