pillars worked loose and toppled between the Presence and Hed-erick.
Hederick whirled and vanished into Erolydon. Within moments, a new explosion tore through the temple. Flames rose from the back of the building, from the area of the Great Chamber.
'He's setting off the special powders!' Tarscenian shouted. 'The ones the priests use to impress their follow shy;ers.'
'Will that be enough to destroy the building?' Mynx asked.
'More than enough.'
'Tarscenian, my love.'
'Ancilla?'
'I am weakening. The building will explode soon. You must get Hederick out of there.'
'Let him die, Ancilla!' Mynx cried. 'He has killed hun shy;dreds of people.'
'Perhaps thousands,' Tarscenian said quietly. But his eyes were resigned.
'I will hold the building safe as long as I can, Tarscen shy;ian. Get him. Hederick may yet recant. I would not have my brother die a heretic to the Old Gods. I made my vow.'
The image of Ancilla began flickering so fast now that it was visible only as a column of glittering light. Tarscenian raced into Erolydon, Mynx close behind him.
They darted around fallen columns and arches, and were halfway down what remained of the corridor when Mynx screamed and pointed upward. 'Tarscenian, look out!' A blazing tapestry detached slowly from the wall. The flaming curtain fell directly toward the two, who threw themselves into a doorway. Soon the corridor was filled with flame.
Ancilla was calling to Hederick from the courtyard, encouraging him to come out of Erolydon now that he'd set in place the powder that would destroy it.
'Never!' came the High Theocrat's voice from the smoke before them. 'You are evil!'
'I am the only good you ever knew.'
The sound of laughter from Hederick.
'You will die at the hands of evil forces if you do not embrace the true gods now, Hederick.'
'I am the embodiment of good. I will die here, in my holy temple,' Hederick rejoined. He sounded almost giddy at the prospect. 'Sauvay will gather me to him.'
Tarscenian threw himself into the hallway and dashed through the blaze. Mynx followed.
The vallenwood Great Chamber was filled with smoke, but the dense wood had not yet burst into flame. The stat shy;ues of Omalthea and the rest of the pantheons were smol shy;dering in the heat. Mynx and Tarscenian could see the open crates of red and yellow powder that the High Theo-crat had piled around each statue.
Hederick stood at the top of the pulpit. His hands were up, his lips moving, but no sounds came out. Then, the silent benediction over, the High Theocrat bowed to the empty benches. He beamed and smiled and nodded like a potentate accepting accolades from adoring subjects.
Then Hederick began to descend the flights of steps, slowly and regally, still nodding to each side as though he
were leaving to the roar of a standing ovation.
'Tarscenian! I cannot hold the building much longer.'
Goaded by Ancilla's call, Tarscenian and Mynx raced up the steps. Between them, they wrestled the portly High Theocrat onto Tarscenian's shoulders, then fled down the steps and out the lakeside door.
The moment they stepped into the sunshine, Erolydon erupted into a volcano of block, flame, and ash. Mynx and Tarscenian went flying into the trampled grass of the western courtyard. They came to rest against a section of standing wall and burrowed against it.
When the explosion died away, the two lifted their heads. There was no sign of Hederick.
They made their way around what was left of the steaming building. Every now and then, more fires would explode. Soon Mynx and Tarscenian didn't even flinch at the continuing eruptions.
'What are you looking for?' Mynx asked Tarscenian after the old man climbed carefully from one jagged block of marble to another.
The tall man surveyed the littered courtyard. The bod shy;ies of Hederick's forces as well as those of a few mages lay sprawled between him and the column that marked where the front gate used to be.
Tarscenian gestured. 'There. There she is.'
Mynx saw a huddled figure in a white robe. Scars of flame marred the cobblestones on every side but did not touch the body, the robe, or the cascades of curly gray hair.
As they watched, something shiny crept onto the fig shy;ure's shoulder. The flash of a diamond brightened the battle scene.
With a metallic cry, the tiny jeweled dragon launched into the air. Tarscenian bowed his head. 'It would never have left her if she were alive,' he said softly. 'Not will shy;ingly.' His gray eyes were haunted.
The Diamond Dragon darted like a silver hummingbird over the desolation. Now and then it dived toward the ground, touched the cobblestones with its clawed feet, and arced back upward again. It performed the act at least twenty times. Then the magical creature moved outside the site of the former temple building and repeated the ritual.
In each spot, a tendril of green appeared. As Tarscenian and Mynx gazed on, each tendril became a thick stem, then a sapling. The saplings stretched toward the sky, thickened, and Mynx recognized the bark of vallenwoods.
The Diamond Dragon circled overhead, alternately swooping down to observe its handiwork, then soaring back up above the rapidly spreading tree limbs. It plum shy;meted once more to Ancilla's body and settled itself into the angle of her neck, nuzzling the tangle of hair.
The metallic creature gave one last cry, and both woman and dragon vanished.
Chapter 28
'Erolydon is destroyed, the priests and novitiates scattered. Even if Hederick has survived, the Highseekers Council in Haven would be fools to give him such power again.' Tarscenian paused and considered before continuing. 'At least I hope so. That's one of the things I hope to persuade the Highseekers.'
Mynx and Tarscenian were making their way along the road to Haven.
'You think Hederick might still be alive, then?'
'Ancilla swore never to hurt him. Her word meant everything to her. Yes, I believe Hederick survived.'
Mynx turned that over in her mind. 'Do you think they will give you a fair listening in Haven?'
'From what I hear, Elistan will turn me an unbiased ear, but the rest of the Highseekers… I don't know.' Tarscen-
ian shook his head. 'I am, after all, a fallen Seeker priest. That will weigh heavily with them, I'm afraid. How heav shy;ily, we can only wait and see. Over the years, Ancilla and I grew accustomed to defeat when reason predicted suc shy;cess.'
Mynx turned her attention elsewhere. She stroked the armor that Tarscenian had bartered for her before they'd left Solace. It was missing a few pieces, but the pieces that were there matched each other-and fit her perfectly.
'Tarscenian,' Mynx said suddenly as she and the swordsman rode on through the late afternoon sunshine. 'Hederick and Ancilla were brother and sister. Why were they so different? How could anyone be so evil as Heder shy;ick?'
Tarscenian raised one eyebrow. 'He believes he is good. What he has never understood is that some of the greatest harm in the world has been done by people convinced that they, too, were doing good.'
'Nonetheless…'
'Nonetheless, Mynx, you are right. Hederick has caused great suffering, as you have said.' Tarscenian frowned and gazed at the pommel of his saddle while he sorted out his thoughts.
'At some point in people's lives,' the old man finally said slowly, 'if they live well, they have to take stock of what is true and what is illusion. They must do this hon shy;estly. Once they have gazed at what is darkest within
