graces were the superbly rendered gargoyles and the delicate tracery of protective sorceries. At least the gardens had grown into their promise. Urdli had the young elves lead him to the library, ignoring their protests that he should retire to his room and freshen up. Matters were advanced well beyond such niceties, and he intended to use his waiting time constructively. Laverty's collection of books and manuscripts was even better than he had remembered. Perhaps there was some merit to relying on the written word instead of
organic memory. He was deep into a disk copy of Ver-mis' Liber Viridis when Laverty arrived.
The red-headed elf advanced across the room, a smile on his broad face and his arms held wide in greeting. 'It's been years, my friend. What brings you to the Tir, whispering of secrets and looking so grim?' Urdli stood, his erect stance rebuffing the familiarity of Laverty's greeting. With m slight inclination of his head, Urdli indicated Estios and O'Connor. The young elves had not left him alone since he had installed himself in the library. 'These are to stay?'
Laverty put on an affronted expression, but Urdli knew him well enough to see that it was only half-serious. 'They are my best and most loyal. Should intervention be needed, they would be my agents of choice. I think it best that they hear your story for themselves.'
'Ah, they are your paladins.' This time Laverty's annoyed expression was for real. 'I don't require the outmoded oaths, so I don't use the word. I leave such pointless fripperies to blow-hards like Ehran.'
'Unconventional as always, Laverty.' Laverty's irritation vanished when he laughed. 'You should talk. Expedience rules all, does it not, Urdli? But you surely did not come to discuss my staffing arrangements. What is the problem?'
Urdli got right to the point. 'There has been a raid on Imiri ti-Versakhan. ' Laverty's light tone vanished. 'How bad?' 'Three of the wells are empty.' 'Only three? It could have been worse.' 'Rachnei's well was one of the three. The raiders stole the guardian stone.'
'That is worse.' Laverty sat and clasped his hands together, forefingers straight and pointing toward the ceiling. He lowered his head until his forehead touched the erect fingers, then tapped them against his brow in a steady rhythm. 'What were the other two?'
'Minor nuisances only,' Urdli replied, returning to his chair. 'They do not concern me at this time, for they will not come to power for some years. If we are diligent, we might contain them again before they cause much mischief.'
Laverty looked up. 'Do you see a plan in the releases?'
'If you fear the old foes are at work, think again. Rachnei is no more their friend than ours. The release will mean as much trouble for them as for us. Were the raid part of a plot to ensnare our assets, the thieves would have arranged a more systematic release from the wells in order to more fully occupy us.' 'Cultists, then?'
Urdli shook his head dismissively. 'I think not. There was no evidence of an attempt to control the release. Cultists would not be so naive. Whoever was involved has no idea what Rachnei is.' 'You're sure?'
Urdli shrugged. 'There is no surety, only strong probabilities. Still, there may be a way to restore the balance.'
Laverty looked doubtful. 'If Rachnei has reab-sorbed the facet, I doubt the mana is high enough to sunder it again, let alone bind it back into the well. Even if it were possible, you couldn't do it alone. You'd need powerful help. Why haven't you gone to the Shidhe or made a direct plea to the Council?'
'You know the answer to that. The Shidhe are lost in their dreams, and I will have no dealings with your Council as long as that dragon sits on it.''
'I can understand your not wanting Lofwyr to know, but the others have a right, and a need, to know. The despoiling of Rachnei's well will affect us all in the long run, elf and non-elf. Containing the danger will require all available magic to succeed. A lot more power than I remember your being able to wield.'
The ease with which Laverty dismissed his power rankled, but the evaluation was correct. 'I am aware of how much power is involved. You counsel expedience in place of honor.'
'I seem to recall you preferred the direct approach to the niceties of politics in your younger days.'
'As I do still. If the facet remains unabsorbed and the opportunity arises to bind it into the well again, I will not object to assembling the others to do what will be necessary. Until then, I wish a chance to redeem my honor.'
'Honor, is it?' Laverty's mouth quirked up on one side. 'I hope your honor isn't going to blind you to necessity. I see no way to restore the balance at this time. With the well empty, we had best brace for the storm. Spreading the word seems the only reasonable course.'
Urdli frowned. 'And you would have me shout of the failure at //ran ti-Versakhan, that all should know of that place. What of that which lies there still? Do you wish attention called to that?'
For several moments Laverty said nothing. Then, 'I see. What do you want me to do?'
'I would rather the circle of those who know remain small as yet. I fear that you may be right, that I delude myself into believing that the balance can be restored. I had hoped that you and your library might be a resource to answer that question. You have been more in the world than I and have a better understanding of the manifestations of the mana in the Sixth World. Even if the facet may not be riven again and secreted away, I still believe that the guardian stone can be used to combat Rachnei. We must recover the stone.'
'You have access to other libraries. Why do you involve me and come to mine?' 'There is an element of convenience. I have traced the remaining thieves to this continent. More precisely, I believe they lair in the metroplex to the north. As to why I have involved you, that should be obvious. You have many contacts here in the Americas, and it is a land I no longer know well. Your guidance would be invaluable. Time is fleeting. I must recover the stone before the thieves unravel the matrix of its magic.'
Laverty nodded in reluctant agreement. 'If I'm to help you find the thieves, I need to know what you know about them.'
Urdli revealed what he had learned from following the thieves' backtrail through the shadows of Perth. His informants had been persuaded to part with all they knew, but their stores of data had proven pitiful. He had gotten descriptions and learned the street names of the surviving thieves. As he had hoped, Laverty recognized them.
'Gray Otter is a street samurai of reliable reputation, young but experienced. Competent as well. She has on occasion run shadow business with Twist in recent months. I would assume she is only a hireling in this matter.'' Laverty paused, as though unsure how to continue. Urdli became more alert, knowing he must listen carefully and be prepared for half-truths. 'Twist is the street name of Samuel Verner, a former researcher for Renraku Corporation. He was here shortly after escaping his corporation's care, and was just coming into his magical powers. While he was here, I performed a series of tests to measure his magical ability. From the results, I would not have believed he had the strength to remove the guardian Stone. At that time he did not wish to believe he was a magician.'
'Perhaps you were misled,' Urdli suggested. 'Whoever breached the well has embraced magic wholeheartedly, for only a powerful magician could have unlocked the spells holding die capstone in place.'
Laverty seemed to consider the possibility. When he spoke, it was as though he were unintentionally voicing his thoughts rather than making a deliberate statement. 'If it were he, and not someone or something in disguise.'
'I will know him when I taste his aura. But I am confident that whoever removed the stone was of the brood of mankind. We need look to no greater conspiracy.''
Laverty nodded slowly. 'Perhaps you are right. But I wonder. Verner has turned out to be a Dog shaman. As you know, Dog demands vigilance against evil magic. Evil in this context being most easily defined as magic that would harm mankind. Last year in England, he and some of my agents were involved in an affair that fit that bill to a tee. It seems unlikely that Verner would voluntarily open Rachnei's well.'
This defense of the thief was unseemly. Urdli began to wonder if he had made a mistake in confiding his dishonor to Laverty. 'Voluntarily or not, he has done it, and we must deal with the consequences. I would not like to learn that he has fallen under Rachnei's influence.'
'I don't think so,' Laverty said firmly. 'Were it so, I believe I would have been forewarned.'
Urdli understood. 'Then you have an observer and know where Verner is to be found.'
'Oh, yes.'
'Tell me,' Urdli demanded, knowing he had no authority to command Laverty's compliance. 'My honor demands that I seek him out.'
