which path the king was taking he quickly stepped in that direction.
He made a mournful face. I fear you are right, Excellency, he said. The shield has failed. I'll find out at once who is responsible for this appalling state of affairs and have them suitably tortured and put to death.'
The king bared his fangs in what was meant to be a kindly smile. Spare them, he said. I too share the blame. And you as well, my dear friend.'
Fari gaped, revealing whiter and sharper teeth than he had a right to own at his advanced age. Me, Majesty? What did I He wisely clipped that off. He rapped his bone cane and bowed. My name should top that list of failures, Excellency, he said. Tonight my wives will sing your praises when I tell them how you so generously spared this noble fool. Of course it was my fault! I take the whole blame, Majesty. A blame you should never dream of sharing.'
Manacia waved a claw, silencing him. You know who this is, Fari? he asked, pointing at the human head floating in the jar.
The Grand Wazier stared at it. The human was a young adult. Possibly handsome onceby human standards. No, Excellency, I don't know him.'
'This is the first creature I used to test the shield. Manacia chuckled. We tied a rope to his waist and used whips to drive him out into the Forbidden Desert. He'd taken not more than a dozen steps when he suddenly screamed, clutched his breast and fell to the ground. When we dragged him back he was dead, although there wasn't a mark on him to hint of the cause. He was a healthy creature straight from the royal slave pens. Clean. Well fed. I examined him myself. There was no reason for his death, other than the curse.'
'I recall the incident, Majesty, Fari said, but not the human.'
'How could you? Manacia said. There were so many. Demons as well. They were the worst kind of felons, of course.'
'Of course, Majesty.'
Manacia stared at the head, remembering the four years of experiments. He'd labored hard, delved into every nook and cranny of the magical sciences, casting spell after spell to create a shield strong enough to defy the ancient curse. The curse had been created hundreds of years before by a Treaty Council composed of both demon and human wizards. Its purpose was to permanently sever all contact between the two species, permanently ending the years of bloody strife and war-ravaged harvests that followed the fall of Alisarrian's empire. It was believed by all the curse would be impossible for even the greatest sorcerer to render harmless.
Manacia believed otherwise. He was not only a powerful wizardstronger than any other in the demon landsbut he had a mind for such puzzles and had attacked the curse full force with all the sorcerous resources at his command. Hundreds had died in those experiments. Body after body was dragged back at the end of a rope. But Manacia had hope because each time the victims crept a little further into the desert. The last group made it so far the king's archers had to fire arrows at them to force them to go deeper. Finally, all who were sent out returned unharmed. The shield appeared to work so well Manacia had to have the survivors killed so they couldn't use his spell to escape across the desert.
It was then he made his bargain with Sarn. The king had personally attended the bandit's departure. He'd praised the thief greatly, cast a special spell of blessings and watched Sarn and his friends thunder off into the desert for the human lands to seek Kyraniathe passage through the Valley of the Clouds that the Oracle had spoken of. The passage that was the key to forging the two great human regions into a great kingdom.
Manacia's hopes had been high that day. He was already dreaming of the time when his armies could follow. He had visions of swift and easy victories over the humans. Once he had a dream of a grand court ceremony, with human ambassadors bowing before his throne, bearing treaties that declared him King of Kings. Ruler of all Esmir.
Manacia peered into the human's dead eyes. He was certain it was the human side of the sorcerous equation that had foiled him. A side he somehow had not been able to penetrate. It was for this reason, not sentimentality, that Manacia had the head of his first victim displayed in his Necromancium. It was here in this vaulted chamber of watery light that his collection of black arts and books and materials were kept. There were jars and vials of the most evil liquids and powders and unguents. There were scrolls detailing horrid practices and spells. There were strange objects and idols with shapes so menacing they'd haunt the dreams of the most callous and uncaring demon.
Manacia rapped his talons against the jar. The liquid stirred and the head bobbed about. We'll begin again, my friend, he said to the skull. And once more you shall have the honor of being first.'
He turned to the Grand Wazier. We'll start in the morning, he said. Have my wizards meet me here at first light. I'll solve this riddle no matter how long it takes.'
'That's the spirit, Majesty, Fari said. Never admit defeat. Consider it an unpleasant setback, nothing more. I'll send word to the royal wizards at once!'
He turned as if to go, hesitated, then turned back, saying, There's still that other matter, Excellency. The matter that forced me to come here and disturb your thinking.'
The king's mood had brightened now that he'd formed a course of action. He said, Yes, yes. I'd almost forgotten. What is it?'
'Many months ago, Majesty, Fari said, not long after Sarn and his friends left for the human lands, a strange event occurred which has only just come to my attention. A celestial disturbance, Majesty, that went unnoticed by our stargazers because Zanzair was heavily overcast that night. But a shepherd, far to the north where the skies were clear, reported seeing an immense shower of fiery particles. Other reports have trickled in since then, confirming the shepherd's sighting. As near as we can determine the display was in the human lands, over the Gods Divide.'
Manacia shrugged. What of it? he said. There's nothing unusual about fiery particles falling out of the sky. Rarely do such occurrences have anything to do with our affairs. If it were a comet perhaps there'd be cause for concern. Or deeper study.'
'Quite true, Majesty, Fari said. And if that were all there was to it I would not be here troubling you with news of such a minor event.'
The king rapped his claws against the glass jar, impatient. Fari hurried on. Once the event was dated with some certainty, he said, your wizards recalled other signs that occurred at, or near, the same time. The water from our wells suddenly tasted foul and bitter, a condition that lasted for some weeks.'
Manacia nodded, remembering that trouble.
'The day after the sighting, Fari continued, it was noticed that the liquid in the water clocks turned in the opposite direction. And one of the temple acolytes claimed when he rose that morning his reflection in the mirror was backwards, or, that is to say, he looked just like one demon sees another, left claw on the true left, right to right. Neither anomaly lasted long, Majesty, but there was concern at the time. Since then it has been observed that the ground has settled dangerously under some of our older buildings, causing them to sag. Moreover, bees have been swarming out of season, birds have appeared of a kind never seen before. And there has been an unusual number of birth oddities, two-headed swine, limbless dogs, fish with no eyes.'
'This is indeed disturbing news, Fari, the king said. You were right to report it to me. Does anyone know what these things mean? Could it have anything to do with our attempt to defy the curse?'
Fari jolted in surprise. He thought a moment, tapping his bone cane against the floor. Then he said, I don't know, Excellency. It's a thought that hadn't occurred to me.'
'But it is possible, the king said.
'Yes, Majesty. I suppose it is.'
'What would you advise? the king asked.
Fari saw the danger at once and sadly shook his head. I'm ashamed to admit, Excellency, Fari said, that I am at loss. Not enough is known to form an opinion.'
'We must find out, the king said. It might be dangerous to begin my experiments until we do.'
Fari nodded. I can see how that could be so, Majesty, he said. This is a most unfortunate situation. Your Excellency's plans for invading the human lands will most certainly suffer a delay.'
'It can't be helped, Fari, the king said. Curses have a way of spreading beyond their original intent. There are so many links, some not even known to the original spell casters, that it's impossible to account for all the effects a curse might trigger. That's why I first sent bandits instead of our own soldiers across the Forbidden Desert.
'As much as it grieves me to say this, Fari, it would be wise for us to proceed cautiously. But I want you to
