THE CRYSTAL STAIR
| 1 | Introduction by Anya Eleni. Gom pictured her returning to this lonely place...She must have felt such a loss to have done that.... He seized up his staff and held it out. 'Father made this just before he died. Take it.' Harga...ran her thin brown fingers over it...'Keep it,' she said. 'It will make a fine wizard's staff one day.' |
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| 2 | Chapter introduction by Michael Brevalan. 'Tell me,' she said. 'I want to know about your brothers and sisters...Gom looked at her, surprised. 'You don't know?' 'How can I, with me here and them there, Gom? Wizards are only people. We can't be everywhere, see everything. |
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| 3 | 'If all goes well, and the child succeeds in bringing me my rune, then I shall teach that child all I know...And here you are. My little tool to save the world: tested, tempered, proven by the water and the fire.' |
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| 4 | 'Do not be so anxious, Gom...Go back to Harga...She'll find you a mentor. Take him, study well, and remember that your world, my world, nay all the Seven Realms may one day depend on the part that we each play.' |
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| 5 | '...should an enemy break those seals and breach the crystal stair, then the gate will self-destruct - and shatter all Ulm with it!' |
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| 6 | 'The winds of change are blowing,' Gom repeated bleakly. Cold winds, stripping away the last shreds of his old familiar world.... | |
| 7 | '...as all of us citos are promised to that folk.'/
'...Why is that?' 'Because the Yul Kinta, like Stormfleet, are well-nigh immortal.' |
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| 8 | Gom raised the pouch's flap, thrust his fingers inside and drew out a small crystal on a stout silver chain. '| ' 'Tis your new talisman, to make up for the rune.' | |
| 9 | 'Sorry, Gom Gobblechuck....You're coming with us.'| 'Where!' Gom cried.... 'To the camp where our leader sits...we're Yul Kinta, and our chief is Lord Urolf.' |
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| 10 | 'They've ever been, and remain, a fierce folk, quick to take offense...Their powers are great...they see things the ordinary man cannot, their gift of prophecy is legendary, and beware of one who can look into your heart.' | |
| 11 | 'So. The rat comes to ground. I thought if I waited long enough I'd have you.' The hand shook him savagely, rattling Gom's teeth. 'Well? Have you nothing to say?' Jofor! |
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| 12 | 'But that's the beauty of the song - nobody exactly knows. Only that Hershel went out into the mist and came back all changed.' | |
| 13 | 'I ran the moment I saw them.' (Essie) glanced back through the crowds towards the inn street.| 'Yul Kinta?' |Essie nodded vigorously. 'Four, and Leochtor's soldiers with them. We've got to get you away - and quick!' | |
| 14 | 'The Fourth Realm boils with hate and blood feud among the ruling houses. If we can't stop them, then Karlvod will have the gate, and move one closer to Bayon.'| 'And Ulm.'| 'Yes.' | |
| 15 | (Gom) foraged about, broke a piece of Essie's stiff salt cheese, then threw open the door to toss the tidbit out - and found himself face to face with a man. |
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| 16 | 'The winds of change are blowing,' he muttered, and looked up startled. He'd said the invocation, quite without meaning to. He scanned the room, but nobody seemed to be paying him any mind. | |
| 17 | No baggage. That spoke of interview....In just a few hours, he'd have his new master! After that, he'd need his baggage for sure! | |
| 18 | Now. Gom gazed around the room, then went for a last look through the casement. Perelion was just clear, and moving out. He took his staff, hoisted his pack, and went down the attic stairs. | |
| 19 | Gom stared in disbelief. 'Where's Maister Riffik?'| 'He's gone.'| 'Gone?'| 'Aye, ten minutes since. With your friend.' | |
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