Lyndon Hardy Alodar 01 The Master of Five Magics

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.Nor yet can I strike at an enemy far away without something ofhim to bind in the spell.But I can apply my craft in the fair lady's servicewith as much imagination as I am able.""And if thaumarurgy is so straightforward then, master Periac," Festilcontinued, his tone still hard and unconvinced, "what need have we of any ofyour services at all? Why cannot one here at the table perform the craft forthe queen as well?""There is that little matter of the spells which bind the simulation andenergy source together and then subsequently release them," Periac said."Tosafeguard the means of our livelihood, we must naturally protect their nature,passing them on from master to journeyman but to no one outside of our craft."And as I have already said," Periac persisted before Festil could stop himPage 21ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlagain, "success is not merely a matter of rote application of the well proven.Rather it depends upon the skill of the master to see through surfacedistractions to the deeper similarities around him.To recognize subtle andtime-worn connections that form the true basis of our art.""You state so well the limitations of your craft, master Periac," Festilpersisted, "that now Iwonder if perhaps one of the other four might not serve us better in ourplight.""They have their shortcomings as well," Periac said."For example, theformulas of alchemy have no guarantee of coming to the same result with eachuse.Only one time in hundreds does one end with a solvent that can dissolvemore than the glass in which it was formed.The massive factories onHoneysuckle Street produce mostly waste, repeating and repeating the samesteps in order to form some modest quantity of healing balm or sense-enhancingphiltre.""There is truth in what you speak," Aeriel said."We are here because Kelric,the court sorcerer, entranced himself to find what great wealth might lieundiscovered in the kingdom.In his vision he saw Iron Fist and a formula ofalchemy of great merit, one with high yield and hence potential for largeprofit.With it, the queen can hope to replace the wealth which used to comefrom thefile:///F|/rah/Lyndon%20Hardy/Hardy,%20Lyndon%20-%20Master%20of%20Five%20Magics,%20The.txt (20 of 207) [6/4/03 9:25:35 PM]file:///F|/rah/Lyndon%20Hardy/Hardy,%20Lyndon%20-%20Master%20of%20Five%20Magics,%20The.txt royal mines, now thrust as deeply into the mountains as men cango.*""But what details did he see?" Alodar blurted."What did he say of thepassageways and chambers underground?"The fat man on Periac's left rose to protest the interruption, but Aeriel shothim a hard glance that settled him back in his seat.Alodar looked about thetable and marveled at her control.Except for Festil, she clearly had the respect of the group and all deferredto her lead."No detail could he see," she said, "and the only words that came from histrance were that theIron Fist must loosen its grip before the formula could be found.It may bethat the castle will have to fall because we have yet discovered no grimoirein these mute walls.""And as for sorcerers," Periac continued as if no interruption had occurred."With one at court you know well the difficulty of dealing with them.Reclusive and obstinate their art must intrinsically pervert them from adecent relationship with their fellowmen.Why else do they deliberately playupon our fears of enchantment when we plead for some small illusion orprophecy?"And magic is no better.The rituals performed in seclusion sometimes takeseveral lifetimes.Except for such useless trinkets as the ceremonial dagger I see on ladyAeriel's side, it would take many a castle's treasure to afford what magicianshave to offer.Their swords that never dull and mail that does not break arefar better, true, than the alchemical salves which rot away, but who among youhas ever seen the like?"Finally, there is wizardry," Periac said, raising his hand and counting hisfingers into his palm one by one."Yes, what of that?" the fat man said."The talk of the bailey floor is thatBandor is possessed by a devil and pushes this attack for no mortal cause.""I cannot accept such groundless whisperings," Festil cut in."Revolt againstthe crown has happened before.But traffic with demons, like a baseborncraftsman? No noble of Procolon would think of it."Page 22ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html"Judge not all of wizardry by the few poor examples we have seen among us,"Periac replied."The wizards we judge as wise know that their wills are ofinsufficient strength to dominate any but the simplest of imps.They travelwith carnivals and the like, content with pushing their sprites through idletricks as one would a trained mouse.Their lot is far better, however, thanthat of the foolish who have dared to struggle with true power and ended asthe hoop-jumper for the demon instead.It is fortunate that their cruelmasters soon tire of the bizarre acts they force upon them.The crumpled andabandoned shells whimpering for bread are better off as beggars than when theywere the submissive slaves to powerful djinns."But it was not always thus," Periac said, sweeping his upraised index fingerin FestU's direction."The sagas of our past tell of men of great will andcourage who struggled with the strongest demons and bent them to theirbidding.The power they could thereby command made them much respectedthroughout many lands.No, my lord, you would not judge a wizard of long agoas a mere craftsman."Festil scowled, but Periac turned his attention to the queen and continued."But as to lordBandor, I must say in truth that possession would be most unlikely.Heconducts the siege with coherence and precision, not with the mad acts ofcontradiction that a fiend would force upon him.""For a master of a single art," Vendora said, "you seem well versed in therest as well."Periac smiled and tipped his head with a slight bow, "What I have said is thedepth of my knowledge, my fair lady.Each craftsman guards with pride what ishis own and deals reluctantly with the others.For more, you must consult withthe proper practitioners.But, to the point,file:///F|/rah/Lyndon%20Hardy/Hardy,%20Lyndon%20-%20Master%20of%20Five%20Magics,%20The.txt (21 of 207) [6/4/03 9:25:35 PM]file:///F|/rah/Lyndon%20Hardy/Hardy,%20Lyndon%20-%20Master%20of%20Five%20Magics,%20The.txt there are none of them here to-aid you, only I, And to escapeBandor's trap, I can indeed be of service."Alodar tightened his grip on the chair and the lords about the table leanedforward in anticipation [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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