all of this, since the first Tsurani ship was wrecked on Crydee shores, to the fall of Sethanon, no one has asked one important question.’
‘Which is?’ asked Acaila.
‘Why have all these plots, all these plans, involved such chaos and destruction?’
Tomas said, ‘It is the nature of the Valheru.’
Martin said, ‘But we haven’t faced the Dragon Lords; we’ve faced only their agents, the Pantathians, as well as those who’ve served or were duped by them.’
Pug tried to dismiss Martin’s observation. ‘I think we’ve seen ample proof of the nature of the Pantathians.’
Martin said, ‘You mistake my meaning. What I’m saying is that in all of this, much is without apparent motive. We’ve assumed things, over the years, about why and how the Pantathians were acting in the fashion they have, but we don’t know why they’re behaving the way they are.’
Pug said, ‘I must be guilty of some oversight. I still don’t see your meaning.’
Miranda said, ‘Because you’re not paying attention.’ She stepped past Pug to stand before Martin. ‘You’ve got an idea.’ It wasn’t a question.
The old bowman nodded. Turning to Tathar, Acaila and Redtree, he said, ‘Feel free to correct anything I say that isn’t as it should be.’ To Pug and Tomas he said, ‘You have powers I cannot begin to imagine, but I have spent most of my life here, in the West, and I know the lore of the edhel as well as most men, I wager.’
‘Better than any human living,’ offered Tathar.
‘In the lore of the eledhel,’ said Martin, ‘some things are said about the Ancient Ones.’ He faced the Queen. ‘Most Gracious Lady, why is that usage preferred?’
The Queen considered the question a moment, then said, ‘Tradition. It was once believed that to use the name of the Valheru would be to call their attention.’
Miranda said, ‘A superstition?’
Martin looked to Tomas. ‘A superstition?’ he repeated.
Tomas said, ‘Much of the memories given to me of the ancient times is clouded, and even those that are well remembered are the memories of another being. We share much, but much is also unknown to me. The power was once given to the eldar to call us by speaking our names aloud. That may be where this belief originated.’
Martin, better than anyone except Pug, fully understood the strange duality of Tomas. He had known this half-alien man when Tomas and Pug had been boys at Castle Crydee, and had watched as the mystic armor of the long-dead Dragon Lord Ashen-Shugar had transformed Tomas into the strange being he was today, neither fully man nor Dragon Lord but something of both.
Tomas looked at the eldar and said, ‘Acaila?’
The old elf nodded. ‘The legends say such. We who were first among the slaves of the Valheru were able to contact them. This may have given rise to the practice of never speaking their names aloud.’
Miranda said, ‘What, then, is your point?’
Martin shrugged. ‘I’m not even sure I have one, but it seems to me that we’re making many assumptions here, and if any one of them is incorrect, we risk all by building our plans upon such mistaken beliefs.’ He stared into Miranda’s eyes. ‘You returned from the land on the other side of the world with artifacts, apparently made by the Ancient Ones, yet Pug and Calis both say they are “tainted,” not what they seem to be.’
Acaila again nodded. ‘They are not pure. We know enough of our former masters to recognize another hand has touched these items.’
‘Yet they sing to you?’ offered Pug.
‘Yes, they are much of the Valheru,’ offered Aglaranna.
Martin said, ‘So, then, whose is that other hand?’
‘The third player,’ said Pug. Looking at Miranda, he said, ‘The demon – I assume that’s who he meant.’
Martin nodded. ‘I think so, as well. What if the Pantathians are not tools of the Ancient Ones, but rather are tools of these demons?’
Tomas said, ‘That would explain a few things.’
‘Such as?’ asked Redtree, taking a sip of wine.
Pug said, ‘The Dread, for one.’
Acaila asked, ‘What of them?’
Tomas said, ‘They are an unlikely ally for my brethren.’ He used the term brethren for the Valheru when he was caught up in thinking as one.
‘And an even less likely tool,’ supplied Acaila. ‘What lore has passed down through the generations of the eldar always shows the Dread to be rivals to the Valheru on the occasions when they crossed paths.’
‘Yet,’ said Pug, ‘we didn’t consider the oddity at the time.’
With a faint smile, Tomas said, ‘We were a bit preoccupied.’
Pug’s brow furrowed and his expression was a question.
‘The Riftwar?’ Tomas added, with a laugh.
Pug returned the laugh. ‘I know what you mean, but what I mean is, why didn’t you think of this before?’
It was Tomas’s turn to look perplexed. ‘I don’t know. I just assumed the presence of the Dreadmaster in the City Forever and the Dreadlord at Sethanon were part of the Valheru attempt to distract us. I assumed somehow the Pantathians made contact with those creatures –’
Acaila interrupted. ‘You have memories and some knowledge, and great power, Tomas, but you lack experience. You are less than a century of age, yet you wear powers not gained in five times that span.’ He looked around the gathering. ‘We are as children when we speak of beings like the Valheru and Dreadlords. We are presuming when we attempt to understand them, or apprehend their purpose.’
Pug said, ‘I grant that, but we must try, for there are things that cannot be allowed to simply come to us; we must discover the purpose behind those who seek to take the Lifestone and end us all.’
Miranda said, ‘All of which brings us back to this: we know little and we need to find Macros the Black, and you still haven’t suggested where we start to look.’
Pug looked defeated. ‘I don’t know.’
Acaila said, ‘Perhaps you should cease looking for a place, and begin looking for a person.’
‘What do you mean?’ asked Pug.
The ancient elf said, ‘You spoke of a sense of Macros being close by. Perhaps it is time to turn your focus on that sense, look for the presence, and let it lead you to the man.’
Pug said, ‘I don’t imagine how that is possible.’
‘You studied with me for a brief time, Pug. There
