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СКАЧАТЬ He gestured at the surrounding strangers.

      “They’re warlocks,” Vond said. “Or at least, they used to be.” He smiled unpleasantly.

      “Used to be?” Sterren asked. “I take it there’s been some drastic change in…well, in something?”

      “Oh, yes, there certainly has.” The smile broadened to a grin. “The Calling has ended, Sterren. Ended.”

      That raised a great many questions, but Sterren settled on one to start with. “Ended? Permanently?”

      “Oh, I think so, yes. The thing that was doing the calling, that was the source of warlockry, that fell out of the sky on the Night of Madness? That thing? It’s gone. It went home.”

      Sterren considered that for half a second, then asked, “You don’t expect it to return for a visit, then?”

      “No, I really don’t.”

      “It hadn’t acquired a liking for Aldagmor?”

      “Not at all.”

      Sterren stepped closer and lowered his voice to a whisper. “So there isn’t anything magical in Aldagmor anymore? The only warlocks who can still work magic are the ones who use the source in Lumeth, instead?”

      Vond nodded.

      “Did you teach these people to use it?” Sterren gestured at the observers.

      “No,” Vond said. “Not yet. I might, in time.”

      “Or they might hear the buzz for themselves, the way you did.”

      Vond’s smile vanished, and he looked around, suddenly uncertain. He clearly hadn’t thought of that possibility.

      “But what you actually mean,” Sterren said hastily, to distract the emperor before he could do anything regrettable, “is that you are now the only warlock in the World.”

      The smile reappeared. “Exactly! I am almost as powerful as I was before, and now I have no need to worry about the Calling. There’s nothing to stop me from expanding my empire further. I could unite all the Small Kingdoms!”

      That was more or less what Sterren had feared, but something else Vond had said caught his attention. “Almost as powerful?”

      “Almost, yes. I was drawing on both sources before, even when I didn’t know it, and now there is only one. In Aldagmor I found out I wasn’t as strong as before — these people are all I could carry, where I used to be able to move the World itself. My power increased as I flew south, though. I expect I will soon be stronger than ever.”

      “It was most likely because of the distance, your Majesty; Aldagmor is a long way from Lumeth.”

      “Do you think that’s it?” Vond glanced around again. “You’re probably right. I hadn’t thought of that.”

      “You said these were all you could carry? Then there were more who survived the Calling?”

      “What? Oh, yes, of course. Thousands of them; probably every warlock who was ever Called. We were all trapped in the thing’s protective spells — that’s why I haven’t aged. Has it really been fifteen years?”

      “Yes, your Majesty, it has.”

      “I see there are new buildings everywhere, and my palace is showing some wear.” He stared critically at the huge double doors; Sterren knew their finish was noticeably more weathered than it had been when Vond left. Giving them a fresh coat of varnish had never made it into the imperial budget.

      That wasn’t important now, though. Sterren asked, “Your Majesty, what happened to the others?”

      “What? The other Called warlocks? Oh, they’re probably still in Aldagmor.” He waved dismissively. “They aren’t my problem.”

      “May I ask, then, why you brought these people?”

      Vond turned back to face Sterren. “I told them they were my honor guard, and I would give them important positions in the empire,” he said, “but the truth is, I wanted some company — people who speak good Ethsharitic, and who can understand what it’s like being a warlock. Being an emperor was sort of lonely sometimes.” His expression turned thoughtful. “I suppose my harem is gone?”

      “Long ago, your Majesty.”

      “Well, I have plenty of time to find a new one. For now, though — well, I see you’re still here, and my palace is still here. What about the empire?”

      “Still intact, your Majesty. Your overthrow of the old nobility was thorough enough that no one saw any point in restoring them. The Imperial Council has been administering the empire in your name ever since you left.”

      “The Council?” Vond glanced around, as if looking for the other councillors, but found none. “What about you? Are you still chancellor?”

      Sterren had been dreading this question. He was unsure just how Vond would react to the situation, but he was very, very glad that he had refused the title of emperor. “The Council named me regent, your Majesty, but I let the Council handle as much of the government as possible.”

      “Regent?” Vond considered that. “That sounds sensible. So you were ruling in my place?”

      Sterren suppressed a sigh of relief. “That’s right. Just until you came back.”

      “And none of the eighteen kingdoms have gotten away?”

      “None.”

      “Have you conquered any more?”

      “No, your Majesty. We thought this was plenty to handle.”

      “Well, you’ll have more soon.” Vond gestured expansively. “I think Lumeth of the Towers will be next, since that’s where my power comes from.”

      Sterren hesitated for an instant, debating the necessity of delivering bad news, then said, “Ah, your Majesty — there’s a problem with that.”

      Vond frowned. “What sort of a problem?”

      “We…we made a treaty with the Wizards’ Guild,” Sterren said.

      “The Wizards’ Guild?” Vond looked puzzled. “What do they have to do with anything way out here?”

      “It seems they have interests in Lumeth, your Majesty,” Sterren said. “Twelve years ago they banned all warlocks from Lumeth, and the empire, and Shassala, and Kalithon, and Gajamor, and Calimor, and Yaroia, and Zenda, and maybe a couple of others I’m forgetting. In fact, your return may be a violation of their ban all by itself.”

      Vond’s frown deepened, and he glared at Sterren. “What, you agreed to this?”

      “They guaranteed our borders, Vond,” Sterren explained. “We were on the verge of war with several of our neighbors. You weren’t here, and our other magicians are…well, not very impressive. The Guild was not in a mood to compromise on the ban on warlockry, СКАЧАТЬ