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inside his body, as if trapped by his own shields. He kept pressing, expanding
the shields against the grip of the purple arms he could sense and feel but
not see.
Slowly, ever so slowly, he could sense his shields ex-panding.
Abruptly, the arms released.
Dainyl Talent-linked to the maroon and blue locator wedge, then found it
flashing toward him.
In moments, he shattered the silvered barrier.
Dainyl managed not to stagger as he stood on the Table in the empty chamber.
He studied the chamber, noting that while it, too, had a hidden chamber, that
chamber door was closed. At one end of the chamber was a statue of a single
figure, close to three yards in height. From what Dainyl could recall from his
one meeting with the Duarch of Elcien, the statue was an ac-curate
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representation of Khelaryt. The stone figure held a silver scepter topped with
glittering blue stones arranged to simulate a flame. A dozen light-torches
illu-minated the chamber, many more than in any other Table chamber Dainyl had
visited thus far, and in their light, the gem-flame sparkled.
The decorative hangings on the side walls contained no scenes, but only
angular and unfamiliar designs. Between the two hangings to Dainyl s left was
an archway and a stonewalled corridor beyond that appeared to end at a wall.
His Talent revealed no one near.
After stepping down from the Table, he stood for a time beside it, letting his
body readjust from the combi-nation of internal heat and external chill.
Should he have reemerged in Prosp? Confronted the young recorder? No... he
might have emerged into a lightcutter beam with weakened shields or his
shields might not have worked for the moment of emergence, and he didn t want
to chance that unless he had no other op-tions. Should he have gone back to
Elcien? In retrospect, perhaps that would have been wisest, but he hadn t made
that decision, and immediately attempting another Table journey now before
trying to recover seemed unwise.
Finally, he wiped his forehead and walked into the cor-ridor, realizing as he
neared the apparent end that it was only a screen wall, with passages on each
side around the central screen. Both the screen wall and the lower arch-way
before it had been finished with blue ceramic tile, except for a single course
at the edge, done in maroon.
His Talent-senses revealed a large hall beyond the screen wall, with a
platform overlooking it. He could sense but a single person beyond the wall.
Still, he held his shields as he stepped around the wall and onto the
platform. The amphitheatre beyond was dimly lighted by a handful of
light-torches. Their illumination was almost swallowed by the size of the
cavern that had to have been carved from the stone by some version of the
road-building equipment Dainyl had inspected in Alustre. Or did similar
equipment still exist in Dulka?
He extended the slightest Talent probe. The entire am-phitheatre filled with a
purplish light. Dainyl could feel the abrupt amplification of his Talent, but
not why. In that light, he saw a young alector, who stood on the platform,
holding a bucket and a brush, gaping at Dainyl.
You re one of the recorder s assistants? asked Dainyl.
Ah ... yes, sir. Yes, sir. He s not here. I don t know where he is, sir.
I m not looking for him. I m Submarshal Dainyl, and I haven t been to Dulka
before. I was looking for Majer Faerylt.
The Myrmidon commander, sir? Oh, no! That was my fault. I should have left
the screen in the regular position. Fa He broke off what he might have said.
This way, sir. This way. The young alector set down bucket and brush and
hurried past Dainyl and around the screen.
Dainyl followed.
Once Dainyl stood on the Table side of the screen wall, the younger alector
reached up and turned one,of the light-torch brackets.
The screen wall that Dainyl had thought fixed slid for-ward and to the left,
while a section of the wall flanking where the screen wall had been pivoted,
revealing a corri-dor leading to a set of steps and also concealing any trace
of the large cavernous amphitheatre.
At the top of the staircase, sir, through the door, turn right and follow the
hallway. It comes out on the main level of the small tower in the northwest
corner of the Myrmidon compound.
And if I went left? asked Dainyl with a smile.
You would end up in the administration building that s where Regional Alector
Kelbryt and his assistants are.
Are you from Dulka?
Yes, sir. My mother s the trade assistant to Alector Kelbryt.
And your father is the Recorder of Deeds?
The youth swallowed. Yes, sir.
I won t tell him about the screen wall. If I run across him, I ll just say
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you gave me directions. Dainyl smiled warmly. It would help to know your
name, though.
Zudet, sir.
You d like to follow your father as recorder?
I couldn t be a recorder here, sir. You can t be a recorder in the place
closest to where you re born.
Can t be ... or shouldn t be? asked Dainyl. Be-cause the ties to the
nearest Table are the strongest?
Yes, sir. Zudet s tone was quietly resigned.
Thank you, Zudet. Dainyl turned and headed up the stairs. As Zudet had not
mentioned, there was a Talent-lock on the door, but he released the lock
before opening the door and stepping through, replacing the lock after he
closed the door behind him.
He made it to the main level of the tower and ten yards into the
redstone-paved courtyard before a Myrmidon ranker spotted him and his
insignia.
Submarshal in the compound! The ranker, clearly older, from the lines
running from his eyes and the dark
ness ocmnu inem, nasieneu up 10 uainyi anu suneneu 10 attention. Sir! At your
service.
I m looking for Majer Faerylt.
I don t believe he s in headquarters at the moment, sir, but the duty squad
leader would know for certain. This way, if you would, sir.
Dainyl followed the Myrmidon across me courtyard. He could see the lower
mountains to the west and north, rising high enough in the distance to be seen
above the walls, even from inside the compound. The Myrmidon buildings were
all redstone, and the pteridon squares to the south were in good order, with
most of the pteridons present, not surprisingly, late in the afternoon. One
squad appeared to have landed recently and was racking gear. The compound
appeared extensive enough to hold two full companies, rather than the one that
had always been stationed there.
Submarshal in headquarters! announced the ranker as Dainyl stepped through
the doorway into the corridor leading to the duty desk.
An undercaptain bolted upright and waited as Dainyl approached.
Undercaptain Weltak, sir. At your command, sir. Weltak was worried.
That Dainyl could tell even without Talent-sensing. I m Submarshal Dainyl,
from headquarters in Elcien.
Somewhere down the corridor was the faintest mut-tered Frig!
Submarshal... sir! The undercaptain stiffened. There was nothing in the
order book that... no one mentioned that you would be coming to Dulka.
There is a point to unannounced visits and inspec-tions, Undercaptain,
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