Free 07. Ghost of the Well of Souls by Jack L. Chalker

it but did not recognize it without the added facts. You think us mad or quaint or worse, we know, but it does not matter. You are chosen as an instrument, as our people were who fought it long ago. Before this is done, you will know who is mad. You will know ." It paused for a moment, then said, in a very different tone, "Now, come. We will escort you to the Gate, explaining the situation as we go to those guardians farther in. Please do not hesitate and do exactly what we tell you. We assure you that your life depends on it, and we now require that you take that message to your people."
    "You lead, I'll follow," he promised, anxious to get out of this cold and spooky place.
    Josich as the Devil? There were probably millions who thought so back home, considering all he'd done and the number of lives he'd taken, and he wasn't very popular on this side by now, either. But—the Devil ?
    Still, who else could have come in here and wound up ruling an empire and running wars in so short a time?
    No, no! Get that crap out of your mind, O'Leary! he told himself. A conqueror, yes. A thinking monster, certainly, in the tradition of all those who'd come before, but just a person. Just another brilliant megalomaniac. Josich can be killed.
    But you couldn't kill the Devil . . .
     
     

Ochoan Embassy, Zone
     
     
    "IT IS AN ANCIENT SACRED SYMBOL," THE OCHOAN AMBASSADOR told the assembled group, "but it is of no particular significance as far as I know. It's not sacred to us, certainly, and it is unknown or forgotten by most of the races on the Well World, as far as I can tell."
    "Except," Core responded, "that it remains something of a sacred symbol to Chalidang, and also to the Sanafe, Regeis, and Pegiri, and, it appears, to Quislon. Sound familiar?"
    "But what does that mean, except that Josich and his people are superstitious and want all the gods on their side?" Tann Nakitt asked them. "They attacked us, not any of those others!"
    "Ah! But look at the map," Core came back. "Halfway to Quislon, it's true, but only one hex from Sanafe. They're still moving, both by land and sea, for a move from the south, most likely on Kalinda, which is just off Sanafe and which, coincidentally, has islands for anchorages—the only other hex in that part of the ocean that does."
    "But how come there is no noticeable movement against Pegiri or Regeis, both of which are closer and easier to strike?" O'Leary asked.
    "The Regeis ambassador is doing everything possible to keep that armed camp to his north looking anywhere but south," the ambassador sniffed. "They are also not terribly religious."
    "Don't be too hard on them," Core told him. "After all, they're rather mild-mannered creatures that drift around in free floating water. Their colonies wouldn't last ten minutes against even a small Chalidang force, particularly if Josich didn't feed her troops for a couple of days. They don't really have the design to fight, let alone the temperament. As for the Pegiri, well, I get the strong impression that they will be very friendly and do anything for any force they think it's in their interest to be friendly with. They're belligerent and a little nasty themselves, but more blowhards than real troopers. They'd love to march in as occupation troops behind the Chalidang Alliance so long as they don't have to fight hard to take it. Those aren't exactly folks who think of much as sacred,either."
    O'Leary hissed impatiently. Finally he asked, "But does anybody know just what the devil the thing is ?"
    There was a pause, and then Core said, "It's called the Straight Gate. In the areas where it is known at all, it has the elements of all the mystical objects of past civilizations. Ex-caliber, the Lost Ark, the Black Stone of Karnath, that sort of thing. Wars have been fought to possess it before, and that seems to be what we have here now. It disassembles into these eight sections. They are scattered or hidden so nobody can put them together again and have all