Free Golden Torc - 2 by Julian May Page A

redaction done by the little Sue-Gwen and the Lady Elizabeth to restore his sanity. And to save Stein, I'd take him from you. But not without offering a fair price in return.
    "Now you've been probing me and pinching me and trying to peek inside me while I speak. And you've failed! Even King Thagdal has failed. Even Elizabeth can no longer probe me! And so you'd better know that the torc put on me at Castle Gateway set off a mental chain reaction that's still going on. I scared your Lord Creyn and I'm scaring you now. But don't fash yourselves! I don't fancy doing you any harm. In fact, I like almost all I see of this world, and the more I grow within, the better things seem to portend for all of us together. So wait until I have my say before you give in to the fear and try to swat me! First see how I can help you become even greater than before!
    "Now, Delbaeth. I saw his Shape of Fire deep inside the Thagdal's mind. I was curious, and I studied it as we ate and drank and amused ourselves. And when the bidding started, I said to myself: Why not? And so I bid my services, following your own custom. I'm confident that I can exterminate this Firvulag menace. So I leave it up to all of you, friends-mental. And you, High King of the Tanu! I'll open myself for just a moment and let you look at what's growing in my skull. Then decide whether you want to treat me as a fellow mind-jouster, or as a slave ..."
    He expanded to them all and they went rushing in. Elizabeth flowed over and around and through the exotics, rating an ironic acknowledgement from Aiken for her skill. The Tanu stumbled through incandescence, hardly aware of what the burgeoning mental sprouts showed promise of becoming. But Elizabeth knew.
    Milieu well shot of you Aikenboy.
    Pooh lass see how they run fewkin' psychelliptical blindmice.
    No... one of them knows. See there?
    Hah! Yes!... Who you anyhoo oldwomanmind?
    I am Mayvar. I have been waiting for the likes of you since the coming of the Ship. I am ancient and I am ugly and I lead the Guild of Farsensors. Come freely to me for your initiation and it shall all be as you hope. Unless you are afraid... The chain of silence clanged. The Great Ones and all of the piddling, timorous inspectors went fleeing out of Aiken. He politely waited while Elizabeth and Mayvar withdrew, before slamming down the barrier once more.
    "Shall we allow him?" roared King Thagdal.
    "Slonshal!" the assembly responded.
    "Shall we send him to the test, and shall the boldest of us witness his victory or destruction?"
    "Slonshal!"
    The King's voice fell to the threshold of audibility. "And who among us will dare to take him to kin and teach him our way, this perilously shining youth?"
    Far down at the left end of the High Table a wand-thin figure arose. She came into the center of the hall leaning on a tall golden staff. Her gown was of a purple so deep as to be almost black, powdered with gold stars, and having a hood that concealed her hair but let the amazing ugliness of her features be fully revealed to the two humans waiting for her. "Mayvar Kingmaker will take him to kin," said the crone. "I'll see him to his gold and if he's kind, to more! Will you come with me, bright laddie? And will you bring your friend to learn the battlecompany's way, before the two of you together dare Delbaeth?"
    "Stein!" cried Sukey.
    The hag laughed. Her mind spoke to Aiken in the intimate mode.
    Countercustom though it be I'll see that he alone has her if you fill your boast. Dionket and I are allied. Now are you coming?
    The little man in the suit of gold extended both arms to the tall old Tanu woman. She bent to him and they kissed. Then they walked together from the hall, with Stein following as if in a dream a few paces behind. The arbiter bibendi gave a frantic signal and the musicians struck up a spirited dance tune. The magpies came cavorting to draw the stunned guests out onto the floor by sheer force.
    At the High Table, Thagdal watched the