"No, Aradia, this is your home. You and Wulfston and Lilith can fight out among yourselves how you divide the lands that were mine. I'm taking Julia to Tiberium."

"You can't. They'll kill you."

"Perhaps. But Julia will be placed in an Academy, where she will learn a Reader's disciplines. I don't know if her savage heritage can be controlled, but we must try."

He didn't know whether Aradia was trying to Read him; he had closed his mind to her. But she was clever enough to guess.

"You think Julia will get you through the gates, despite the brand on your arm. Delivering a young Reader from the savages is a fine heroic act."

"Aradia, I am expected to return. You know that. I told you I was sent to stop Galen. The brand is just a ruse."

"One that almost killed you," she said. "That's how much your empire cares about Master Readers. But go back. Tell them of your land left rulerless, theirs for the taking. Maybe it will buy you a few more weeks of life. But it will buy death for hundreds of your people when the empire attacks."

"No, Aradia, you will not use me again. I will neither endanger the people who have come to trust me nor send empire troops into the trap you and your allies would prepare for them. I am through with both deceit and power struggles. If you want to stop me, you will have to kill me… and even if you destroy my body, you will have a difficult time gaining the loyalty of my people if I mysteriously disappear."

Just then Julia burst in, tugging Wulfston by the hand. "Father, what's wrong?"

"We are leaving, Julia. Go and pack. Take anything truly precious to you, for we will not return."

"But-"

"Go! I will explain on the road."

Wulfston looked from Lenardo to Aradia, his dark skin graying as he recognized the finality of their confrontation. "What has happened here? Julia said you were fighting."

"It's over, Wulfston," said Lenardo. "I got a good look at myself as a savage lord. I cannot live this way."

"Then change it."

Because the young black Adept was completely sincere, Lenardo said, "Perhaps you will change it, Wulfston, or perhaps as you come into the full strength of your powers, you will succumb to the same temptations Aradia has- and I have. Undisciplined power is too dangerous. It may be too late for me, but I can try to see that Julia is not corrupted."

"Where will you go?"

"Tiberium. I could be executed, though I doubt it. They'll find some harmless job for me, but Julia will be safe in an Academy. Wulfston, will you try to make the transition as painless as possible for the people of this land?"

Wulfston went to Aradia, who was now sitting on the edge of the bed, and sat down beside her, putting his arm around her. "We will hold your land as your regents until you return."

"I won't return."

Aradia, who had sat silently since Wulfston's entrance, now leaned into the protection of her brother's arms and said, "Father was right." Her voice was tense with controlled emotion. "Wulfston, do you remember? 'You would steal my daughter's powers,' he said. He called Lenardo 'the foul beast who would ravish my daughter.' ''

"Ravish?" Wulfston stiffened, all conciliation gone. "He tried to-"

"He succeeded. But he could not steal my powers. I stole his."

But Wulfston paid no heed to Aradia's satisfied tone. He rose, stalking Lenardo like the wolf that was his emblem. "You deliberately-you dared to-"

Lenardo could not answer-he could not move: Wulfston held him under Adept control.

"I should kill you," Wulfston said. "If ever I see you again, I will. But for Julia's sake, go."

Aradia asked warily, "Will you keep the child, Wulfston?"

"A Reader? How could I ever trust her? She is a child now, but she would grow up to be like her father. No, Lenardo. Take her back to your empire and let things return to their natural order. We are born enemies, and we must never again forget that fact."

Wulfston took Aradia's arm and led her out past Lenardo, who still could not move. He wanted to explain, but Wulfston would never believe in his sister's treachery. Even if Aradia had betrayed Lenardo, it was not without his full cooperation.

The spell lifted suddenly, and Lenardo collapsed to his knees. He wished he could just lie down and forget everything, but he couldn't. He must get Julia away before either Adept decided that she might be worth keeping after all. He changed quickly into traveling clothes and called for horses and food for a journey. His own packing was simple: the barest necessities. He was a Reader again; he needed no crown, "ho seal of office, no treasure. Even the robes of the Master Reader that he had worn at the festival he left in the chest. He had forfeited the right to wear them.

The wolf-stone pendant he left lying on top of the chest, for he no longer had any loyalty to Aradia. How neatly she had manipulated Wulfston today. Would she finally win her brother to her plan? And Lilith? It was no longer his problem. To the Aventine Empire, Aradia's plans could mean a chance to rebuild and recoup losses if she set the savages fighting among themselves. With his newfound powers, he could Read what was happening here, keep the Emperor informedIf he was once granted the opportunity to display what he could now do, he need not fear execution.

He was just leaving the room, when Helmuth entered. "My lord, where are you going? Why was I not told of your travel plans? You must have a retinue-"

"No, Helmuth. Julia and I are leaving. No one else."

"But it is not seemly, my lord. And messengers must be sent ahead, accommodations prepared."

"No, Helmuth."

The old man studied him sadly. "Something is very wrong, my lord."

"Yes. And the only way I can correct it is to take this journey. When I am gone, you do whatever Lady Aradia or Lord Wulfston says. Tell Arkus."

"But when will you return?"

Lenardo looked into the anxious eyes and Read the sincere concern for him. If he told the truth, Helmuth and many others would quickly guess that Aradia and Wulfston had driven him away. He did not want any kind of revolt, Adept punishments of his people"I cannot say, Helmuth. Take care of my people for me and obey Aradia and Wulfston."

"Yes, my lord."

Lenardo and Julia were seen leaving the city, of course, by the Southgate, where Lenardo had entered on his search for Galen-was it only four months ago?

People waved, and Lenardo waved back. He must make it appear that nothing unusual was happening. Once they were on the main road south, few people came near enough to recognize them. A man and a child in traveling clothes might be anyone, their fine horses indicating no more than that they had found favor with the Lord of the Land.

Julia was astonishingly silent as Lenardo set a pace to cover ground as rapidly as possible without overtiring their horses. Finally she asked, "Father, where are we going?"

"Home," he replied.

"But we just left home."

"We are going to my home, Julia, back to the Aventine Empire where I came from. There you will meet other Readers and get a proper education."

"You're not going to leave me there?"

He Read her panic, the normal child's fear of losing a parent, compounded by the terrible uncertainties she had known in her short life. "No, Julia," he told her. "I'm going to stay in the empire, too."

He didn't tell her mat once he placed her safely in Portia's hands, they would never see each other again. Once she touched the minds of her teachers and classmates in the Academy, she would forget him as quickly as he had forgotten his own parents. I will be the one who will sorely miss Julia, he realized sadly.

Lenardo intended to Read ahead, contact Master Clement, and have his message relayed to Adigia so that the gates would be opened for them on their arrival. He would not rest securely until they were within the walls of the empire.