Tarscenian stood silently.

"If you think your friends will come and rescue you, you are wrong," Hederick snapped. "Even now, three hags devour them in the forest outside Solace."

"Ah, Hederick," Tarscenian chided. "Stooping to using magic. What would your gods think?"

It was the High Theocrat's turn to say nothing.

"I am ready to die, Hederick," Tarscenian told him. "I wish to join Ancilla."

"Then she is dead."

Tarscenian declined to admit he wasn't sure. There was still hope of some miracle-and of Ancilla escaping from the tree trunk in the courtyard. "Yes, Ancilla is dead."

"Where is the Diamond Dragon, Tarscenian?"

"I don't know. Nor do I care."

Hederick's tone was silky. "I will have you bound to the vallenwood trunk and torn, limb from limb, by the mater-bill."

Tarscenian only shrugged at Hederick's threats.

"By the New Gods, Tarscenian, you will beg for mercy before I am through!"

"There are no New Gods, Hederick. I told you that long ago, back in Garlund. There are only the Old Gods, and they will return someday-perhaps sooner than you know. And when they do, Hederick, you will suffer for what you have done."

Hederick snorted. "One last chance. You will not tell me where the Diamond Dragon is?"

Tarscenian shook his head.

"By the New Gods, then, I will tear apart every stone in Erolydon to find it! I built this temple, and I can destroy it if need be!"

"As you will, Hederick."

The High Theocrat slammed the small window shut.

A short time later, the temple guards came for Tarscenian.

Chapter 25

"There's Crystalmir Lake!" Ceci Vakon cried. Her mount and Mynx's led the thundering centaurs as they streamed through a clearing just east of the lake and north of Eroly shy;don.

Then a shadow swooped over the women, and they threw themselves to the ground. "Night hunter bats!" Ceci shouted. "They're the ones who carried us off to the slavers."

"Everyone stay low!" the silver-haired Phytos bel shy;lowed. "We are challenged!"

Within moments, the entire force had taken shelter under low-hanging boughs as a half-dozen of the seven-foot bats swooped near the ground. The night-hunters could see well in the dark, but they needed room to maneuver, and the tree branches would hinder their attack.

"Arrows nocked! Bows ready!" Phytos shouted.

Mynx crouched with Ceci beneath a pine branch. The thief felt several small figures nestle against her, and she realized the kender and Ceci's sons had joined them.

"Don't be afraid, Kifflewit," Mynx said soothingly. "The archers will take care of them. The bats certainly make big enough targets."

Kifflewit Burrthistle sniffed with contempt. "Who's scared? Not me," he said. "I just wanted… to get closer to the action!"

"Fire!" Phytos cried.

The centaurs let loose with their arrows just as the bats dived into their midst. One night hunter managed to get its claws around a centaur, but the man-horse was too heavy for the bat, which nonetheless managed to rake the centaur with its razor-sharp tail before the bat fell dead, pierced by an arrow from Phytos's bow.

Another night hunter died when it dived heedlessly toward the branch under which Mynx and Ceci Vakon hid. With a shout, Mynx leaped out, stabbed at it, and slit the huge beast from throat to tail. Ceci darted off, herding her sons under a thicker outcropping of pine boughs. Kifflewit Burrthistle let out a war whoop and took off in another direction.

Phytos led a charge of centaurs as the last four giant bats massed to arc down toward the humans and horse-creatures. Clubs beat two of the flying beasts out of the air, and arrows stopped the last pair. Soon the four were flop shy;ping on the ground in their death throes. The centaurs roved among them, using clubs to hasten their deaths.

The battle had taken only a short time, but the delay was bothersome anyway. Mynx ran to Phytos. "Look!" she cried, and pointed to the east. "The sun is coming up."

"Hurry!" the centaur shouted to his troops. He can shy;tered, then ran, through the early morning light, while the others rushed to follow. A female centaur gave Mynx a hand, pulling the thief onto her back. The freed slaves quickly found their mounts and chased after Phytos.

Through the vallenwoods, they could just see the north shy;ern wall of Erolydon gleaming white in the morning sun.

Chapter 26

Phalanxes of temple guards and priests diverted the crowds of Solace residents and refugees who swarmed toward Erolydon for the dawn service. Instead of the Great Chamber, the spectators were surprised to find them shy;selves herded into the eastern courtyard, into the viewing area between the inner and outer walls.

There was no sign of Hederick. Tarscenian stood bound to the trunk of the vallenwood. Alone in the cen shy;ter of the courtyard, he seemed curiously at peace.

"What now?" the people muttered. "Did you hear what happened yesterday with the black-robed mage?" "Indeed." "My cousin was there. She said the wizard blasted Hederick's heart right out of his chest!" "And yet his gods saved him." "The Seeker gods work mysteriously." "I missed yesterday, so I dared not miss today. Who is today's sinner?" "The old man who was with the lady mage who challenged Hederick two days ago."

Then the voices hushed as novitiates moved among the crowd, cautioning people that the ceremony was about to begin.

Two rows of blue-garbed guards entered the court shy;yard through the main doors to the temple. Behind them came Hederick, dressed in ceremonial blue velvet, his pudgy chin up, his face resolute. He could not resist a sneer of triumph as he surveyed his longtime enemy helpless upon the vallenwood stump.

He hadn't had Tarscenian gagged. The ex-priest wasn't a formidable enough mage, in Hederick's esti shy;mation, to bother with that. Besides, the High Theocrat had long dreamed of savoring the dying screams of the false Seeker priest. Now he was moments away from that experience. Hederick allowed a smile of anticipa shy;tion to cross his face. Then he resumed his usual emo shy;tionless demeanor.

Hederick pivoted on one sandaled heel and stepped smartly to the reviewing stand, erected safely behind a marble wall. He mounted the steps, strode to a velvet-draped lectern, and, with head bowed, delivered the invocation of the Seeker gods that began all Seeker ser shy;vices. Then he looked up and addressed the people.

"This morning heralds a special day," Hederick intoned. "It is a holy time, a time of reblessing, of renewing Erolydon's sacred charge. Of making clean that which has been sullied."

"What?" some people in the crowd whispered. "What happened?" "Some centaurs snuck into the temple." "Ah, no!" " 'Tis true; Hederick's own high priest let them in." "Was he daft?" " 'Tis said he hoped to honor Hederick by sacrificing them within Erolydon itself." "Fool."

"Blessed Seekers of Solace," Hederick shouted, "I present one of the greatest sinners I have yet encountered. Greater than any witch, than any mage, than any spell-caster, indeed. For his sin involves…" Hederick waited for the crowd's murmurings to die away. "For this man threw away opportunity that prayerful people would gladly die for. Tarscenian, whom you see before you, had the entire kingdom of the Seeker pantheons before him. He was blessed by the Seeker gods and goddesses. He was himself a Seeker priest."

"Ah," several people whispered. "That's the man. I'd heard Hederick was searching for someone." "The gob shy;lins have been busy these last few days. I did not allow my children outside at all, for fear of them."

"This man, this Tarscenian, threw off the Seeker faith," Hederick said. "He gave up-tossed aside!-the holy brown robes of the Seeker priest. And, not content with that sin, he went on to find a new altar to worship at-the profane altar of the Old Gods."