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weakness. He was glad to discover he'd been wrong.
They spent the next hour hurriedly packing what they thought they would need
for the journey. Zanos' plan now called for nine people to travel together
Astra, Serafon, Zanos, and his six fighters. Astra pointed out that the larder
held not a day's supply of food for so many.
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"And who is Serafon?" she asked.
"High priestess of theTempleofHesta ," Zanos replied. "Like me, she's an
Adept, but her powers are strongest 'in the realm of nature,' as she puts it.
For many years, she's been secretly helping the farmers around Tiberium, doing
what she can to change the weather in their favor. She knows more about living
off the land than the rangers of the deep forests. Without her guidance, I
would have been
deadlong ago executed for trying to escape, or exposed as an Adept."
"But how did " Astra stopped in midsentence, staring at something beyond the
villa wall. "Zanos, we're being watched.An old man in the alley across the
street. He's pretending to be asleep, but he's watching this house!"
Zanos slid over to a front window and peeked through the shutter. "That's
Varan," he muttered. "Looks like I owe you an apology you were right that
Varan frightened Clea into running away. Vortius is using him to deliver
messages now and his message to me is that I am being watched."
"No," the Reader said as she moved close to him, keeping clear of the window.
"Vortius is punishing him with assignments like this because he said something
to Clea he let slip that he's associated with Vortius! Vortius wanted to use
Clea again, but she ran the moment Varan tried to approach her he's thinking
right now about how he didn't handle her right& because Morella's coming up
the street! Phaeru's with her, and they're coming here."
Zanos concentrated in Varan's direction for a moment, and the old man slumped
over. "Now he reallyisasleep," he said, "and will stay that way for quite a
while. Tell me how did you get Morella and her girls to help you disguise
yourself for Gareth's party last night?"
"I told her our lives were indanger, and that I had to speak with you without
Vortius knowing about it. Morella hates Vortius as much as you do, but she has
to deal with him and his men anyway. When she told her girls that you were in
danger, they immediately volunteered to help. Morella knew about Gareth's
party, and he certainly didn't object to some of her girls helping to keep his
guests happy."
When Morella knocked at the door, Zanos was already moving to let her in.
Both Morella and Phaeru had been crying, but he waited for them to tell him
what was wrong.
"Astra told me what you and your girls did to help us last night, ' he said
as he led them to the music room. "I don't know how to thank you."
"Friends help friends, Zanos." She looked at Astra, then back at him. "It's
all over The Maze that Vortius is claiming your property and freedom for
gambling debts I take it he somehow cheated you?"
"Somehow," Zanos replied.
"That viper!He's got all the local law in his pocket I hope you're planning
to run rather than try to fight him. Astra, we brought you some clothes
suitable for traveling. I know you can't go back to your Academy "
"How did you know?" she asked.
"Readers aren't the only ones who know things as soon as I heard about
Vortius and Zanos, I realized that you'd been caught in that corruption trying
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to help your friend. And you're not the first I've helped escape enemies in
Tiberium." Tears welled up in Morella's eyes. "I only wish Clea had trusted me
to help her this time!"
"Clea?" asked Zanos. "You know where she is?"
"Word reached me this morning. Yesterday, a farmer in the southlands was
tilling his field for spring planting. He found her& remains. She's been dead
for weeks had to be identified by the rings she was so fond of wearing."
Phaeru turned away with a choked sob.
"She must have been trying to go home her parents' home is the southlands,"
Morella went on. "If I could get my hands on the monsterwho caught up with
her "
"I'm sorry," Astra whispered, remembering Clea's courage in breaking her
addiction to white lotus.
"I wish we could do something to help, "Zanos added. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]