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Magic that worked tended to overcome the drive for the discipline needed to get the most out of it. Any good theoretician from Hanson's world could probably make fools of these people. Maybe that was why the Satheri had gone scrounging back through other worlds to find men who had the necessary drive to get things done when the going was tough.
The seventy leading Satheri were all present, with Sather Karf presiding, when Hanson was ushered into their presence. He moved down the aisle, not glancing at the seated Satheri, until he was facing the old man, drawing Nema and Bork with him. There were murmurs of protest, but nobody stopped him. Above him, the eyes of Sather Karf were uncertain.
And by vision the vision of those who are adept enough to see through the Ways to the branches of Duality. Before me, there was nothing. But I've learned to open a path a difficult path for one in this world and to draw from it, as you have been drawn. Don't try to understand what is a mystery even to the Satheri, Dave Hanson." "A reasonably intelligent man should be able " Dave began.
He walked on briskly, watching for signs of life and speculating on the principles of applied semantics, name magic and similarity. He could begin to understand how an Einstein might read through one of the advanced books here and make leaps in theory beyond what the Satheri had developed. They'd had it too easy.
Don't you know that the Satheri arranged to kill you first? They needed a favorable death conjunction to bring you back to life; they got it by arranging an accident!" Nema cried out in protest. "That's a lie!" "Of course," Bork said mildly. "You always were on their side, little sister. You were also usually a darned nuisance, fond as I was of you. Come here."
"This is one of the reasons we're growing too weak to fight the Satheri." "What's wrong with a ceremony of worship, if you must worship your eggshell?" Dave asked. "You'll see. That was all it was once just worship. But now for weeks, things are changing. They think it's a sign of favor, but I don't know. There, watch!"
"They blame all their troubles on the magicians," Bork explained. "They've been shooting at everything that flies. Not a happy time to associate with the Satheri, is it?" Nema drew further back from him. "We're not all cowards like you! Only rats desert a sinking ship." "Nobody thought it was sinking when I deserted," Bork reminded her.
Perhaps the hatching cannot be stopped but I've decided that I am a man and must fight like one against the fates. So, though I still oppose much that the Satheri have done, I've gone back to them. We'll be at the camp of the Sather Karf shortly." That sewed everything up neatly, Hanson thought. Before, he had been torn between two alternatives.
He stumbled forward, heedless of the overseers' shouting voices. Someday, if he had the chance, he'd flay his own overseer, but that could wait. Even the agony of the cut couldn't take his mind from Ser Perth's presence. Had Bork slipped up did the Satheri know that Hanson was still alive, and had they sent Ser Perth here to locate him? It seemed unlikely, however.
The huge bird braked savagely, barely stopping before they were under its feet. From its back, a ladder of some flexible material snaked down and men began descending. The first were mandrakes in the uniform of the Satheri, all carrying weapons with evil-looking blades or sharp stickers. The last man off was Bork. He came toward Hanson and Nema with a broad grin on his face.
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