it?”
“Come on, Je’orj, please tell us,” Se’and asked.
Her being the first to ask surprised George.
“Please,” Fri’il said.
“Oh, all right.”
“George, your ugly face has grown on me.”
“Thanks, Mendra.”
She smiled, “I made this for you. We don’t want you to catch cold out there.” She presented him with a folded cloak which caught the light in such a way that he had difficulty looking at it.
“Go on, put it on.”
George wrapped himself in the heavy cloak.
“It’s from the wyvern that tried to kill you in Ashra Kodiu . It only seemed fitting since we wrapped your staff in it so we could handle it when you were unconscious, that the rest be worn by you.”
“Uh, thanks,” George said, not really wanting to reflect on those details.
Greth drew his knife from his belt, “You will need this.”
George looked at the blade’s discolored metal, nearly black. “This isn’t steel.”
“It’s an alloy that magery can’t harm.”
“You make it?”
“It is our greatest secret. Please ask no more about it.”
“All right, thank you.”
Qapin said, “When you face magery, that blade will sunder it. It can even rend spells cast against you. Keep it with you always!”
“I will, I promise.”
“The giving of a knife,” Greth said, “also means we are blood brothers.”
“Does that me you want me to cut myself with it?”
“Cut yourself? No, please do not. Being of the blood of humans has been sacrifice enough for our people.”
George nodded, looking up at him. His eyes were so kind for a troll out of a nightmare. “I will lead you to our border. It is best to go soon before the others realize their chief engineer has left without doing any more great miracles.”
He looked about, “What of Lawson?”
“Lawson,” Qapin said. “That young man doesn’t want you to go.”
Mendra said, “What’s worse is he wants to go with you.”
“I don’t think it would be wise,” George said.
“It wouldn’t be,” Qapin agreed, “he’s Assistant Chief Engineer and has much to learn from the Core. He will have much to teach us, I have no doubt.”
“Who would have thought those who are ugliest could be so important to our People?” Mendra asked.
George simply nodded.
Greth led him out through the warren of long abandoned corridors, when they heard the sound of running feet. Greth drew his knife then saw it was Lawson and put it away. “How did you find us?”
“The Core’s re-routed Internal Security. I could see you on the monitors.”
“You’re doing well with the systems then.”
“Core’s begun teaching me and it wants me to teach the younger children while they are still small enough to wear the uplink helmets. It’s got two more terminals running on the upper level so I can keep them out of the Core.”
“That’s great, Lawson.”
“You know I want to come with you,” Lawson admitted to George.
“You can’t.”
“Yet.”
“Lawson,” Greth rasped.
Lawson smiled, “You watch for me. I’ll find you! We engineers gotta stick together!”
George gave him a hug, which was easier to do than the awkward one he had given to the crying Mendra, who was nearly ten feet tall. “Study hard, my friend, and encourage those kids to as well. Prect needs more like you.”
“Don’t go,” Lawson whispered.
“I have to. It’s my only chance of getting back home.”
Lawson stepped back and jabbed his finger at Greth, “You take beyond the border!”
“I’ll take him as far as I can.”
Greth turned the manual hatch and opened the door to the outside world where the sunlight was bright. All George could see for miles was sand stretching to the horizon. He glanced back at Lawson and felt a mental tugging and heard a quiet voice, Come. Come to the Empire.
George stood up and stretched.
“You can’t just end the tale there, Je’orj!” Fri’il pleaded.
“Oh, yes, I can,” he laughed.
“Balfour’s told us about his nephew
“Come on, Je’orj, please tell us,” Se’and asked.
Her being the first to ask surprised George.
“Please,” Fri’il said.
“Oh, all right.”
“George, your ugly face has grown on me.”
“Thanks, Mendra.”
She smiled, “I made this for you. We don’t want you to catch cold out there.” She presented him with a folded cloak which caught the light in such a way that he had difficulty looking at it.
“Go on, put it on.”
George wrapped himself in the heavy cloak.
“It’s from the wyvern that tried to kill you in Ashra Kodiu . It only seemed fitting since we wrapped your staff in it so we could handle it when you were unconscious, that the rest be worn by you.”
“Uh, thanks,” George said, not really wanting to reflect on those details.
Greth drew his knife from his belt, “You will need this.”
George looked at the blade’s discolored metal, nearly black. “This isn’t steel.”
“It’s an alloy that magery can’t harm.”
“You make it?”
“It is our greatest secret. Please ask no more about it.”
“All right, thank you.”
Qapin said, “When you face magery, that blade will sunder it. It can even rend spells cast against you. Keep it with you always!”
“I will, I promise.”
“The giving of a knife,” Greth said, “also means we are blood brothers.”
“Does that me you want me to cut myself with it?”
“Cut yourself? No, please do not. Being of the blood of humans has been sacrifice enough for our people.”
George nodded, looking up at him. His eyes were so kind for a troll out of a nightmare. “I will lead you to our border. It is best to go soon before the others realize their chief engineer has left without doing any more great miracles.”
He looked about, “What of Lawson?”
“Lawson,” Qapin said. “That young man doesn’t want you to go.”
Mendra said, “What’s worse is he wants to go with you.”
“I don’t think it would be wise,” George said.
“It wouldn’t be,” Qapin agreed, “he’s Assistant Chief Engineer and has much to learn from the Core. He will have much to teach us, I have no doubt.”
“Who would have thought those who are ugliest could be so important to our People?” Mendra asked.
George simply nodded.
Greth led him out through the warren of long abandoned corridors, when they heard the sound of running feet. Greth drew his knife then saw it was Lawson and put it away. “How did you find us?”
“The Core’s re-routed Internal Security. I could see you on the monitors.”
“You’re doing well with the systems then.”
“Core’s begun teaching me and it wants me to teach the younger children while they are still small enough to wear the uplink helmets. It’s got two more terminals running on the upper level so I can keep them out of the Core.”
“That’s great, Lawson.”
“You know I want to come with you,” Lawson admitted to George.
“You can’t.”
“Yet.”
“Lawson,” Greth rasped.
Lawson smiled, “You watch for me. I’ll find you! We engineers gotta stick together!”
George gave him a hug, which was easier to do than the awkward one he had given to the crying Mendra, who was nearly ten feet tall. “Study hard, my friend, and encourage those kids to as well. Prect needs more like you.”
“Don’t go,” Lawson whispered.
“I have to. It’s my only chance of getting back home.”
Lawson stepped back and jabbed his finger at Greth, “You take beyond the border!”
“I’ll take him as far as I can.”
Greth turned the manual hatch and opened the door to the outside world where the sunlight was bright. All George could see for miles was sand stretching to the horizon. He glanced back at Lawson and felt a mental tugging and heard a quiet voice, Come. Come to the Empire.
George stood up and stretched.
“You can’t just end the tale there, Je’orj!” Fri’il pleaded.
“Oh, yes, I can,” he laughed.
“Balfour’s told us about his nephew
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