happened before long."
Kharl understood all too well that Hagen and Lord Ghrant would have liked more time before the rebel lords had acted. He just shook his head. "I was afraid that if Guillam walked out of the audience hall, there would have been a revolt within eightdays. I didn't realize that I'd cause it to occur immediately."
"Lord Ghrant is aware of that." Hagen fingered his chin. "As I told you earlier, if we can get through this, matters may turn out for the best." He laughed softly. "The next few eightdays will be the test."
"What else has happened?"
"Norgen's scouts have reported several Hamorian vessels off the coast just north of here. They landed a small party, then departed."
"Golds ... and more white wizards," Kharl suggested.
"The golds I can see. They're cheaper than soldiers and less costly."
"So are white wizards. The one wizard with Malcor wasn't that strong. Neither was the one with Ilteron. The one who attacked yesterday wasn't as strong as the one with Ilteron in Dykaru." Kharl felt that any white wizard he'd bested couldn't be that powerful. After all, he'd been working with order for less than a year.
"You think so?"
"The emperor keeps his wizards under tight rein. I saw that in Hamor. What better way to suggest that they stay in line than by sending those who are not as ... obedient as he might like to Austra?"
"And if they refuse to follow orders once they're here," Hagen added, "it just creates more chaos here in Austra, and anything that does that weakens Austra."
Kharl nodded.
"Always Hamor ..." Hagen shook his head. "They want to hold the entire world."
"What about Reduce?"
"Hamor will try to take over everyone else first. It may take generations, but the emperors have all been patient, and they have wizards and iron-hulled warships and golds." Hagen rose. "How are your ribs?"
"Still sore."
"You'll have a few days, I'd judge. I'd like more, but I'm not counting on it."
Neither was Kharl.
XI
As Hagen had predicted, there were no more attacks on the Great House-or nearby-on oneday, or on the days following. Fortunately, the damage at Lord Lahoryn's city house had been minimal, and not even his guards had been wounded.
Kharl spent the time practicing his order-skills, particularly his shields, and in studying The Basis of Order in the manner in which he had found most effective-by questioning. Sometimes he read in his quarters, but when he could, he preferred the sheltered area on the top of the north tower.
On fiveday, after midday dinner, he was in the bright and cool sunlight
of the tower, his back against sun-warmed stone, perusing a particularly
obvious section, wondering why the writer had felt it necessary to empha
size the point so thoroughly. v
Every strength is a weakness, every weakness a strength, for under the Balance there cannot be more order than chaos. Thus, if order is concentrated in one place, there must be another place where there is less and where it will take less effort for chaos to prevail. Likewise, the same is true of chaos ...
That had certainly been the case in his own experience. If he concentrated order into a shield, for him to resist the firebolts of the white wizards, that order had to be restricted to a very small area. On the other hand, he asked himself, was there a time or place where the use of additional order spread over a large area, almost like seasoning over a large piece of meat, would prove useful? Kharl considered it, but could not think of a situation where it might be useful. Perhaps he might in time.
He continued reading, until he came to a passage which seemed both direct and obscure, simultaneously.
Because chaos reflects the absence of order, it can manifest itself in two fashions, or both at once. The first is as what appears as white fire, and that is chaos free of all order and
Kharl understood all too well that Hagen and Lord Ghrant would have liked more time before the rebel lords had acted. He just shook his head. "I was afraid that if Guillam walked out of the audience hall, there would have been a revolt within eightdays. I didn't realize that I'd cause it to occur immediately."
"Lord Ghrant is aware of that." Hagen fingered his chin. "As I told you earlier, if we can get through this, matters may turn out for the best." He laughed softly. "The next few eightdays will be the test."
"What else has happened?"
"Norgen's scouts have reported several Hamorian vessels off the coast just north of here. They landed a small party, then departed."
"Golds ... and more white wizards," Kharl suggested.
"The golds I can see. They're cheaper than soldiers and less costly."
"So are white wizards. The one wizard with Malcor wasn't that strong. Neither was the one with Ilteron. The one who attacked yesterday wasn't as strong as the one with Ilteron in Dykaru." Kharl felt that any white wizard he'd bested couldn't be that powerful. After all, he'd been working with order for less than a year.
"You think so?"
"The emperor keeps his wizards under tight rein. I saw that in Hamor. What better way to suggest that they stay in line than by sending those who are not as ... obedient as he might like to Austra?"
"And if they refuse to follow orders once they're here," Hagen added, "it just creates more chaos here in Austra, and anything that does that weakens Austra."
Kharl nodded.
"Always Hamor ..." Hagen shook his head. "They want to hold the entire world."
"What about Reduce?"
"Hamor will try to take over everyone else first. It may take generations, but the emperors have all been patient, and they have wizards and iron-hulled warships and golds." Hagen rose. "How are your ribs?"
"Still sore."
"You'll have a few days, I'd judge. I'd like more, but I'm not counting on it."
Neither was Kharl.
XI
As Hagen had predicted, there were no more attacks on the Great House-or nearby-on oneday, or on the days following. Fortunately, the damage at Lord Lahoryn's city house had been minimal, and not even his guards had been wounded.
Kharl spent the time practicing his order-skills, particularly his shields, and in studying The Basis of Order in the manner in which he had found most effective-by questioning. Sometimes he read in his quarters, but when he could, he preferred the sheltered area on the top of the north tower.
On fiveday, after midday dinner, he was in the bright and cool sunlight
of the tower, his back against sun-warmed stone, perusing a particularly
obvious section, wondering why the writer had felt it necessary to empha
size the point so thoroughly. v
Every strength is a weakness, every weakness a strength, for under the Balance there cannot be more order than chaos. Thus, if order is concentrated in one place, there must be another place where there is less and where it will take less effort for chaos to prevail. Likewise, the same is true of chaos ...
That had certainly been the case in his own experience. If he concentrated order into a shield, for him to resist the firebolts of the white wizards, that order had to be restricted to a very small area. On the other hand, he asked himself, was there a time or place where the use of additional order spread over a large area, almost like seasoning over a large piece of meat, would prove useful? Kharl considered it, but could not think of a situation where it might be useful. Perhaps he might in time.
He continued reading, until he came to a passage which seemed both direct and obscure, simultaneously.
Because chaos reflects the absence of order, it can manifest itself in two fashions, or both at once. The first is as what appears as white fire, and that is chaos free of all order and
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