are.”
“We should … pretend to leave, but really … hang around to see if we can get another chance to … complete our job,” the leader of the group said, looking and sounding as though he tried to hold the words back. “We… Damnation! What have you done to me?”
“We’ve thanked you for being completely without a conscience where other people are concerned,” Jovvi told him with a smile that must have shown him exactly how she felt. “Now you’ll be causing the same reaction in others, the feeling that they don’t care
what
happens to you because of what you say. I hope you enjoy it as much as your previous victims enjoyed what was done to
them
.”
All four men looked thunderstruck, and then they simply looked frightened. It must have finally occurred to them that it wasn’t possible for ordinary people to do what had been done to them, and that meant they weren’t among ordinary people. Almost as one they began to back away, and then they were running out of the stables as fast as they could. For once Jovvi was pleased to see a reaction like that, but unfortunately the pleasure didn’t last long.
“Well, now that that’s taken care of, we just have to locate the people sent here by the Five,” she said as soon as the men were out of sight. “I hope
someone
has an idea about how we can do that, because I surely don’t. How are we supposed to pick out an unknown number of enemies who are hidden among all those strangers?”
“It just might be possible,” Lorand said, looking thoughtful. “But if it is, it’s the entity who’ll be doing it. Does everyone want to get started right now?”
“I think we need to set up sentries first,” Vallant said, also looking thoughtful. “This is no time to be leavin’ our bodies unprotected, not to mention leavin’ our people unwarned. Whatever number of guardsmen are out there, they’ll do a lot less damage if everyone knows they’rethere.”
“You’reright, of course,” Lorand told him with a brief but sincere smile. “Let’s spread the word, and then we can Blend again. I was looking forward to getting some sleep, but obviously resting is going to have to wait.”
“We all wanted to get some sleep, so let’s also get a few link groups together before we Blend,” Jovvi said, deliberately not letting herself yawn. “Our entity won’t do much good if
it
falls asleep as soon as it forms.”
Everyone muttered agreement with that, so they set about making their preparations—before beginning the search for their enemies.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Lorand was more than a little tired after all the moving around they’d been doing, not to mention the tension he’d felt about coming home. He’d actually dreaded running into his father, but when he had—and heard the man trying to get him back under control—something inside him had immediately responded in just the right way. He wasn’t the same boy who had left here only a short while ago, and now his father knew it as well as he did. It bothered him that his father had made no effort to speak to him privately after the meeting, but the feeling was more annoyance than hurt. He hadn’t expected warmth and welcome, so he hadn’t been disappointed when it didn’t appear.
He was ready to walk around and talk to various groups of their people, but Vallant called out and got everyone’s attention, and then began to explain what the newest problem was. That
was
the fastest way to get everyone alerted, but whether or not Vallant consciously knew it, it was also the worst way for Meerk. The big Middle should have been told first, before everyone else, and when he wasn’t his reactions were clear enough for Lorand to read easily.
Which was another interesting thing, Lorand thought fleetingly as he made his way over to where Meerk stood alone. When Rion had made the suggestion that they all touch the power all the time the way Tamrissa was already doing, Lorand had been amused. He’d
“We should … pretend to leave, but really … hang around to see if we can get another chance to … complete our job,” the leader of the group said, looking and sounding as though he tried to hold the words back. “We… Damnation! What have you done to me?”
“We’ve thanked you for being completely without a conscience where other people are concerned,” Jovvi told him with a smile that must have shown him exactly how she felt. “Now you’ll be causing the same reaction in others, the feeling that they don’t care
what
happens to you because of what you say. I hope you enjoy it as much as your previous victims enjoyed what was done to
them
.”
All four men looked thunderstruck, and then they simply looked frightened. It must have finally occurred to them that it wasn’t possible for ordinary people to do what had been done to them, and that meant they weren’t among ordinary people. Almost as one they began to back away, and then they were running out of the stables as fast as they could. For once Jovvi was pleased to see a reaction like that, but unfortunately the pleasure didn’t last long.
“Well, now that that’s taken care of, we just have to locate the people sent here by the Five,” she said as soon as the men were out of sight. “I hope
someone
has an idea about how we can do that, because I surely don’t. How are we supposed to pick out an unknown number of enemies who are hidden among all those strangers?”
“It just might be possible,” Lorand said, looking thoughtful. “But if it is, it’s the entity who’ll be doing it. Does everyone want to get started right now?”
“I think we need to set up sentries first,” Vallant said, also looking thoughtful. “This is no time to be leavin’ our bodies unprotected, not to mention leavin’ our people unwarned. Whatever number of guardsmen are out there, they’ll do a lot less damage if everyone knows they’rethere.”
“You’reright, of course,” Lorand told him with a brief but sincere smile. “Let’s spread the word, and then we can Blend again. I was looking forward to getting some sleep, but obviously resting is going to have to wait.”
“We all wanted to get some sleep, so let’s also get a few link groups together before we Blend,” Jovvi said, deliberately not letting herself yawn. “Our entity won’t do much good if
it
falls asleep as soon as it forms.”
Everyone muttered agreement with that, so they set about making their preparations—before beginning the search for their enemies.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Lorand was more than a little tired after all the moving around they’d been doing, not to mention the tension he’d felt about coming home. He’d actually dreaded running into his father, but when he had—and heard the man trying to get him back under control—something inside him had immediately responded in just the right way. He wasn’t the same boy who had left here only a short while ago, and now his father knew it as well as he did. It bothered him that his father had made no effort to speak to him privately after the meeting, but the feeling was more annoyance than hurt. He hadn’t expected warmth and welcome, so he hadn’t been disappointed when it didn’t appear.
He was ready to walk around and talk to various groups of their people, but Vallant called out and got everyone’s attention, and then began to explain what the newest problem was. That
was
the fastest way to get everyone alerted, but whether or not Vallant consciously knew it, it was also the worst way for Meerk. The big Middle should have been told first, before everyone else, and when he wasn’t his reactions were clear enough for Lorand to read easily.
Which was another interesting thing, Lorand thought fleetingly as he made his way over to where Meerk stood alone. When Rion had made the suggestion that they all touch the power all the time the way Tamrissa was already doing, Lorand had been amused. He’d
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