Naked Empire

The woman hesitantly stepped forward several paces. "It is as His Excellency says." She looked away from Zedd's frown to fuss with her wiry gray hair. "With His Excellency's brilliant direction, we were able to bring back some of the old knowledge. With the expert guidance of our emperor, we were able to invest in a wizard named Nicholas an ability not seen in the world for three thousand years. It is one of His Excellency's greatest achievements. I can personally assure you that it is as His Excellency says; a Slide again walks the world. It is no fancy, Wizard Zorander, but the truth.

"The spirits help me," she added under her breath, "I was there to see the Slide born into the world."

"You created a Slide?" Fists still bound behind his back, Zedd took an angry stride toward the Sister. "Are you out of your mind, woman!" She retreated to the back wall. Zedd turned his fury on Jagang. "Slides were a catastrophe! They can't be controlled! You would have to be crazy to create one!"

Jagang smiled. "Jealous, wizard? Jealous that you are unable to accomplish such a thing, can't create such a weapon against me, while I can create one to take Richard Rahl and his wife from you?"

"A Slide has powers you couldn't possibly control."

"A Slide is no danger to a dream walker. My ability is quicker than his. I am his better."

"It doesn't matter how quick you are-it isn't about being quick! A Slide can't be controlled and he isn't going to do what you want!"

"I seem to be controlling him just fine." Jagang leaned in on an elbow.

"You think magic is necessary to control those you would master, but I don't need magic. Not with Nicholas nor with mankind.

"You seem to be obsessed with control, I am not. I managed to find a people those like you didn't want to walk freely among their fellow man, a people cast out by the gifted, a people reviled for not having any spark of your precious gift of magic-a people hated and banished because your kind wasn't able to control them. That was their crime: being outside the control of your magic."

Jagang's fist slammed the table. The slaves all jumped with the platters.

"This is how your kind wants mankind's future to be; your kind wants only those with a spark of the gift to be allowed to walk free. This, so you can use your gift to control them! Like that collar around your neck, your lust is to collar all of mankind with magic.

"I found those outcast ungifted people and have brought them back into the fold of their fellow man. Much to your disapproval and the loathing of your kind, they can't be touched by your vile magic."

Zedd couldn't imagine where Jagang had found such people. "And so now you have a Slide to control them for you."

"Your kind condemned and banished them; we have welcomed them among us.

In fact, we wish to model man himself after them. Our cause is theirs by their very nature-purity of mankind without any taint of magic. In this way the world will be one and at last at peace.

"I have the advantage over you, wizard; I have right on my side. I don't need magic to win; you do. I have mankind's best future in mind and have set our irreversible course.

"With the help of these people, I took your Keep. With their help, I have recovered invaluable treasures from within. You couldn't do a thing to stop them, now could you? Man will now set his own course, without the curse of magic darkening his struggle.

"I now have a Slide to help us to that noble end. He is working with those people for the benefit of our cause. In doing so, Nicholas has already proved invaluable.

"What's more, that Slide, which your kind could never control, has vowed to deliver to me the two I want most: your grandson and his wife. I have great things planned for them-well, for her, anyway." His red-faced rage melted into a grin. "For him, not so great things."

Zedd could hardly contain his own rage. Were it not for the collar stifling his gift, he would have reduced the entire place to ash by now.

"Once this Nicholas becomes adept at what he can do, you will find that he will want revenge of his own, and a price you may find far too high."

Jagang spread his arms. "There, you are wrong, wizard. I can afford whatever Nicholas wants for Lord Rahl and the Mother Confessor. There is no such thing as a price too high.

"You may think me greedy and selfish, but you would be wrong. While I enjoy the spoils, I most relish the role I play in bringing heathens to heel. It is the end that truly concerns me, and in the end I will have mankind bow as they should to our just cause and the Creator's ways."

Jagang seemed to have spent his flash of intensity. He leaned back and scooped walnuts from a silver bowl.

"Zedd be wrong," Adie finally spoke up. "You have shown us that you know what you be doing. You will be able to control your Slide just fine.

May I suggest you keep him close, to aid you in your efforts."

Jagang smiled at her. "You, too, my dried-up old sorceress, will be telling me all you know about what is in those crates."