Naked Empire

That disorder allows us to slip in, kill some of them, and get out fast. You don't want to be there very long. They recognize outsiders, especially blond outsiders.

"Moreover, there are layers of different kinds of men. Most of the soldiers are little more than a mob of thugs that Jagang turns loose from time to time. None of them are allowed beyond a certain point within their own camp. The men guarding the areas with higher security are not nearly so stupid and lazy as the common soldiers.

"The men in those protected areas aren't as numerous as the common soldiers, but they are trained professionals. They are alert, vigilant, and deadly. If you could somehow manage to get through the sea of misfits to reach the island at the core where the torture and command tents are, those professional soldiers would have you on the end of a pike in no time.

"Even they are not all the same. The outer ring of this core, besides having these professionals guarding it, is where the Sisters are. They both live there and use magic to watch for intruders. Beyond them are further rings, starting with the elite guards, and then, finally, the emperor's personal guards. These are men who have been fighting with Jagang for years.

They kill anyone, even the elite guard officers, if they become at all suspicious of them. If they even hear word of someone saying disparaging things about the emperor, they hunt them down and have them tortured. After being tortured, if they live through it, they are then put to death.

"I'm not saying that my men and I would be unwilling to risk our lives trying to get Zedd out of there; I'm saying that we would be giving our lives up for nothing."

The mood in the tent could not have been more hopeless.

The general gestured with the paper when Rikka handed it back. "Any idea what a Slide is, Prelate?"

Verna met his blue-eyed gaze. "A soul stealer."

The general frowned. "A what?"

"In the great war-three thousand years ago-the wizards of that time created weapons out of people. Dream walkers, like Jagang, were one such weapon. The best way I can explain it to you is that a Slide is in some ways like a dream walker. A dream walker can enter a person's mind and seize control of them. A Slide, I believe, is something like that, only he seizes your spirit, your soul."

Rikka made a face. "Why?"

Verna lifted her hands in frustration. "I don't really know. To control their victim, perhaps.

Altering gifted people was an ancient practice. They sometimes changed gifted people with magic to suit a specific purpose. With Sub-tractive Magic they took away traits they didn't want, and then they used Additive Magic to add to or enhance a trait they did want. What they created were monsters.

"I'm not really well versed in the subject. When I became Prelate I had access to books I had never seen before. That's where I saw the reference to Slides. They were used to slip into another person's being and steal the essence of who they where-their spirit, their soul.

"Altering people in such a way as to create these Slides is a long-dead art. I'm afraid that I don't know a great deal about the subject. I do remember reading that the ones called Slides were exceedingly dangerous."

"Long-dead art," the general muttered. He looked like he was making a great effort to restrain himself. "Those wizards of that time made such weapons as Slides, but how could Jagang? He's no wizard. Could it be that he's lying?"

Verna thought about the question a moment. "He has gifted people under his direct control. Some are able to use underworld magic. As I said, I don't know a great deal about it, but I suppose it's possible that he was able to do it."

"How?" the general demanded. "How could Jagang do such things? He's not even a wizard."

Verna clasped her hands before herself. "He has Sisters of the Light and the Dark. In theory, I suppose he has what he needs. He is a man who studies history. I know from personal experience that he puts great value in books. He has an extensive and quite valuable collection. Nathan, the prophet, was very concerned about this very thing, and destroyed a number of important volumes before they could fall into Jagang's possession.

"Still, the emperor possesses a great many others-in fact, he has a huge collection. Now that he has captured the Keep, he has access to important libraries. Those books are dangerous, or they wouldn't have been sealed away in the Wizard's Keep in the first place."

"And now Jagang has control of them." General Meiffert ran his fingers back through his hair. He gripped the back of the chair set before the small table and leaned his weight on his arms. "Do you think he really has Zedd and Adie?"

The question was a plea for some thread of hope. Verna swallowed as she carefully considered the question. She answered in an honest voice, not wanting to be the founder of a false faith. Since she'd read the message from Jagang, she, herself, had been searching for that same thread of hope.