Wizards At War

Its smile got nastier. “And while They’re trying to pick up the pieces elsewhere in the universe, I can amuse myself with raising another King for the Commorancy, and watching all of you run around trying to survive on Rashah. It really is a nice little world. Hundreds of thousands of Yaldiv, every one of them devoted to my service, and every one convinced that all other life is their enemy, and that only I can offer them salvation. I haven’t had such a promising species to work with for a long time. Possibly not even since yours.” It gave Nita and the other three Earth-humans a look of ironic appreciation. “Once I’ve got enough of them, and I’ve given them the right technology, they should be able to overrun a significant portion of this universe. But present pleasures first.” It glanced at Roshaun. “One early order of business will be to push the Pullulus in tightly enough around your solar system to flare up Wellakh’s star. Your people always do react more hysterically to fire than to ice.”

Nita saw Roshaun go pale, but he kept his face stern. He plainly wasn’t going to give the Lone One the satisfaction of seeing him express his fear.

“And I can use the same technique on your people, I suppose,” It said, looking back at Filif. “‘Kindler of Wildfires,’ they call me? They won’t have seen anything like this. The sunside of your planet will be one big charcoal briquette when I’m done. Your little friends,” and It frowned at Dairine, “have unfortunately made themselves energy-independent … but we’ll see how much good that does them when one or two rogue planets collide with theirs from either side. It’ll be just like dropping an egg on concrete. All that tinkly shattering silicon.” It glanced over at Kit and Nita and Ronan. “And then, of course, Earth. The Pullulus is doing such a lovely job there already, I won’t have to do a single thing but watch. It’s closing in on your heliopause already, and people’s tempers are getting frayed. Every government on the planet with any weapons worth noticing is already at DEFCON Two, and it’s only a matter of hours before the big show begins. A fallen skyscraper or two will be nothing compared to what’s coming up. And you’ll know, for the rest of your short lives, that it was all your fault.”

It stretched Its arms above Its head and grinned. Nita gulped.

Kit, though, gave It a blasé look. “Nice gloat,” he said.

The Lone One gave him a look. “You’re too kind,” It said. “But I’m just telling you the truth, which you pretend so to value. And, Kit…” It tsk-tsk-tsked at him. “Denial, even disguised as humor, suits you so badly. Don’t you understand? You’re not getting out this time. You don’t have a scrap of wizardry left to you. And did it occur to you that you might have been a little too secretive about getting here? There’s not a wizard anywhere in this universe who either knows where you’ve gone or is going to be able to do anything about it. Since this is now a no-wizardry zone, manual functions won’t be able to find you. And don’t think I’m forgetting your multilegged friend at the Crossings,” It said, looking over at Nita. “He’s got his claws full, too, every one of them.”

It sat down on the dais, crossing Its legs and swinging them a little. “So, for the extremely foreseeable future, here you stay. It takes quite a lot of power to exclude wizardry from any space, but with my energy investment withdrawn from ninety-nine percent of the Pullulus now, I have some to spare. I’m perfectly happy to use it making sure that the ‘Great Art’ is permanently disabled here. And in the meantime—”

On the floor before the dais, Memeki began heaving rhythmically.

The Lone Power laced Its fingers behind Its head and leaned back. “No,” It said, “there’s no rush at all. Nature is going to take its inevitable course, and we’ll all get to watch this particular zero hollow itself out.”

Nita stood there frozen with horror as she watched the heaving wrack Memeki more and more terribly. That awful wave of desperation she’d felt in the Crossings rose up to possess her again, and this time it stuck. This is it, then, she thought. Despite all our work, regardless of everything we did, it’s all over.

Behind her, someone moved. Ronan pushed past Nita to stand in front of her and Memeki. “All right,” he said, pausing to lean on the Spear again, “I don’t know about everybody else here, but I for one think it’s time somebody put some manners on you.”

The Lone Power burst out laughing at him. “Oh please!” It said. “Just look at you! You and the Toothpick of Virtue. That can’t hurt me now: it’s absolutely no good for anything without someone who both knows how to use it, and has the strength! Which, as we’ve seen, you don’t.”

“You’re right,” Ronan said. “I don’t. But someone else does.”