\documentstyle[twocolumn]{article}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{0in}
\setlength{\textwidth}{6.5in}
\setlength{\topmargin}{-1in}
\setlength{\textheight}{9in}
\begin{document}
\newcommand{\1}{\large\noindent}
\newcommand{\2}{$$ \cdot $$}
\parindent=30pt

\title{Ashorax and the Wizard}
\author{\copyright 1988 Edward L. Stauff}
\date{Edward.Stauff@office.wang.com}
\maketitle
\setcounter{page}{48}

{\it {\noindent \Large H}ere's a tale of love, deceit, and death\ldots not
necessarily in that order, albeit. Too often they've crossed paths, burning those who
cross with them, but rarely have they burnt so brightly.\\}

{\1H}unger awoke the dragon as the blackness of the cave was softening
into the dark grey of morning.  His slumber ended as if he had never
slept at all, for that is the way with dragons.  He was irritable because
of his empty stomach, and he scanned the cave with his senses, looking
for an excuse to attack something.  Nothing moved in the shadows.  The
only sounds were his slow, heavy breathing, and the beat of his heart.
The dragon noticed no scents, ignoring his own stench that would have
choked other creatures.  There was no one in the cave but himself.  He
hadn't expected anything different, but old habits persist.  In his
former cave, intruders had been a regular source of annoyance, from
insects which tried to feed on him and forest animals who sought to share
his cave to humans who wanted to rob him.  All of them he had killed or
driven off, except the insects, who were too stupid and too numerous to
defeat.  But his new lair was different.  High up in a lesser peak of the
great range that the humans called the Eastern Mountains there were no
insects, and the few birds that took to the high altitudes quickly
learned to keep their distance.  No human would ever so much as find the
cave, let alone scale the cliffs to reach it.

     Ashorax uncoiled himself from around his hoard of treasure, some of
which glinted in the dim light.  This dragon did not sleep on his
treasure, wallowing in it like some of his kind, nor was there enough of
it for wallowing even if he was so inclined.  But then, Ashorax collected
only certain very special treasures.  He picked through them with his
foreclaws until he was satisfied that none were missing, and this
improved his attitude somewhat.  His mood brightened further when his
empty stomach reminded him: on this morning, he would not have to hunt
for his breakfast.

     Lumbering to the mouth of the cave, the dragon spread his wings and
dropped off the cliff.  As he winged his way among the mountain tops, he
thought of the fat sheep or beef that waited ahead.  Anticipation spurred
him on, and he soared out of the mountains and over the sparsely wooded
foothills that led down to the plains of southern Ei.  Soon he spied the
fields and pastures of humankind.  As he neared his destination, his keen
eyesight picked out the stake and the beast that was tethered to it.  His
anger returned with a rush.  His tribute was a thin, aging bull, with no
more meat on its bones than last week's goat or the sheep of the week
before.  Ashorax growled in annoyance.  When he got close enough to smell
the animal's disease, he roared.  The humans were not keeping to their
side of the bargain!  Ashorax decided to keep it for them.  He belched up
fire, swooped low, and set the moribund beast on fire.  Without touching
ground he flapped aloft again and went looking for the herds.  He found
one immediately, a nice line of milk-cows being led by a small human, on
their way from the town to a pasture.  Ashorax dropped onto the fattest
one of the lot and broke its neck, ignoring the rest as they scattered in
panic.  The human ran screaming back to the town, and the dragon began to
feed.

     By the time Ashorax finished eating his cow, a band of humans had
gathered at the edge of the town.  As he looked up, several of them began
shooting arrows at him.  Now arrows at that distance are no great threat
to a dragon, unless one finds his eyes or belly, but Ashorax did not
think highly of pain of any sort.  These humans needed to be taught a
lesson.  Turning his armored back on his attackers, Ashorax heaved
himself into the air.  When he had gained enough height, he tucked all
four legs against his vulnerable belly, closed his eyes to slits, folded
his wings, and dove.  The humans scattered, just like the cows had.  He
flamed at one and missed, but ripped another open with a quick slash of
his claw before soaring back out of reach of their weapons.  Before he
could make another dive, the humans had fled into a building.  That
suited Ashorax, as he was about finished.  This was, after all, just a
reminder and a warning, not a war.  He set fire to the roof of the wooden
building, and flew back to his cave.
                                     *
     Mayor Branno sat with his elbows on the table, his hands cradling
his head.  The meeting room of the Town's House was full of people, all
of whom were talking, most of them loudly.  A few were bellowing, their
voices reverberating between Branno's aching temples.

     ``\ldots burned to the ground, we were lucky to escape with our lives!
Who's going to pay for\ldots"

     ``\ldots probably won't live till sunset.  We couldn't move him for fear
of spilling his insides out; Deyval had to sew him up right where he
lay.  We still can't move him, and the blood\ldots"

     ``\ldots blame me, I did my part; it was my turn and I staked out one of
my best bulls, I did, but does the monster take it?  No indeed, just
roasts it where it stands and\ldots"

     ``The hell ye did, I saw that bag o' bones ye staked out, 'twas the
same one ye cut out o'the herd two days ago so's it wouldn't infect the
rest\ldots"

     ``\ldots going to rebuild my inn?  Nothing but charcoal\ldots"

     ``\ldots dies, who's going to feed his kin?"

     ``\ldots the wizard, that's who's to blame!"

     ``Go fetch the wizard, and we'll hang\ldots"

     ``Enough!"  Branno roared, which raised his headache to new realms of
pain.  Silence appeared like sunlight through settling dust, and the
mayor took a moment to savor it before speaking again.  ``Fetch the wizard
here."

     ``Aye, on the end of a rope!" came an answer.

     ``I'll decide if there's any killing to be done!  Now all of you go
back home and I'll deal with our wizard!"

     The crowd left.

     Branno replaced his forehead into the relative comfort of his palms,
and tried in vain to think about nothing at all.  Though the shouting was
gone, the complaints still echoed in his mind, refusing to be banished.
After a while the wizard entered.  For long moments they just stared at
each other, the town's mayor and the town wizard.  Branno was the first
to speak.

     ``Well?"

     ``Well what?"

     ``Damn you!  What are you going to do about your precious dragon?
This time it's gone too far.  Burned down Mark's inn, nearly killed
Sandor, may be dead already for all I know.  We had an agreement, and
that monster isn't keeping its side of the bargain.  I demand that you
kill it!"

     ``The agreement was one fat herd beast every week,"  came the calm
reply.  ``I've seen some of the animals you've left: old, starved,
diseased.  How long did you think Ashorax was going to put up with that?"

     ``I said I want that dragon dead!"

     The wizard sighed.  ``We've been through this before.  Holding it in
thrall is one thing; I can manage that.  Killing it is another matter
entirely."

     ``If you won't do it, I'll get someone who will."

     ``Suit yourself.  I wish you luck, you'll need it."  With that, the
wizard left.

\2

{\1W}hen Histan saw the town below, he heaved a sigh of relief.  His
horse, as if agreeing, whickered in reply.  Since early that morning,
after taking directions from a herdsman, the road had gradually meandered
farther away from the Borr pass, beyond which lay his destination.  By
early afternoon it was leading toward the Eastern Mountains.  {\it Now}, he
thought, {\it I can get some real directions.  I should have kept the gap in
the mountains ahead of me and just headed cross-country.}  But off the
road his chances of finding lodging dwindled from poor to nonexistent,
and Histan had had his fill of sleeping under the stars.  The long days
of travel, after the longer days of war, had left Histan with a yoke of
weariness that sleep could not lift.

     The town consisted of a few dozen buildings clustered about the
intersection of two roads.  A small village by Histan's experience, but
here on the plains of Ei it rated as a medium-size town.  At the very
first house at the edge of town Histan met one of the townspeople.  The
house was a small one, little more than a stone hut.  From what Histan
could see of it, it was typical of the region, with a single door and no
windows.  The thatch roof was the only part of it that looked new; the
rest could have been there for ten years or a hundred.  In front of the
hut was a well, and in front of the well was a woman.  Her red hair,
cropped short at her neck, flamed in the sunlight against the worn grey
robe which hung to her ankles.  She was struggling with a well hoist and
cursing fluently at it.  {\it Most unladylike language,} thought Histan, {\it but
a lady in need is still a lady in need, even though she swears like a
soldier.}  He dismounted and approached, saying ``Lady, may I assist you?"

     She broke off her struggle with the tangled rope and made as if to
strike it, but then stood glaring at it with her fists in the air before
slowly lowering her shaking hands.  ``Please," she said through clenched
teeth.  Histan could see now that she was perhaps in her twenty-fifth
year, and probably would be rather attractive if she weren't wearing a
scowl.
     The rope was well and truly tangled.  Histan wondered how she could
have allowed it to work itself into such a mess, but said nothing as he
bent to the task.  He worked patiently for many minutes until the bucket
moved freely again, then raised a bucketful of water and set it on the
edge of the well.  Taking a battered copper dipper which hung by the
well, Histan filled it and offered it to the woman, who took it and
drained it with a single long draught.  Retrieving the dipper, he asked,
``May I?", waiting for a nod before taking a drink himself.  ``Your health,
lady."

     The woman sighed.  ``Forgive my manners.  I've had a very bad day."

     ``Mine has not been the best of days, either.  I was misdirected this
morning; I fear I will have lost a whole day of traveling.  Could I
trouble you to tell me where I am, and how to reach the Borr Pass?"

     ``No trouble."  For the first time the scowl on her face softened.
``This is the town of Callin.  In the center of town is a crossroads.  The
right-hand road will take you to the Borr Pass."

     ``My thanks, lady."  Histan turned to his horse to remount.

     ``I am called Janit.  And who shall I thank for fixing my well hoist?"

     Histan bowed low.  ``Histan Mandoro at your service, lady."

     She paused before continuing.  ``The sun will soon be gone; it sets
early over these mountains.  Did you plan to spend the night in town?"

     ``If I can find lodging.  I look forward to spending the night under
a roof for a change.  There is an inn?"

     ``There was this morning."  Her scowl returned.  ``Now there is only
charcoal and cinders."

     ``Was this an attack by bandits, or the result of someone's
carelessness?"

     ``You might say someone was careless.  Would you permit me to repay
you by spending the night under my roof?"

     ``Lady, I thank you, but do not consider yourself in my debt.  Even
if you were, it would not be seemly.  Your father or your husband would
surely not approve."

     Now Janit actually laughed.  ``You presume too much.  I offered only
the shelter of my roof.  Go into town then, and see if you can find
lodging.  But if you cannot, my offer remains."

     ``I thank you, lady."  Histan bowed again, and mounted his horse.
``Until we meet again,"  he said, and started into town.

     Histan found the inn as Janit had described it: a smoking ruin of
charred timbers, in which several blackened and broken chimneys stood.
He found a tavern nearby, which promised to fulfill as least some of his
desires for food, drink, lodging, and information.  He left his steed
outside near a trough, not bothering to tether it, knowing that the
warhorse would neither stray nor permit itself to be stolen.

     The tavern was just beginning to fill with customers.  When Histan
entered, conversations ceased as the newcomer was examined.  He paused
for a moment while the locals took in his helmet, leather armor, bronze
sword, and boots.  He wondered if they would consider him an enemy.  The
Mohnaian Empire had not yet conquered the plains of Ei, but neither had
they attacked or even threatened it, as yet.  The talking resumed after a
brief pause and Histan let himself relax.  He resolved, not for the first
time, to get some civilian clothes, and turned to the bar to order a
drink.

     ``Yer come from the wars, are ye?"  asked the barkeep, as Histan
drank.

     ``Yes."

     ``Yer pardon fer askin', an' no offense, but we don't git much
cust'mers like yerself passin' through, and we likes t'hear what news an'
stories we can, when we can, if ye knows what I mean."

     Histan sighed.  He had no interest in telling tales of blood and
glory; he was trying to put all of that behind him.  But he was seeking
information too, and there was nothing to be gained by being rude.
``Killdee and Padya are now part of the Mohnaian Empire," he began.
``Forentinia will soon follow."  He paused.  ``I really don't have any
other news."

     ``What about a tale of battle, then?"  asked a customer, emboldened
by beer and Histan's apparent willingness to talk.

     ``How came ye to be here?"  the barkeep asked, ``An' where are ye
bound, if ye don't mind the askin' or the tellin'?"

     Histan sighed again.  He had told no one about his dismissal from
the Mohnaian Army since it had happened so many days ago.  He wanted to
forget about it, turn his back on it and go home, but hunger for a
sympathetic ear, not to mention ale in an empty stomach, loosened his
tongue.  ``So you want a tale of the glories of war, of heroism in battle,
of men of honor pitted against each other in a test of strength and
will?"  He felt the tavern grow quiet as faces leaned forward to listen.
``Years ago, in Borr, I listened to such tales.  I wanted to be a part of
them, so I joined the Mohnaian Army to find honor, glory and adventure."

     Histan found that there was little or no glory in the training camps
of the Mohnaian Army, and adventures were better in the telling than in
the doing.  But he viewed the privations and the humiliations as
necessary prerequisites, and there he learned the business of war, or at
least of fighting and following orders.  And so he went to war, to fight
and to conquer, and Histan learned the difference between honorable men
and the other sort.  ``And I thought I lived honorably," he said, ``as I
fought shoulder to shoulder with men in whose trust I put my life, who
trusted their lives to me.  They commended me; they decorated me; they
made me a sergeant."  That was his dream: to be a trusted officer,
respected by his men, awarding bravery, punishing cowardice, valuing
honor in himself and his men above all else.  Histan paused in his tale
to drink.  ``Then something changed.  I don't know whether the war
changed, or my commanders changed, or I changed; it doesn't matter.  I
realized that we were fighting more battles against farmers and
townspeople than against opposing armies.  We burned --- " Histan paused,
pressing a hand to his forehead.  {\it I don't want to remember}, he thought.

     Histan's commander had ordered him to take his troop into a village
and burn it; the village was suspected of harboring enemy soldiers.
Histan remembered the faces of the villagers as his soldiers rode into
the village.  The people stared at the Mohnaian soldiers in fear, waiting
in silence.  No resistance was offered as Histan and his men searched,
methodically and fruitlessly, for the enemy.  Histan ordered his troop
back to camp, where he reported to his commander.

     ``The village has been burned?" asked the commander.

     ``No sir.  We searched every hovel and found no trace of the enemy."

     ``Sergeant Mandoro."  The commander fixed Histan with his gaze.

     ``Sir."

     ``What were my orders?"

     ``To burn the town, sir."

     ``And why has the village not been burned?"

     ``Sir, we searched everywhere\ldots"

     The commander cut Histan off, his voice sharp.  ``Why has the village
not been burned?"

     ``Because I disobeyed your orders, sir."

     The commander turned to his aide.  ``Tell Sergeant Lyann that he is
to take his troop and burn the village.  Immediately."  The aide saluted
and left.

     Histan was busted in rank, but he was still a valuable soldier with
an otherwise clean record, and so they kept him.  ``A few weeks later,"
Histan continued, ``We were fighting in a town, not much larger than this
one.  Our army and the Forentinians had converged on it, surrounded it.
Townspeople were running everywhere, being trampled and slain, sometimes
by accident, sometimes not.  I was fighting a Forentinian soldier in the
street.  A child ran screaming, right between us, followed by its
mother.  I paused to let her pass.  My opponent paused, too.  Next to me,
another soldier --- one of ours --- raised his sword to strike her down.  I
yelled at him and parried his blow.  He screamed at me in a rage, and
knocked me down.  When I regained my feet, the man I had been fighting
had killed him.  We just looked at each other, and then the fighting
drove us apart.

     ``After the battle, my commander discharged me from the Mohnaian
Army.  He had seen the whole incident, it turned out.  He should have had
me hung, but he gave me my life in return for the service I had given in
the past, which had included the saving of his life on more than one
occasion.

     ``I'm going home now."

     There was only silence after Histan finished speaking.  He finished
his drink, and turned once more to the barkeep.  ``Is there somewhere I
can get lodging for the night?  I noticed that the inn has burned."

     ``Nowhere but the stable."

     ``Say, if it's honor you're looking for," came a voice from the back
of the tavern, ``What could be more honorable than killing a dragon?"

     ``And where would I find a dragon?" asked Histan sourly, ``In your
stables?"

     ``What do you think burned down the inn?"

     ``Carelessness, more than likely."  Histan's narrative had left him
in a dour mood, and he had no interest in jesting with a drunk.  He
turned to leave.

     ``It's true, y' know," said another voice, ``It was just this mornin',
old Ashorax came a-flyin' down out o' th' mountains, a-roarin' and
a-flamin'.  Attacked th' town he did, killed half a herd o' cattle,
injured a half a dozen men, an' tried t' burn th' whole town down."

     ``Injured {\it one} man," retorted the barkeep, ``ate {\it one} cow, an' if
Ashorax'd wanted the whole town burnt, we'd all be drinkin' ashes right
now."

     Histan paused at the door.  ``You're serious, aren't you?"

     ``Never more," answered the barkeep.  ``It surely would be an
hon'r'ble thing t'do, killin' that dragon fer us, an' they might make it
worth yer while, too."

     They took him to the Town's House to see the mayor.

\2

{\1M}ayor Branno was eating his supper, alone, when a servant entered to
announce visitors.  ``Send them away, idiot." he snapped, ``Can't you see
I'm eating?"

     ``Your eminence, it seems there is someone who would rid us of
Ashorax," came the reply.

     ``Well, tell him to wait.  No, that won't do, show him in --- does he
look serious?  Capable?"

     ``Quite serious, sir.  He appears to be a soldier or a mercenary."

     ``Well then, show him in.  If he's clean, mind you."

     ``All of them, your eminence?"

     ``All of whom?  Do we have one mercenary or an army?"

     ``Mark, Varly and Hammat have brought him here, sir."

     ``Well, well, are they all going hunting for Ashorax?"

     The servant smiled.  ``I rather think not, sir."

     Branno's fists pounded the table, which made all the dishes jump
with a clatter, and spilled his wine.  ``Then bring in this soldier or
mercenary or whatever he is," he yelled, ``and get rid of the rest!  And
clean up this mess!"

     The smile vanished.  ``At once, your eminence."

     The servant returned with a tall, lean, olive-skinned man dressed in
the garb of a soldier.  ``The honorable Navan Branno, Mayor of Callin,
Guardian of the Borr Pass, and Protector of the Southern Eian Plains,"
intoned the servant, ``May I present Histan Mandoro, late of the Mohnaian
Army."

     {\it No,} thought Branno, {\it it isn't his height so much as the way he
holds himself.  This young man has been to war.}  He rose.  ``Come, sit
down, join me at supper," he said magnanimously.  ``What brings you to our
fine city?"

     ``Passing through on my way home to Borr, sir," Histan replied,
taking a seat.

     ``I understand you are interested in a possible dragon-slaying?  What
are your qualifications?"

     ``In truth, sir, I have had no experience at all with dragons.  I
have had three years with the Mohnaian Army, most recently as sergeant.
But I am eager to help rid you of this evil menace, if you would have me."

     ``Well, we do have a problem here, and no mistake.  Is this your
first time in Callin?"  Histan nodded.  ``But you have, of course, heard
of it?"  Histan shook his head.  {\it Good}, thought Branno, affecting a look
of shocked surprise.  ``No?  Well, what can one expect of Borrmen.  Why,
time was when Callin was the fairest, the richest, the most famous city
in all of Ei!  Our streets were paved and lined with merchants, and
peasant and nobleman alike would go out of their way just to pass through
Callin.  But that was before Ashorax."  The mayor made to spit, then
thought better of it.  ``Ashorax and the wizard.

     ``The dragon appeared about five years ago, from whatever infernal
regions spawn his misbegotten ilk.  Nearly destroyed the town, wiped out
crops, devoured livestock.  Soon no one would even come near Callin.  Two
or three years later, down came this wizard, offering to rid us of the
dragon.  A fine fee we paid too, and in advance.  And what do we get for
our money?  The wretch couldn't kill the beast, but claims to hold it in
thrall.''  Branno was now visibly upset.  ``Made a deal with it.  A deal!
Our wonderful wizard made a {\it deal} with that monster!  It gets our
precious livestock, what we have left of it, the wizard gets what's left
of our food, and one of the few houses left unburnt, and what do we get?
The dragon leaves us alone.  Ha!  If we don't leave the fattest cow, or
maybe the beast just gets bored, off we go on another rampage.''

     ``I understand his latest attack came only this morning,'' said Histan.

     The mayor started at the interruption.  ``What?  Oh, yes, damn right
it did.  A perfect example of what we are burdened with.  Stake out a
fine cow, right on schedule, and what does thrice-damned Ashorax do?
Burns the cow without eating it, attacks the town, nearly kills Sandor,
and burns down Mark's Inn.  Damn the beast, that monster."  A sequence of
curses followed, then Branno lapsed into silence.  When he had recovered
his composure, he sat up in his chair, folded his hands, and gazed at
Histan.  ``Taking for granted, of course, that you've not yet seen
Ashorax, though you have seen an example of what he can do, was there a
particular figure you had in mind?"

     ``Figure?" replied Histan.

     ``For ridding us of Ashorax."

     ``Oh, no sir.  I consider it my honor-bound duty to assist you and
your town in any way I can to rid you of this evil menace.  Any
recompense, for which I would be most grateful, would be strictly at your
discretion."

     ``Strictly at my\ldots  Ah, I see.  Very well, then.  One hundred marks."

     ``Sir, you do me a disservice.  I\ldots"

     ``Two hundred."

     Histan shook his head.  ``Listen to me," he said.  ``I don't think you
understand."

     ``All right then, four hundred!  But for that price, you take care of
the wizard, too!"

     ``Mayor Branno.  I give you my word of honor that I will rid the town
of Callin of the foul dragon and the false wizard, or die in the
attempt.  If I succeed, you may pay me whatever you see fit."

     As he was leaving, Histan turned and said, ``Mayor Branno, about this
wizard\ldots"

     ``Oh, we'll take you to meet the wizard tomorrow," said the mayor,
without looking up from his dinner.  ``Go now, and come back in the
morning.  A pleasure to do business with you."

     As soon as Histan had left, Branno summoned the servant.  ``I have
promised the fool four hundred marks if he'll get rid of the dragon and
the wizard."

     The servant went white.  ``B-b-but sir, the treasury\ldots"

     ``Imbecile!  Don't you think I know to the last steel coin how much
money I have?  Go and fetch Srandin here.  And take away this slop."

     ``At once, your eminence."

\2

{\1H}istan left the Town's House and went back to the tavern for his
horse.  The sun was nearly gone, its last sliver making him squint as it
threw his shadow away down the dusty street.  Not a stone remained,
Histan observed, of Callin's former street paving.  And someone had been
most efficient in cleaning up after Ashorax's rampages; except for Mark's
Inn, Histan could see no remnants of destruction.  {\it The mayor seems to
have exaggerated}, he said to himself.

     A woman's scream interrupted his thoughts.  With a sharp word and a
tug on the reins he brought his horse about and rode to the source of the
sound, a house he had passed moments before.  The scream had diminished
into wailing as he burst in through the open door, sword in hand.  There
were two men in the house with the woman, but no violence was being
offered.  One man was supporting the weeping woman while the other just
stood with his head bowed.

     ``I beg your pardon, sirs, my lady," Histan apologized, replacing his
sword.  ``I heard the lady cry out, and feared that she might be in
danger."

     ``Who are you?" said the man who was not comforting the woman.

     ``Histan Mandoro at your service.  Please forgive my intrusion, sir.
If you will excuse me, I will not disturb you further."  The woman, who
had been startled from her crying by Histan's abrupt entrance, had calmed
somewhat.

     ``Thank you for your concern, stranger, " the man continued.  ``We
have just brought Siri news that Sandor, her husband, is dead."

     ``Sandor?  Was he not the one maimed by the dragon?"

     ``The same.  Ah, cursed be all dragons."

     Histan addressed Siri.  ``My lady.  While I cannot return your
husband to you, I hope it may give you some small comfort to know that,
as I am able, the monster will soon be dead."

     ``You (sniff) would kill Ashorax?"

     ``Tomorrow I go in search of him, and one of us will not survive the
meeting."

     ``The gods go with you then, Histan Mandoro.  Few in this town have
hunted Ashorax, and fewer still have lived to tell of it."

     Histan left the men to console the widow, and rode to Janit's hut at
the edge of town.  The sun was quite gone now, and darkness was settling
onto the plains of Ei and the town of Callin.

     Janit met him at the door of her hut.  ``You have returned, I see."

     ``I will accept your offer, lady, if you wish."

     ``Oh, I wish.  Come in.  I haven't much room, as you can see, but
there's enough floor to spread your blanket on."

     There wasn't much more than that.  The width of the hut was perhaps
twice Histan's height, and its length was not much greater.  One end
contained a rude hearth for cooking, crowded about with battered pots and
kettles and containers of foodstuffs.  At the other end, a clean pallet
of straw lay in one corner and a chamber pot of chipped clay in the
other, next to a straw basket apparently for clothes.  A high wooden
plank bench, propped up on stones, sat against the back wall, strewn
about with scrolls, books and candles, some of which were lit.  In front
of it was a wicker stool which squashed noticeably when Janit sat down on
it.  Histan took all of this in at a glance, but refrained from staring
at Janit's belongings.

     ``I hope you found the afternoon more enjoyable than the morning,"
said Histan.

     ``Somewhat.  There is always tomorrow."

     ``Yes, tomorrow.  Tomorrow promises to be a very fine day indeed, for
tomorrow, with luck and the gods' blessings, I shall rid this town
forever of the foul Ashorax."

     ``Oh, will you?"

     Histan went on to describe all that had befallen him that
afternoon.  Janit listened in silence, offering little in the way of
reaction.  When he had finished, she spoke.

     ``Well, let me improve your day further.  You won't have to wait till
tomorrow to meet the wizard."

     The tone of Janit's voice froze Histan.  ``What are you saying?" he
said softly.

     ``Marlia Janit, Wizard of Callin, at your service," she replied, the
candlelight flickering on her teeth as she smiled grimly at Histan.

     For a long moment Histan stood motionless, not daring to take his
eyes from Janit's, while his mind raced.  He had wondered at the woman's
willingness to board an armed man without fearing for herself.
Reconstructing a picture of the hut in his mind, and adding to it what he
could see with his peripheral vision, Histan considered his alternatives,
and guessed at hers.  He tried to remember everything he had ever learned
about wizards, which was not much.  While the Mohnaian Army occasionally
employed wizards, they nearly always stayed in their private tents, away
from the soldiers.  The soldiers were content to keep it that way.
Histan had to conclude that he hadn't the slightest notion what she could
do, if she chose, or even what things she might already have done without
his noticing.  {\it Is it really out of caution that I stand without moving?
Could I move if I wanted to?  If I had to?  If I do move, what will she
do?  If I don't move, what will she do?}  Finally Histan decided that
doing something was better than doing nothing, and talking was probably
safer than action, at least for the moment.  Straightening his back ever
so slightly, he said: ``It appears, lady, that we are to be adversaries.
Shall we begin this now, or shall I withdraw and let tomorrow bring what
it may?"

     The wizard laughed.  ``Will you draw your sword and cut me in two?"

     ``Lady, I have no wish to kill you, or even do you any harm, but I
have pledged to see you gone from this town, and your dragon's life is
forfeit."

     Janit sighed.  ``I don't think you know what you're talking about.
Have you ever {\it seen} a dragon?"

     Histan opened his mouth, then closed it again, thinking how best to
reply.

     ``I thought as much.  Look, why don't you get a good night's rest
and, in the morning, just be on your way and forget about it?  Ashorax
will take you to pieces, {\it burnt} pieces, if you even threaten him."

     ``Lady, I have given my word of honor, and nothing may stay my
course."

     Janit was suddenly on her feet with angry eyes fixed on Histan.
``Your word of honor to that fat stinking liar Branno?  Did it never occur
to you to think about how much of what he told you is true?  Did it never
occur to you to hear {\it my} side of this?"

     The former thought, of course, had occurred to him; the latter had
not.  ``Lady, I offer my apology.  What you ask is only reasonable."

     ``I didn't ask anything."  Janit sat down again and lapsed into sulky
silence.  There was an uncomfortable pause while Histan realized that it
was up to him to continue.

     ``What exactly is your relationship to this dragon, lady?" he asked
carefully.

     Janit paused before answering.  ``A few years ago Ashorax, the
dragon, began raiding the herds for food.  He never bothered the people
much, unless they bothered him.  Which they did.  They soon sent the word
out that a reward was offered for his destruction or removal.  When I
heard about it I was living some days north and west of here, and decided
to give it a try."

     ``Why?"

     Janit stared Histan full in the face.  ``Why did you?"  She went on
before he could reply.  ``There was a reward.

     ``With my arts I studied Ashorax, and eventually I faced him down.  I
set a spell on him such that I could kill him any time I chose, and if I
died so would he.  I offered him his life, and a weekly tribute
sufficient to keep him alive, in return for not raiding the herds.  In
addition, he keeps the nearby plains free of the small prairie wolves and
great plains cats that also steal livestock.  If Ashorax dies, the wolves
and cats will return and take more than the cow a week that Ashorax
gets.  The town's better off now than even before Ashorax came.''

     ``That is not what Mayor Branno believes.''

     ``And well I know it.  They begrudge every beast they give, even the
old and sick ones.  And Branno begrudges me this hovel he was gracious
enough to grant me.  How is it that you have come to Callin?''

     Histan was not about to repeat the story of his dismissal again, so
he said simply, ``I am on my way home from the wars.''

     ``Where is home?  With whom did you fight?"

     ``My home is in Borr.  I fought with the Mohnaian Army."  He made
both of these statements with some diffidence, as if daring the wizard to
comment on either his homeland or the ever-expanding empire.

     ``You are on leave, then?"

     ``I was discharged."

     ``Has the Mohnaian Army so many soldiers, then, that they didn't need
you?"

     Against his will, but drawn by Janit's incessant questioning, Histan
found himself relating the story of his dismissal in even greater detail
than he had in Mark's Inn.  When he had finished he asked, ``Why did you
not enchant the well hoist to unknot itself?"

     ``Why don't you chop firewood with your sword?"

     ``My lady, my sword is a fine instrument, and an instrument of war!
Not only would it be unseemly to sully it with so mundane a use, but I
would dull its edge and likely even damage it."

     ``And so it is with magic.  It is not an art to be trifled with, nor
to be used at the merest whim.  It is not to be used lightly, and even
its simplest use is not without danger.  I use magic when it is needful
to do so, and only then."

     ``I fear that I know but little about magic."

     ``And I know even less."  Histan stared at the wizard.  ``You see, "
she explained, ``The more I learn, the more I learn that I have yet more
to learn, and for each page I understand, I find that there is a whole
volume that I do not.  You, who know so little, have no idea how much
there is to know."

     Wizards, Histan had heard, talked in riddles.  He mulled over in his
mind all that Janit had said to him, and all that Major Branno had said
as well, trying to discern the likely truth out of all the potential
lies.  ``Why did you not simply kill the dragon?"  he asked.

     ``I told you, the town is better off the way they are, with Ashorax
under control and keeping the predators away."  She rose.  ``The hour
grows late and I rise early."

     ``Then I will bid you good night.  I shall consider all that you have
said."

     ``You will not stay the night?"

     ``Lady, we remain potential foes."

     ``Oh, would you please call me Janit!  Look, when you decide that we
are to be enemies, then I'll throw you out.  I promise I won't enchant
you as you sleep."

     ``What assurance do you have that I will not slay or bind you while
{\it you} sleep?"

     Janit looked at Histan for a moment.  ``You won't," she said.

\2

{\1H}istan was awakened by a small noise of indeterminate origin.  He
sat up in the darkness of the hut, and knew by the soft light that crept
under the door that it was near dawn.  Janit was nowhere to be seen.  His
sword and mail shirt were where he had left them; he put them on and went
outside.  There was no trace of the wizard there, either.  He drew a
bucket of water from the well to drink and wash his face, and then drew
another for his horse.  While he tended the stallion he searched the
plains for some sign of the missing wizard.  He soon spotted a grey-clad
figure heading away to the southeast, towards the mountains.  {\it She goes
to meet the dragon,} thought Histan.  {\it Well, then so shall I.}

     ``Good morning, " he called as he caught up with her.

     ``Good morning, " she replied without breaking her stride.

     ``Where are you bound?"

     ``You have your business; I have mine."

     ``You seek the dragon."  It was not a question, and Janit did not
answer it.  ``Lady --- Janit.  Will you not aid me in ridding the town of
this menace?  Yesterday this monster killed a man, widowing his wife.
How many more men must be killed?"

     ``The fool should not have interfered.  Ashorax wouldn't have
attacked unless he was attacked first, of that I'm certain.  You have
made a foolish promise to Branno; I have not.  Now will you please go
away before you get yourself killed?"

     ``Do not hinder me, lady, or we are enemies.  I must slay this dragon
or die in the attempt."

     ``Oh, you'll die all right.  I'd just rather not watch it happen.
I'd rather it didn't happen at all, but you can expect no help from me."

     ``So you will aid the dragon?"

     Janit laughed at this.  ``Ashorax needs no help from me," she
declared.

     Neither Histan nor Janit spoke again until they reached the top of a
hill under the shadow of the Eastern Mountains themselves.  Here Janit
stopped and said to Histan, ``Don't stand so close, I need room to work."
Histan obligingly stepped his horse back several paces, but kept his eyes
on the wizard.  From a pouch which hung on a strap from her shoulder, she
took a fist-size cube of what looked like smooth grey stone.  Supporting
it with the fingertips of one hand, she touched its faces with the other
hand in a ritual pattern.  As she did this, the faces of the cube changed
color, some of them to black and some of them to white.  The white faces
seemed to glow slightly and, strangely, so did the black ones.  Janit
then held the cube in front of her, lifted her head to the mountains, and
called out in a strong, clear voice:  ``Ashorax!"  She called the dragon's
name several times, and then began manipulating the cube again.  When the
faces had all returned to their original lifeless grey, she replaced the
cube in the pouch.

     After several minutes Histan asked, ``Where is the dragon?"

     ``He will come."

     Several more minutes passed in uneventful silence, while Histan
divided his attention between the wizard, the mountains and the sky.  And
then the dragon did come, from high in the mountains, soaring downward
towards the two humans on motionless wings.  For a moment Histan was
entranced by the sight, having never seen a dragon before.  Brown like
rich earth it was, though somehow in places its scales managed to reflect
sparkles of sun.  Its belly and the underside of its wings were pale.  It
was fully three times Histan's height from its jaws to the tip of its
long tail, which by itself was as long as Histan was tall.  Its wings
spanned nearly as much as its length.  Its heavily muscled hind legs and
tiny foreclaws were drawn tight against its body, and its narrow head
swung back and forth on a long, flexible neck.

     As the dragon grew closer, Histan stopped staring and dismounted,
taking up his shield and drawing his sword.  With a quick word he ordered
his horse away to a safe distance, and prepared to meet the impending
attack.

     ``Wait," said Janit, ``Give me a moment to talk to him."

     Histan was just as happy to have a few moments to study his
adversary, being unsure of quite how to go about battling a dragon.
Ashorax landed several paces from Janit, leaving the wizard directly
between itself and the armed soldier.  The dragon made a deep growling
sound, and the wizard replied in a tongue which Histan had never heard
before.  They conversed in this manner for a short time, with Janit
occasionally gesturing towards Histan, the town, or the mountains.  She
became annoyed, and Histan got the distinct impression that they were
arguing about something.  Finally, the dragon extended a foreclaw towards
Janit, and she took from Ashorax a melon-size faceted ball of crystal.
As the wizard and the dragon continued their unintelligible conversation,
Histan suddenly understood why Janit would not kill Ashorax.

     ``Out of my way, wizard!" cried Histan, running around Janit to
attack the dragon.  Ashorax reared back before the slashing blade,
narrowly missing being disemboweled.  The dragon breathed fire at Histan,
who brought his shield up just in time to deflect the flames, which
nonetheless singed the hair on his head and arms.  The smell of its
breath nearly choked Histan; it brought to mind a burning cesspit.
Before the man could recover for another attack, Ashorax was in the air,
flapping hard to gain altitude for a dive.  At this point Janit
maneuvered herself between the two assailants, hollering ``Stop!  Ashorax,
begone!  Away!"  The dragon broke off its dive and complied, but not
without roaring in anger at the two humans.

     ``I see now what your word is worth, wizard!" Histan exclaimed.

     ``I have not broken my word to you, Mandoro.  I aided neither Ashorax
nor you!"

     ``You helped the creature escape!"

     ``I kept him from burning you to a cinder and then smashing you into
an ash heap!"

     ``Further, you lied to me about your reasons for keeping him --- it ---
alive!  You allow it to live so that it can bring you its treasure!"

     Janit voice grew shrill with rage.  ``I do not lie, Histan Mandoro,
not to you, not to that pig of a Mayor who lies so much that he no longer
knows what truth is, and not to any man!  Or beast!  If you call me a
liar again, I swear I'll kill you --- or make you wish I had.  What I told
you was the truth, though not the whole truth.  Yes, I keep Ashorax alive
so that he brings me pieces of his hoard.  But let me tell you something
about Ashorax.  He doesn't just collect treasure, oh no.  He only
collects {\it magical} treasure: amulets, talismans, enchanted weapons,
protective jewelry.  And he can't even use them!  The things he brings me
I could search a lifetime for, and never find, or study a lifetime, and
still not be able to make!  Ashorax will pay for killing Sandor; the
widow will receive retribution."

     ``How many more men must die for your treasure?  How many more
widows?  How many\ldots"

     ``None, if they'll just leave him alone and not try to feed him
diseased meat!"

     ``And still it is the townspeople who pay!"  Now Histan was shouting,
too.

     ``{\it They} pay for the safety of their livestock from indiscriminate
predators!"  Janit's voice rose to near shrieking.  ``{\it I} pay for the
treasure!  Do you think it costs me nothing to hold Ashorax in thrall?
Do you think that my magic is as easy to wield as your sword?  Even now
the spell weakens, and must be renewed soon else Ashorax will be free!
And when he is free (and make no mistake, he will {\it know}), then he'll
wreak such a vengeance on me and on this town that none will live to tell
of it!"

     ``And whose fault will that be, at the last?"

     The wizard paused, and when she spoke her voice was calm again.  ``It
will not happen.  I will not allow it to happen.  Eventually, I will kill
Ashorax."

     ``When?"

     ``When it pleases me!  A few more pieces of his treasure, and I will
be content."

     ``Listen to me, Wizard of Callin," said Histan, ``The dragon must
die.  Aid me in hunting it down and killing it, or else stand aside and
let me do it alone.  But if you hinder me again in any way, I will cut
you down!"

     When Janit did not reply, Histan mounted his horse.

     ``If you kill Ashorax without my leave," she said, ``I will kill
you."  Histan looked at her for a moment without speaking, then spurred
his horse and rode back towards the town.

     Histan reported to Mayor Branno, telling him most of what had
transpired that morning.  Branno was most annoyed that Histan had not
already killed Ashorax.

     ``I was unprepared," explained Histan.  ``The wizard told me that she
must soon renew her spell over the dragon.  I will kill him then."

     ``Ahhh!" exclaimed Branno, rubbing his hands together.  ``Excellent!
I can tell you exactly where they will meet, and you can ambush them and
kill them both!"

     ``I will kill the wizard only if it is necessary."

     Branno's face clouded.  ``But I want her dead as well!  I thought we
had an agreement?"

     ``I agreed to rid your town of her, not kill her."

     ``No matter.  The wizard will certainly try to stop you from killing
the dragon, and then you will have to kill her."

     ``If necessary."

     Branno told Histan how to get to the ravine where Ashorax and the
wizard would meet.  Histan left the Town's House and went to the market
to buy some provisions, and when he was done he stopped at the tavern for
a drink.

\2

{\1M}arlia Janit, Wizard of Callin, sat in her hovel brooding.  {\it It's
time to kill Ashorax, she thought.  This time I must do it.  Yes, this
time I will do it.  I've got enough of his treasure.  This one amulet
alone is worth everything I have paid.  I'll kill Ashorax and get out of
this town.}

     {\it This sounds familiar}, said another part of her brain, {\it This is
just what you said last time.  Then it was ``just one more treasure, just
one more."  You didn't kill him last time, and you're not going to do it
this time.}

     {\it Yes I am!  Besides, if I don't, Mandoro will do it, or get himself
killed trying.}

     {\it And what do you care about him?}

     {\it Nothing!  I just don't want to see him get killed.}

     {\it But you'd kill him yourself.}

     Janit pressed the heels of her hands to her forehead and tried to
stop arguing with herself.  {\it I've got to get rid of him somehow, she
thought.  But how?  Branno will probably have him killed after he kills
Ashorax, but by then it'll be too late.}

     {\it See what I told you?}

     {\it Oh, shut up.  Wait, that's it!  I'll tell Mandoro that Branno is
planning to murder him.}

     {\it You don't know that.}

     {\it It's probably true!  It's just the kind of thing Branno would do.}

     {\it You don't know that.  You'd be lying.  You don't lie.}

     {\it No, not really, not\ldots  Oh, I don't know.}

     {\it If you're really going to kill Ashorax, then just tell Mandoro so.
He'll help you.}

     {\it No!  I'm not ready\ldots}

     {\it I thought so.}

     {\it Damn it, Ashorax is mine to kill or not to kill!  Getting Mandoro
out of the way has nothing to do with whether or not I kill Ashorax!}

     Janit burst out of her hovel and into town, located Histan's horse
outside the tavern, and waited for the man to emerge.  She did not have
to wait long.

     ``Mandoro, I need to talk to you."

     ``What do you want?"

     ``Branno --- can we walk while we talk?  Which way are you going?
Branno intends to have you killed after you kill Ashorax.  He never
intended to pay you in the first place."

     ``How do you know this?"

     ``How?  I --- I was passing by the Town's House, and I overheard him
talking to someone, the one who will kill you."

     ``When?"

     ``Today, he --- they were eating together, at noon."

     ``So, it will only be one?"

     ``Oh no, no, several.  I heard them talking.  Several men, heavily
armed with --- with bows."

     ``When?  Where?"

     ``I --- I don't know, they didn't say.  I was afraid they'd see me, so
I left."

     Histan said nothing as he considered this new development.

     ``If Branno means to murder you, then your agreement is forfeit.  You
don't have to get yourself killed trying to kill Ashorax.  You can leave!"

     ``No."  Histan shook his head.  ``The dragon is a plague on this town,
and its people deserve better, even if their mayor does not.  I cannot
honorably give up this venture, regardless of Mayor Branno's intentions."

     ``You fool!" Janit cried, ``If Ashorax doesn't kill you, Branno's men
will!  Do you {\it want} to die?"

     ``I am warned, and Branno's cut-throats will be expecting to surprise
me.  I believe I can handle them.  Your kindly warning may well have
saved my life, lady, and I thank you."

     Janit stood with her mouth open, staring at Histan, and then whirled
and strode away down the street.  She was almost in tears with rage and
disappointment.  {\it I lied!  And for what?  The stupid fool is going to get
himself killed.  Damn him!  Damn him!  I've got to kill Ashorax.
Tomorrow.}

     {\it Then why don't you tell him so?}

     {\it Shut up!}

     And then, as if in a dream or a vision, Janit's old mentor seemed to
be walking behind her, repeating some of the last words he had spoken to
her: {\it In the end, there are no grey sorcerers, only black and white.  You
are unwilling to commit your life to serving the good, and you think you
can serve yourself without doing evil to others.  You may call yourself a
grey wizard, Janit, but the time will come when you must accept the
destiny that the light demands, or be swallowed up by the darkness.}

     ``How can this darkness take me, if I am not willing to go?" she
whispered, as she had asked once before, but this time she already knew
the answer.

     {\it Most likely, you will begin to lie.  One day you will lie, to
another or to yourself, and each lie will spawn others, until all you
have left is lies.}

\2

{\1H}istan rode towards the mountains, thinking about his last
conversation with the wizard.  Something had not rung true in Janit's
words, and the more he thought about it the less he liked it.  He thought
about Branno and the unnamed assassin discussing his demise while they
ate.  Histan had been in Branno's dining room; it was on the second story
of the Town's House.  How had Janit overheard a conversation on the
second story, unless she was inside the building?  But she said she was
passing by, outside.  Unless Branno had been eating on the ground floor.
Histan did not want to believe that she was lying.  While he could not
condone her actions, everything she had said had seemed to indicate a
personal integrity.  Everything she had {\it said}.  But what had she
actually done?  Prevented him from killing Ashorax, tried to convince him
to abandon his quest --- {\it of course!} Histan thought, {\it this is just another
attempt to turn me aside.}  Now he knew that he would almost certainly
have to kill her as well as Ashorax.

     He found the ravine without any trouble.  It was hard by the side of
a steep mountain slope, with a small stream running out of it.  It was
just wide enough to turn a horse in, with many twists and turns that made
it impossible to see what lay more than a score of paces ahead.  Near its
end, about a hundred paces in, it widened into a cul-de-sac which looked
just large enough for a dragon to land in.  Its floor was full of
crevices and boulders that provided numerous hiding places, while its
walls were high and sheer --- climbable, perhaps, by an expert in such
things, but certainly not by Histan.  The stream cascaded down from some
unseen height.  Tufts of grass grew between cracks in the stone, and
there were scorch marks everywhere.  Histan found a particularly deep
crevice in which he could conceal his horse, and another one from which,
unseen, he could watch anyone approach.

     Janit rose at first light at the end of a mostly sleepless night.
She set out on her walk to the ravine, still uncertain as to whether she
would renew her spell on the dragon, or kill him.  Using her arts as well
as her senses, the wizard kept a close watch for pursuit by Histan.  It
did not occur to her that he might already be waiting for her at her
destination.

     Janit heaved a sigh of relief upon reaching the ravine, and hurried
inside, withdrawing her amulet and activating it as she went.  As soon as
she reached the cul-de-sac, she called for Ashorax.  The amulet trembled
in her hands as she darkened its facets, and she thrust it away into its
pouch and clenched her hands into fists to quiet them.  It only made the
shaking worse.

     {\it What's the matter with me?}  she thought.  {\it I haven't felt this way
since I first enspelled Ashorax.  I've done it time after time, and I can
do it again.}

     {\it So, you're not going to kill him after all.}

     {\it Of course I'm going to kill him!  I'll get one last treasure, and
then be rid of him forever.}

     {\it Is that what you're afraid of?  That you won't be able to kill him?}

     {\it Of course I can kill him!  It won't be any harder than renewing the
spell.}

     {\it You hope.}

     The dragon came, startling Janit out of her mental conversation.
``It is time," she said in the ancient tongue, ``To renew our agreement."

     ``Free me," replied Ashorax, ``And I will give you half my hoard."

     Janit ignored the offer, as she always had.  Ashorax's freedom would
mean her immediate death.  Drawing her amulet from its pouch, she touched
its facets and spoke the words to bring it to life.  The facets glowed,
black and white, in a different configuration than the one she had used
to summon the dragon.  When she felt the power flowing strong and smooth,
she gathered it about her and cast it at Ashorax, binding his wings and
stifling his flame with bonds which, though strong, would not last long.
As always, she must work swiftly.  Ashorax roared with rage and strained
against the unseen cords which held him, but in vain.  The malevolence
burning in his eyes was enough to make Janit wince.  Quickly but
carefully, she removed the remnants of the old spell which linked the
dragon's life to her own.  Now she was in the most danger, for should her
binding spell fail before the new linking spell was in place\ldots

     A sudden movement from the wall of the ravine caught Janit's eye,
and she saw Histan Mandoro striding towards Ashorax.  ``Stand aside,
wizard," he commanded, ``Ashorax is mine."

     ``Don't interrupt me, you fool!  I have stolen his powers of flight
and flame, and hold him immobilized by my will, but his powers will
return swiftly.  I must renew the spell that links us or he will kill you
and I both!"  {\it And I can't spare any attention to get you out of the
way,} she added silently.

     ``Good," replied Histan grimly, ``Then I will have no trouble killing
him."

     ``If you kill Ashorax," the wizard cried, ``Then you will die before
you can lift your sword a second time!"

     Then the dragon spoke in the language of the humans, a dry, grating
sound that chilled Histan far more than his growling had.  ``The wizard
cannot spare even a touch of her power for you, as long as she holds me.
Kill her now, human, and I will make you rich beyond imagining!"

     {\it Kill her now,} thought Histan, {\it and then kill the dragon while it
still cannot fly away or burn me.}  He stepped forward and raised his
sword.  As he did, a flash of light from the entrance to the ravine
caught his eye, and he glanced towards it in time to recognize what is
was before it disappeared behind the cover of a boulder.

     It was a crossbow.

     {\it She wasn't lying!}  he thought, and moved with a speed borne of
conviction.  Ashorax reared and slashed with his foreclaws, but the
dragon's fighting reflexes couldn't adjust for the temporary loss of
wings and fire.  Histan drove his sword deep into the dragon's belly,
then withdrew before it could retaliate with claws or teeth.  The blow
was true, and Ashorax fell.  Its death scream echoed off the cliff walls
and rang in the ears of the humans.  It was all over in a handful of
heartbeats.

     Histan turned to face Janit, or tried to turn, and found that he
could no longer move from the neck down.  The wizard walked around his
immobilized sword to face him.

     ``Before I kill you," she said through clenched teeth, ``I'd like you
to answer one question.  Why didn't you kill me first?  You would have
had enough time to kill the dragon afterward."

     ``I was going to," Histan admitted.  ``I thought you had lied about
Branno's plot to kill me.  I did you a disservice, lady.  But then I
caught a glimpse of a crossbow beyond the entrance to the ravine, and
realized that you had spoken the truth."

     The blood drained from Janit's face.  {\it I was right!} she thought.

     ``But hear me," Histan went on, ``The dragon held you even as you held
it.  Soon you would have been no better than Ashorax or mayor Branno.
Before you came here, would you have bartered men's lives for magical
treasures?"  The wizard did not answer.  ``Now you are free."

     Janit was silent for some time before she spoke again.  ``I lied to
you," she said.  ``I didn't know that Branno was going to have you killed
until just now."

     ``You lied?  Why?"

     ``I hoped I could scare you away."

     ``I see that I did not misjudge you after all," Histan said coldly.
``But whether you kill me or not, you will not leave this ravine alive."

     ``I did promise to kill you, didn't I?" the wizard asked.  ``Well, it
seems that I've lied to you again."  Histan found that he could move.

     Janit turned her back on Histan and knelt by the dragon's
outstretched foreclaw.  From it she extracted what looked like a
bracelet, set with many jewels which sparkled as she held it up, even
though no ray of sunlight had yet pierced the depths of the ravine.  ``And
as for not leaving here alive\ldots"

\2

{\1I}n spite of their orders, Branno's assassins had no intentions of
facing a live Ashorax.  They heard the dragon's death cry, but dared take
no chances with hasty action; the soldier and the wizard could not leave
without passing them.

     When they finally tired of waiting and crept into the ravine, they
saw nothing but a dead dragon.  Though they searched every crack and
crevice, no trace of the wizard or the soldier could they find, save only
a curious cube of what looked like grey stone.\\

\vspace{2in}

\begin{quote}
``I am Mobius, the Master of All Evil, High lord of All Liches,
Commander of the Demon Hordes, Ruler of Darkness, and the
Bringer of Death, Doom, and Destruction.
Other than that, I am a pretty nice guy."\\

\begin{tabbing}
\ \ \ --- \={\em rf38071@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu}\\
\>University of Illinois at Urbana\\
\end{tabbing}

\end{quote}

\end{document}

