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.He sighed, turned, started back through the connecting archway once more, and came to a sudden halt.The chair by the table bearing his books and food was no longer empty.A young, darkly handsome man clad in black and silver shimmerweave lounged there, an easy smile on his lips and /The Wanton Witch Said Yes /open in one hand.He lifted an eyebrow and the tome together."A coded spell-book, perhaps, "Rauthur flushed, and glanced at the floor.His guest might look like a swaggering noble or idle merchant prince, but he'd met with Harnrim Starangh of the Red Wizards before."I, ah, no.Uh, to make my superiors think I lacked a woman to smuggle up here so they wouldn't scry us and see.""Me, Ah, but only you can see my proper self.To the rest of the overly curious world, I /am /a ravishing beauty in black silks, with the face of someone you prefer to privately refer to as the Crown Princess Wrathful, I believe.""Princess /Alusair/, , ""Oh, /don't gabble, /man! Be bold! Plenty of perfectly loyal folk of Cormyr say arch or even biting things about the royal family and live to repeat them more loudly at revels! Besides, you'll soon not have to worry overmuch about what others think of you."The Red Wizard lowered the chapbook with a brittle smile to reveal a tight-rolled baton of parchment.Huldyl Rauthur leaned forward eagerly, his eyes catching green fire, and the wizard best known in Thay as Darkspells unrolled the parchment to splay seven scrolls out in a fan array on the table.The sugarnuts were in the way, and without even looking up the Red Wizard sent them drifting smoothly through the air to hover by the War Wizard's face.The chapbooks descended only slightly less smoothly to a soft landing on the floor.Hesitantly Rauthur plucked a sugarnut from the air and ate it.Darkspells looked up at him, smiled again, and spread his hand in a flourish above the parchments."So there you are: the seven spells, as agreed.The coins you've had already should be more than enough to buy you a handsome abode in Athkatla, Waterdeep, Sembia, or anywhere more distant, for that matter.These magics should enable you to slay with ease any War Wizards who come hunting you.Practice their use in private to ensure yourself of their stable and complete nature, power, and worth."The scrolls rose in unison and drifted toward Huldyl in the wake of the sugarnuts, which the War Wizard gobbled more of hastily, wiping his sugar-coated fingers nervously on the front of his tunic.Harnrim Starangh leaned forward over the table with an eagerness that matched his own."I hereby reaffirm my earlier promise: the same amount of cash and seven more /very /useful spells will be yours when I've safely reached Vangerdahast and gotten away again."Rauthur fielded the scrolls with a chuckle, eyes alight."I'm your man, Lord Starangh, I am indeed.This is.princely.""Prince," the Red Wizard purred."Now there's a title to aspire to.You could, you know, if you time things right and use just the right spells to tame Alusair to your will and bed.After she delivers you an heir, there'd be no need to sit still for the searing of her tongue any longer.A little spell-blast, a lot of mourning, and you could then do as her father did: have your pick of all the women in the kingdom."The War Wizard's chuckle was a weak one, this time, and he shook his head, shrugged, and said, "Lord, you've more boldness in you than I do." He shook his head again, in admiration."Wouldn't that be something, though."Darkspells let him ponder for a moment or two then said gently, "To bind the trust between us, I'll now complete that linking spell.if you're agreed, ""A-aye," Rauthur replied, in a low voice.He ran a hand through the thinning hair atop his head and blurted, "Remind me, Lord Starangh, ofits specifics.I'd not want to put a foot wrong, if you understand me.""Of course." the Red Wizard said gravely, watching the last of thesugarnuts hastily disappearing down Rauthur's gullet."Things that befall one of us also befall the other, at the same time.These shared fates are drunkenness, injury, hostile, but notself-cast, enspellment, and death.We will not share thoughts, emotions,dreams, or other things I've not spoken of: these things and these only.The spell will fade in a year." Starangh locked gazes with the WarWizard and added in dry tones, "Which will give you plenty of time todisappear from both Cormyrean justice and Thayan regard."Huldyl Rauthur smiled rather uncertainly and grunted, "My thanks, Lord.Do it."Starangh nodded and beckoned the War Wizard over to him, rising from hischair to hold up both hands, palms outward and fingers together.Hesitantly Rauthur set aside the scrolls and held out his own hands tomatch.Palms touched.The Thayan nodded approvingly and murmured a shortincantation, awakening a tingling in them both that left their forearmsshuddering as they stepped back from each other."I'm ready to proceed when you deem the time is right.Contact me at anytime of day or night.I'll be pleased if you guide me through thedefenses of Vangerdahast's sanctum to him sooner rather than later, ifyou take my meaning.""I-I do," Rauthur assured him hastily.Harnrim Starangh smiled thinly."Just one thing more, Prince-to-beHuldyl.If this linking spell between us is broken, I'll instantly beaware of that and of your whereabouts at the time, and may well beforced, for reasons of prudent diplomacy, you understand, to strike outfrom afar with slaying magic to obliberate Huldyl Rauthur and whoeverhelped you remove the spell."His smile widened and stayed broad and promising as the man calledDarkspells silently faded away.Leaving Huldyl Rauthur standing alone in the Harbortower turret,shivering in fear, with /The Wanton Witch Said Yes /lying fallen at hisfeet.FourteenNARNRA TAKES A TASK/Well, we all have to work at SOMEthing, even the gods.So pick up that bucket, and let's have no more of your backtalk./ The character Farmer Juth in Scene the Third of the play /Troubles In The Cellar/ by Shanra Mereld of Murann first performed in the Year of the GriffonA small, bright, and airy turret thrusts up from one corner of the Palace of the Purple Dragon in Suzail: a lone chamber whose four windows are open arches that breezes blow through at will but no bird nor raindrop enters.The door that links that turret room to a corner of the top floor of the Palace stands open, and guarded by four veteran Purple Dragons, at all times
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