Brothers Majere by Weis, Margaret

The mage deployed one of his own pieces—a tower— behind his cavalrymen and took a larger bar from his own side of the scales, causing them to tilt slightly, though still in his favor. He removed the barrier and the three men from the board, pushing his knight forward one square.

“I am familiar with that move as well,” Raistlin said, leaning back in his chair, regarding the board with calculating eyes.

His tactic had forced Shavas to expend important

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magic—represented by the ingots—and move a piece from the side of the board where the mage’s real concentration of forces was waiting. He had caused her to sacrifice three yeomen, a fortification, and position in the game through his diversion.

Shavas also leaned back in her chair, measuring the amount of magic she had available, reading the gauge at the top of the scales, a pointer leaning to her opponent’s advantage.

“You play an excellent game, Master Mage.”

“Thank you. I have been playing a long time.”

The door opened with a bang, slamming back against the wall. Caramon and Earwig clomped into the room.

“I found him,” said Caramon.

“Found who? Me? I wasn’t lost, was I? Was I lost, Raistlin?” asked Earwig.

The mage, watching Shavas, saw the woman’s gaze fasten on Earwig. Her eyes glinted, the lids narrowed. Raistlin glanced swiftly at Earwig and saw that the ken-der’s collar was askew, the cat’s skull necklace shone brightly in the firelight. He looked swiftly back to the councillor, but her face was expressionless.

Surely I was mistaken, he thought, a cold chill convulsing him. “It took you long enough. What have you been doing?” he demanded, speaking tersely to cover his emotion.

“Just . . . walking around,” Caramon mumbled. He looked down at the game they were playing. “Wizards and Warriors. Never could get the hang of that.”

“Many people have difficulty mastering it, Caramon,” the woman said soothingly.

“I guess I just don’t have a head for long-term strategies,” the fighter confessed.

The councillor’s eyes met his. She seemed to say that

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she admired men who were above playing silty games. The warrior felt the blood rush to his face.

“Hey!” Earwig cried excitedly. “Those pieces are just like the pieces in my pouch. Do you want to see?”

The kender, plopping himself down on a couch, bumped into Caramon, causing the big man to lose his balance and jostle the game board. Pieces rolled everywhere.

“You clumsy oaf! We’ve been playing this game for hours!” Raistlin snarled in anger.

1 … I’m sorry, Raist,” the warrior said in confusion. He started to add something, but a look from the councillor made him forget what it was.

“No harm done,” Shavas said, smiling up into Cara-mon’s eyes. “We should return to discussing business anyway. Your brother and I were only passing the time until you came back.”

Her look told Caramon that she’d been counting the moments. The warrior had never met a woman so fascinating, so alluring. He couldn’t understand how he’d stayed away from her for so long. It was the house . . . this strange house.

“What kept you anyway?” Raistlin asked. “Surely it didn’t take that long to find the kender!”

“I wasn’t lost,” said Earwig sternly. “I knew where I was the whole time. If anyone was lost, it was Caramon. I found him in—ouch! Hey!”

“What? Oh, sorry. Earwig. I didn’t mean to sit on you.” Extricating the kender from beneath him, Caramon moved to the other side of the couch, near his brother.

“As you already know,” the councillor began, waiting for all her guests to settle themselves, “Mereklar’s welfare depends on the cats that live here. They protect us from evil in the world. The prophecy—”

“We’ve read the prophecies,” interrupted Raistlin

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shortly. “But perhaps you can tell us who gave them?”

“I’m sorry. I can’t. May I continue? Recently, the cats have started to disappear. Nobody knows why. Nobody knows where they have gone. The citizens are beginning to fear for their lives. They believe the prophecies, you see. They fear the end of the world is coming.

“Do you know the origins of the city?” she asked of all three companions.

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