Thieves World 4 – Storm Season by Asprin, Robert

your land is what it is, both Vashanka’s power and Mine were required to send

rain that night, when you needed water to survive the plant-that-kills.

Naturally I made bargain with Vashanka ere I helped him-because I knew Vashanka

would bargain to help you save Tempus!

“Having agreed, Vashanka himself made a concession: Vashanka himself struck his

name from the palace of My people. Nor will Vashanka use such power displays

here again. It were not wise of Me to raise my murdered temple, which Vashanka

struck down; that is the business of you humans. Such edifices please you

humans; gods have no need of such aggrandizement for there is no aggrandizement

beyond godhead.”

Hanse’s brain was awhirl and he wished he were sitting down. He said, “And…

and Mig-nureal?”

It was Eshi who replied to that. “We have acted through her twice now, and she

remains more powerful than she knows. For none can be touched by a god without

receiving some of that which is the essence of gods-a form of strength, a form

of dominion over time and space. Those are after all creations of gods, and

bounded about my mortals. The girl Mignureal remembers nothing of having twice

acted for us. But she dreams-0 how she dreams, now!”

Now that shadow-presence spoke, at table’s end, and its voice was as a shadow

might sound; was as a piece of good leather drawn slowly across a whetstone.

“The power of Vashanka remains at bay, and now you may make use of Vashanka’s

servant, who is … lost.”

“How-why?” Hanse asked, and indeed he was not sure if either question was the