‘Not many can say that,’ came the voice of Dardalion.
‘Not many have lived as single-mindedly as I,’ answered Kesa Khan. He glanced towards the doorway in which the Abbot was standing. ‘Come in, priest. There is a draught, and my bones are not as young as they were.’
There was no furniture in the room and Dardalion sat cross-legged upon the rug. ‘To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?’ asked the old shaman.
‘You are a devious man, Kesa Khan, and I lack your guile. But I do not lack powers of my own. I, too, have walked the paths of mist since last we spoke. I, too, have seen the Uniter you dream of.’
The shaman’s eyes glittered with malice. ‘You have seen but one? There are hundreds.’
‘No,’ said Dardalion. ‘There are thousands. A vast spider’s web of possible futures. But most of them did not interest me. I followed the path that leads from Kar-Barzac, and the child to be conceived here. A girl. A beautiful girl, who will wed a young warlord. Their son will be mighty, their grandson mightier still.’
Kesa Khan shivered. ‘You saw all this in a single day? It has taken me fifty years.’
‘I had fifty years less to travel.’
‘What else did you see?’
‘What is there that you wish to know?’ countered the Drenai.
Kesa Khan bit his lip, and said nothing for a moment. ‘I know it all,’ he lied, shrugging his shoulders. ‘There is nothing new. Have you located Waylander?’
‘Yes. He has entered Gulgothir in disguise. Two of my priests are watching him, seeking to divert any search spells.’
Kesa Khan nodded. ‘It is almost time to retrieve the crystal,’ he said, transferring his gaze to the flickering fire.
‘It should be destroyed,’ advised Dardalion.
‘As you wish. You will need to send one of your men – a priest who is unlikely to be corrupted by its power. You have such a man?’
‘Corrupted?’
‘Aye. Even in its dormant state it exerts great influence, firing the senses like strong drink that removes inhibition. The man you send must have great control over his … passions, shall we say? Any weakness he has will be multiplied a hundred times. I will send no Nadir on such a quest.’
‘As you well know there is one among my priests with the strength to overcome such evil,’ said Dardalion. He leaned in close to the wizened shaman. ‘But tell me, Kesa Khan, what else is down there?’
‘Have you not used your great powers to find out?’ countered the wizened Nadir, unable to keep a sneer from disfiguring his face.
‘No spirit can penetrate the lower levels. There is a force there many times stronger than I have encountered before. But you know all this, old man, and more. I do not ask for your gratitude -it is meaningless to me. We are not here for you. But I would ask for a little honesty.’
‘Ask all you like, Drenai. I owe you nothing! You want the crystal – then seek it out.’
Dardalion sighed. ‘Very well, I shall do just that. But I will not send Ekodas into the Pit. I shall go myself.’
“The crystal will destroy you!’
‘Perhaps.’
‘You are a fool, Dardalion. Ekodas is many times stronger than you. You know this.’
The Abbot smiled. ‘Yes, I know.’ The smile faded and his eyes hardened. ‘And now the time for pretence is over. You need Ekodas. Without him your dreams are dust. I have seen the future, Kesa Khan. I have seen more than you know. Everything here is in a state of delicate balance. One wrong strategy and your hopes will die.’
The shaman relaxed, and added fuel to the flames in the brazier. ‘We are not so different, you and I. Very well, I will tell you all that you desire to know. But it must be Ekodas who destroys the evil. You agree?’
‘Let us talk, and then I will decide.’
‘That is acceptable, Drenai.’ Kesa Khan took a deep breath. ‘Ask your questions.’
‘What perils wait in the lower levels?’
The shaman shrugged. ‘How would I know? As you say, no spirit power can enter there.’