[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
."I felt safe leaving you alone in Shishi's quarters.Poor Shishi is beside himself with shame that this happened to you while you were his guest.He's called in several favors.The powers-that-be are turning the palace inside out searching for the banelich.The go-zu-oni are desperate to prove their honor in the wake of the shame that one of them was bribed.They're also eager to avenge their comrade's death.If the banelich hasn't fled to the astral plane by now, he's in big trouble.As for Walinda—""I'm not sure Walinda had anything to do with it," Joel said."She seemed really drunk last night.but maybe she's just a good actress.Maybe she brought that liquor over intending to get me drunk so the go-zu-oni could carry me off."The liquor was my fault," Jedidiah admitted."I asked Shishi to provide her with some.I sensed she would be amenable to a little bottled warmth.I hoped she might be having a crisis of faith and would admit it to you in a weak moment."Joel shook his head."No such luck.She wanted someone to stand beside her in awe of Bane's power, to share her triumph with a little celebration.I suggested that Bane—the real thing, not the lich—might be a desperate coward, and she stalked off.If the door didn't slide, she would probably have slammed it behind her.""You don't think maybe she overreacted for a reason?" Jedidiah asked."Because she knew the banelich was listening?" Joel asked."No," Jedidiah replied."Because she secretly suspects that Bane may not be all she hopes for."Joel had to mull that one over for a minute."I'm not sure," he said finally."I just can't understand why she tolerates the banelich's treatment of her.""If it really holds the essence of Bane, the banelich makes her feel strong, despite its abuse of her.When we first met the banelich, remember how it painwracked Jas and Holly, but you managed to stand against its power?"Joel nodded with understanding."I looked at you and felt strong," he said."But I didn't know you were a god then.""It doesn't matter," Jedidiah said."You took strength from my presence.Walinda would feel the same in her god's presence.""Maybe she just thinks she's stronger," Joel said."She mentioned that Bane couldn't grant her spells when the banelich was in the astral plane," Joel said."You don't suppose that Bane has never been the one to grant her spells, do you? Isn't there some spell that allows a priest to give spells to someone who isn't a priest?""Yes," Jedidiah said."But that still leaves the question of who's giving the banelich its own spells.""I hadn't thought of that," Joel said."Walinda's still sleeping.Let's go out in the garden for breakfast," Jedidiah said.Joel followed Jedidiah into the garden.On the little island in the middle of the pond, someone had set a tray with bread and honey and milk and berries.After they had eaten, Joel related in detail his conversation with Walinda.When he mentioned Walinda's comment about the banelich keeping its heart in a silver box, Jedidiah sat straight up and his eyes widened.A low whistle escaped his lips."I never imagined just how crazy the banelich really was," Jedidiah said."Why? What does the silver box mean?" Joel asked."It's his phylactery," Jedidiah explained."It holds a lich's immortality.A lich usually keeps it hidden carefully away.If you destroy a lich's body, it reforms in a day or so around the phylactery.The only way to really kill the lich is to destroy its phylactery.By carrying it with him, the lich is taking a tremendous risk.If he's killed, he won't be able to come back.""Then it would be easy to kill him?" Joel asked excitedly.Jedidiah shook his head."A phylactery explodes when it's destroyed.Kills anyone near it.It would definitely destroy the finder's stone.The lich is so arrogant about its power, it doesn't believe anyone would dare attack it.""Or it could just be too paranoid to give the phylactery to Walinda," Joel supposed.Jedidiah nodded."It wants her completely enslaved to its will.We were talking about the strength Walinda feels when she's near the lich.I think her longing for that strength is one of the reasons the banelich insisted on sending her with us," the older priest said."Despite the talk about her 'supervising" us, it has to know she's no match for the two of us should we decide to take the upper hand.It's relying on her desire for Bane's presence to strengthen her loyalty.Of course, it's playing a dangerous game, risking her soul with heretics like us.""Why?" Joel asked."Not being a god, the banelich can't feel it, but the strengthening cuts both ways.Walinda can strengthen Bane with her devotion
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]