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."Elminster sighed and nodded."A nice phrase, Thauntar.Yet the wizards are dead-and an impressive heap of them, too."The one-eyed warrior shrugged in his mismatched old armor and replied, "1 try to see truth, as the Lady we both serve taught me to, and I apprehend you may have heard far more than what is true.The treaty is not a war alliance, but a non-aggression pact.Aglarond achieves its own survival-for a few years, at least-and Thay wins an unopposed chance to infiltrate and influence.In the longer term, they will absorb Ilione's realm with a minimum of cost and effort."Elminster shrugged.Thauntar raised one rusty gauntlet and added, "Moreover, this agreement was won only after the one called the Simbul slaughtered three sets of visiting Thayan emissaries.""Aye, and why would she do that? Were they all rude to her?""What Thayan isn't rude to nigh everyone outside Thay? But there's more, Lord: All of those envoys turned out to be wizards eager to spell-slay everyone in the palace, once they were settled inside it.""I heard this Simbul blasts almost every mage she meets with-and yet I can scarce believe the sum of her harvest, in so short a time!""The Simbul, Lord.and mark my words: she destroys only those who strike against Aglarond.""Oh, come-mages from Cormyr?'"An embassy arrives from a city in Chessenta this very night, Lord.Yet Thayan agents lurk within its ranks.So, too, did Cormyr unwittingly harbor serpents of Thay."Elminster frowned."I thank thee for thy counsel, wise Thauntar.I will go andsee this Thay-slayer for myself.""That's always best," the warrior agreed.They nodded and then embraced, clapping each other's shoulders.Waving their hands in salutes, they parted-the one in a whirl of spell sparks, and the other trudging on up over the hill in worn boots.I SUPPOSE YOU LOVED HIM TOO, THIS BRAWNY WARRIOR?No, but Mystra did.AND?And nothing.He died.HAH! HER TIME AND ATTENTION WASTED!Not so.She does not regard humans as tools, to be measured by their usefulness to her ends of the moment, but rather as flowers to be nurtured in a garden.Each passing year holds a better display, and affords grander possibilities.[diabolic snort, clawing aside of memories like cobweb curtains, pain visited on gasping wizard]STOP WASTING MY TIME, ELMINSTER.The Mouth of Moreyeus shuddered in open fear as the slender, wild-haired woman in the simple mauve gown languidly made the hand sign for peaceful parley.Her waist was girt about with a sash, not a belt, and she bore no weapon.Even her feet were bare on the grass of the courtyard."Aglarond bids you welcome," she said with a smile that held sly amusement.Her hair was a fall of white splendor, but her eyes were dark mysteries."All who would be our true friends are welcome here."Behind the gold-bedecked, many-ringed Mouth, in his gold-woven garments and spade beard, the other envoys and factors regarded her in silence.Some trembled openly.Others clenched white hands on weapons or talismans.Not a few were drenched with sweat.She gave them all a warm, almost motherly smile and turned to lead them up the last bends of the path.Gracious and regal she seemed, more a ruler than an apprentice.Only a few stray motes of light, drifting like restless stars in her wake, revealed the might of her risen Art-a spell shield that would turn any treachery striking at her back.Not a man present thought that those little stars were visible by accident.Twas said that leaves did not dare drop in Aglarond without the Simbul's expressly granted will.The path wound amid pools of lily pads.Tiny bright fish called sunsilver leaped to snatch gnats from the air.The trail led up across shaded garden slopes to a side entrance of the palace.Warmed by the Simbul's smile as she ushered them across the threshold, the embassy filed within.The seneschal stepped into their wake-and casually blasted certain of the men ahead of her to ash with a bright arc of ravening spells.The untouched survivors screamed
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