"When Tak eventually returned to Castle Nagra, he took a whole cartload of stuff with him," Thomas told Lirenna a few days later.

     It was fortunate that they were going through a bit of a quiet patch as far as work was concerned. They couldn't do much until Saturn and his associates had finished the new Orb of Skydeath Detection and installed it aboard the Jules Verne, so no-one had noticed his bleary faced, sunken eyed condition the day after his telling his wife of the death of Gannlow. Work was being found for them on a couple of the University's less important projects which, fortunately, didn't require any spellcasting at this stage. Privately, he was glad of the break. All the rush and tension of the Rossem project had been quite stressful and exhausting for everyone concerned, and he was in no hurry for it all to come back.

     "Chilgrone was happy for Tak to take away all Gannlow's private notebooks for further study," Thomas continued, looking up into Lirenna's raptly attentive eyes, "and he'd learned so many of the rak's spells that he needed two new spellbooks of his own to keep them all in. Tak had also taken some interesting books from Gannlow's private library, mostly dealing with the kind of obscure and arcane matters that so fascinated him, and in addition he had the three 'diaries' of the demigods, just in case he managed, in later years, to get more out of them. In fact, however, they stopped working altogether just a couple of years later, although he hung onto them even then, seeking the help and advice of wise men from all across the island continent in his quest for ways to reactivate them. To the best of my knowledge, though, they never worked again, and whatever further secrets they contained were lost forever."

     "It sounds as though he stripped the mansion bare," said Lirenna, a little doubtfully. "Didn't Chilgrone have anything to say about this wholesale plunder?"

     "Chilgrone was so grateful to Tak for ridding him of Gannlow that he was happy for him to take whatever he wanted," replied Thomas. "And the truth was that he was old, too old to do much magic any more. All he wanted was a quiet, comfortable place to live out the rest of his life, and Tak gave him that. Tak took nothing of the rak's treasure, not even the reward he'd earned for his work on the 'diaries'. He considered that what he'd gained in knowledge and scope for further study was reward enough, and so Chilgrone was left happy and wealthy behind him. I presume he remained happy and wealthy for the rest of his days, but I can't say that for certain because Tak never saw nor heard from him again. Still, let's assume the best, shall we?"

     Thomas paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts. "He remained in Castle Nagra for some months, putting things back in order, making sure that everything was as it should be. He found that he had a new cook and caretaker, Trobo had hired a new couple when their predecessors had left to live with their son and daughter-in-law, but Trobo himself was just as he'd always been. He welcomed Tak back, helped him unpack, and then it was as though he'd never been away. Tak was more certain than ever that his houseman was no normal human being. He couldn't be, not with not a single additional grey hair or line on his face than on the first day he'd seen him, all those years before. He had to be some creature of Khalkedon, some kind of magically created being, and so Tak was careful not to give away any hint of what he'd been doing in the Heartlands or what he'd learned. Instead, when several weeks had passed and he was confident that everything was as it should be, he locked himself in the divinatory and contacted Barl Hobson using the Stone of Whispering..."

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     "Are you sure no-one can overhear us like this?" Tak asked nervously, glancing over his shoulder to make sure the door was still closed behind him.

     "Who knows what Khalkedon's capable of?" replied Barl. "However, we've plotted against him before using these things and he's shown no sign that he knew anything about it. I think it's safe."

     "Even so," said Tak, "I'd prefer to talk in person, somewhere where we can be sure no-one's eavesdropping. There are things we need to discuss, all of us. Can you arrange for everyone to get together in one spot, the more lonely and deserted the better?"

     "I reckon so," replied Barl. "You've got something then?"

     "Yeah, I have. I think we've got him. Between the seven of us, we can take him out."

     "That's great! Did you have anywhere in particular in mind?"

     "Not really. Somewhere like the Krulldowns perhaps. Somewhere we can be sure of not being interrupted."

     "The Krulldowns sound good. Okay, I'll put the word out. It may take some time to arrange the absence of all of us without anyone noticing..."

     "There's no hurry. We've waited this long. Let me know when you've got something."

     "Will do."

     The other wizard then broke the connection, but Tak remained standing before the stone for some minutes, deep in thought, before moving away.

☆☆☆

     Barl called back two weeks later. The meeting was on. The Krulldowns were to be the place. Specifically, the ruins of a long abandoned castle that was now rumoured to be the abode of ghosts and other fearsome spirits. Its dire reputation, plus its distance from the nearest village, meant there was little chance of anyone disturbing them.

     Tak nodded, pleased by the choice while at the same time hoping that the ghost stories were just that. Stories. He knew that real ghosts were thankfully rare, but Fell Castle was just the sort of place they were likely to be found. Not that there was really anything to fear even if it was haunted. Ghosts were almost never seen by groups of people. It was always single people, out by themselves, or at most two people together, who ran screaming down the street, their hair turned white by the sheer terror the apparitions generated. The spirits tended to avoid crowds, so a group of seven wizards almost certainly had nothing to worry about.

     "The meeting's set for the first day of secspring, nine days from now," added Barl. "That'll be a busy day for our beloved master. There's a spell that can only be cast on that day, so there's little chance of his getting near his crystal ball. We've all got plausible reasons for being away from our accustomed places, and hopefully no-one will twig that we're all away at the same time. Khalkedon's decision to keep you scattered in keeps and castles all across his realm is working in our favour for once."

     "About time something worked in our favour," said Tak. "Nine days, then. See you there."

     The Krulldowns were a dismal place. Wide and flat, the treeless horizon veiled behind the drifting mists rising from the fens and marshes waiting to trap the careless visitor. The only roads were narrow and winding to avoid the areas of perilously shifting wetlands and Tak dismounted his horse to lead it by the reins, tapping the ground ahead with the end of a staff to make sure it was still able to bear his weight.

     Around him, will-o-the-wisps darted erratically, as if trying to lead him away from the relative safety of the path. Tak watched them with interest for a few minutes, wondering whether they were intelligent creatures, as some people thought, or just a natural phenomenon of the wetlands. There did indeed seem to be some pattern to their flight, seemingly just beyond his ability to discern, but if they were intelligent, how did they communicate? If he were able to find that out, was it possible that he might be able to talk to them? The idea excited him for a moment, but then he felt the ground grow spongy under his feet and retreated hurriedly. He was still on the road. The ground must have sunk ahead of him.

     He thought about backing up and taking another road, but time was pressing. He couldn't be late for the gathering. Looking ahead, he could see a growth of sickly looking shrubs a dozen yards away, showing that the ground rose and dried out again. He only had to cross a small marshy region. He'd have to chance it. He edged forward, therefore, slowly and cautiously.

     Half an hour later, his trousers muddy and wet up to the knees, he reached the drier ground and paused to allow himself and his horse to rest. That had been close, and he realised that he'd been a fool to take such a risk. He knew no spells that would save him if the ground gave way completely beneath him. It would be ironic if he were killed by a simple marsh on his way to do battle with a rak. He resolved to be more careful in future, but a few minutes later he was leading his reluctant horse through the straggly grass again, his caution slipping from his mind in the knowledge that time was passing and that the time scheduled for the meeting was getting steadily closer.

     At about midday he finally saw the ruined towers of the old castle ahead of him, rising stark and bare above the emptiness of the downs. Six horses were tethered in the gatehouse. He must be the last to arrive, and he hoped they hadn't been waiting too long. He tethered his horse beside the others and picked his way carefully across the rubble strewn threshold.

     They were all there, waiting for him in the weed choked courtyard, and it occurred to Tak that this was the first time the seven of them had all been gathered together in one place. Red haired Barl Hobson was standing beside green eyed Talpha-Ja, both of them watching him as he walked across to join them, and nearby were Enna Mael and Sheena Kun, white and black skinned shoulders touching as they chatted softly. Over in the corner were the two he hadn't met before. Alustra Jarel, her hair flowing down her back in a perfect flame, as silkily white as newly fallen snow, and Lan Del-Tora whose eyes seemed always to be shifting in colour. Green one moment, then blue, then gold, although the change never seemed to be apparent so that it seemed more as though they were some colour that existed nowhere else in the world and that those who saw them had to interpret in terms of the colours they knew. His skin was almost as dark as Sheena's, but the form of his face resembled more the sea folk of the Aenian Islands, some of whom Tak had met during his visits to the Heartlands. He regarded Tak curiously as he joined the others, then nodded a greeting before moving a step closer.