Saturn was the last to arrive. The other six seats were already filled. Natan Crowley sat at the head of the ancient oaken table, Seskip sat opposite Kalda Mot, and Major Valeron Hort, the only non wizard present, sat opposite Rhitt Lindell, one of the shae folk associated with the Rossem project.

     The sixth occupant of the room, Saturn was surprised to see, was the male Felisian prisoner, sitting among the others as though he were an equal instead of a despised enemy. Haskar, Saturn thought his name was. "What the Hell is going on here?" he demanded, staring at him as if he expected him to produce a weapon and start laying about with it at any moment.

     "Take a seat, Saturn," said the Director, indicting an empty chair. Saturn ignored it, though, and instead took the chair opposite the Felisian, where he could keep a close eye on him. "Well?" he demanded. "Who's going to start talking?"

     Natan Crowley gestured to the Head Proctor to explain the situation.

     "We have come to an arrangement with the Felisians," said Seskip, speaking to the whole table but clearly directing his words primarily at Saturn. "In return for a pardon for their crimes, their acts of sabotage and the accidental death of Schoena Scull, they have agreed to give us the exact location of the transdimensional portal they used to cross into our universe. We..."

     "You were supposed to read the information right out of their heads!" snapped Saturn furiously. "Whatever they know, we can simply take without..."

     "Neither of the two individuals we captured knew the location of the portal," hissed back Seskip. "That information was known only to their leader and their navigator, neither of whom we were able to catch. In return for the promise of an amnesty, however, Haskar has put us in contact with their leader, and we have been in communication with him for some time."

     Saturn could only stare, his single eye wide with astonishment. "Why was I not informed of this?" he thundered. The shae flinched as if his anger had been directed at him.

     "You had your job to do and I had mine," replied Seskip, his disturbingly reptilian face split in a broad grin of pleasure at his rival's discomfiture. "My job was to deal with the prisoners in whatever way I saw fit, which is what I have done."

     "I am the head of the Rossem Project!" roared Saturn, growing red with fury. Kalda Mot, who knew what the wizard was capable of when his temper was raised, cringed back in his seat, wishing with all his might that he were elsewhere. Valeron Hort, meanwhile, was examining Saturn's face with a professional interest. He'd never seen a wizard in a real rage before, not even back in the war. It was a revelation that they were able to lose their temper just like ordinary men.

     "I am supposed to be kept informed of all developments having to do with the project," continued Saturn. "Unless, that is, the Director has chosen to replace me!"

     "Oh do sit down," said Natan Crowley irritably. "That's why you're here, to be informed of developments..."

     "After the event!" roared Saturn, his eye fixed on the Head Proctor. "I should have been informed as soon as this, this deal, was even considered!"

     "Would you have advised against it?" asked Natan Crowley, eying him shrewdly. Of all the wizards present, it was perhaps the Director who understood him the best.

     Saturn was taken aback by the question. The truth was, it was exactly the sort of thing he might have suggested himself. As they had examined world after world and found no sign of any place capable of supporting life, let alone a civilisation capable of building the Rossem ship, he had long ago come to the conclusion that their theory, that there had to be a portal somewhere, leading to another universe, was correct, but they might have searched for years before finding it. They had to get the information from the Felisians, therefore, but if neither of their prisoners possessed that information... He saw now that a deal had been obvious and necessary, but why hadn't he been informed until now? Had it been a deliberate ploy on the part of the Head Proctor to make him erupt in fury in front of the Director? To make him look like a fool? If so, it had worked splendidly. He made an effort to get himself back under control, therefore, but he treated Seskip to another glare of hatred before speaking again. "So, what did we learn?" he asked, almost hissing the words.

     The Director gestured to the Felisian, inviting him to speak. Haskar looked at Saturn, sitting across the table from him, and felt the anger and hostility coming off him in waves. He felt the beads of nervous sweat appearing on his forehead as he forced himself to meet his gaze squarely.

     "First of all, I would like to express my deep sadness and regret for the death of Schoena Scull," he said. "It was never our intent to hurt anyone. When we learned that you were building a ship to cross the spaces between the worlds, we feared that you would colonise our world and enslave our people, as others have done so many times in our history. We didn't realise your true motives until recently, and even then there were those who feared that you would take advantage of us when you discovered us. All we wanted was to force you to abandon your project. Your civilisation is so much greater than ours, both in numbers and in achievements. We knew that we would have no chance if conflict should break out between us. What we did, we did out of fear and the need to protect what small population we have left. There are so few of us now, and even fewer who have the full ability to transform..."

     "I am not interested in your motives," interrupted Saturn. "If I had my way, you and your accomplices would be punished for the crime of murder and we would go to your world to seek out and punish your superiors, those who sent you on your mission of death and destruction."

     "But once you had done that, you would then be at peace with them, wouldn't you?" asked Natan Crowley. "You would feel no need to punish innocent members of their race, individuals who had nothing to do with the crimes of their leaders?"

     He was speaking for the benefit of the Felisian, Saturn knew. Wanted to reassure him that his people had nothing to fear from Tharia. "No government can exist without the support of its population," said Saturn, however. "Even totalitarian regimes could be overthrown if their excesses outraged their people enough, but I feel no need to inflict more suffering upon the Felisian race than they have already experienced. I will restrict my feelings to those who actually committed the crimes."

     Haskar breathed a sigh of relief. Saturn was the one whose rage and vengeance he'd feared more than anyone else's. If he said his race was safe, he was finally ready to believe it.

     "And now?" prompted the wizard impatiently. "The information you promised?"

     The Felisian nodded and began to speak.

                                    To be continued.

The story of The Rossem Project continues…

The Worlds of the Sheaf

     The Rossem Project is close to success, and will allow a hand picked expedition to explore other worlds, searching for the threat that faces the planet Tharia, but as they begin their mission they discover that there are many other threats out there, and that the one they originally feared may be the very least of them...

The Gem Lords

     Thomas Gown’s connection to a group of powerful wizards who lived thousands of years ago is finally revealed, and he learns that he may be able to save his world and his civilisation, along with others beyond number, from a threat that will manifest itself in the far distant future, but that the only way he can do this is by accepting a destiny that has been chosen for him by ancient, implacable powers centuries ago. If he does this, though, it would mean sacrificing any hope for a normal life and leaving his home, his wife and his child forever...

Have you read the tale of The Fourth Shadowwar?

The Sceptre of Samnos

     At the end of the Third Shadowwar, the forces of evil were defeated so thoroughly, so completely, that no-one thought they would ever threaten civilisation again, but they were wrong. Terribly, disastrously wrong...

Defenders of the Faith

     War is coming, and the Beltharan Empire has only a few weeks to prepare for the greatest crisis in its history. Frenzied preparations are made, amongst which is an expedition to a lost and forgotten fortress to recover an ancient artifact, the creation of one of the mightiest wizards in history and possessing power beyond imagination. The fate of the world may depend on it, but the spies of the enemy are everywhere and the expedition may already have been betrayed…

The Sword of Retribution

     Once again the armies of darkness are sweeping across the world and this time there may be no stopping them. Only by standing together can the heroes of civilization hope to prevail, but at this hour of their greatest trial the mightiest of their number is absent, fighting a less important war in the World Below, unaware of the deadly peril facing all mankind. He must be recalled to stand beside his brothers in arms, but to reach him a small group of volunteers must cross some of the deadliest terrain on or under the world, facing dangers beyond their ability to imagine…

The Fallen World

     Lost and alone, disheartened by failure and wanting only to go home, Thomas Gown and his companions face the darkest hour of their lives when they stumble across a remnant of the once mighty Agglemonian Empire. There they make a stunning discovery that could mean the salvation of the world if only they can get word to the desperate, embattled armies of civilization, but instead they face a lifetime of crippling servitude, hopeless prisoners of the insane tyrant, Lord Basil Konnen…

The Caverns of Kronos

     Thomas Gown and his companions have escaped from captivity, but only by fleeing deeper into the unknown, to face new dangers. They are carrying a secret that could save the world, though, and they have a duty to take it to those who can make use of it, but to do that they must return to the city of Kronosia, to go back among those from whom they have only just escaped…

The Scrolls of Skava

     The fate of the world hangs in the balance. Belthar faces imminent defeat, and if the empire falls there will be nothing left to oppose the armies of darkness. One hope remains, one last all or nothing gamble, but for it to succeed the heroes of civilization have to find a way to team up with their bitterest enemies, creatures every bit as evil as the Bone Prince but whose existence is also threatened by the undead hordes. Side by side, they must march together into the very heart of the Shadow…