Chapter 144
Part 21
“Well, we’ve been considering who might’ve forced Yzell’s mind.” Six exined. “Only the gods could
see through the time-bubble from the outside, and they led us to believe that they couldn’t act through it
without taking it down. They’ve also said that it takes more than one of them to maintain a time-bubble
that big, and I’m sure the gods who’re maintaining it could tell if another god was trying to see through it
or act through it. So, for it to be done from outside, there has to be a conspiracy of the gods, they’d
have to be doing what they told us they couldn’t do, and all of them are sworn on The Truthstone. Plus,
unless they were watching us through the time-bubble, I can’t see what motivation they’d have had to
Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!
do it.
“I think we can disregard the possibility that it was done from outside.
“When you consider the people with us inside the time-bubble, and ask who had the capability to do it,
who could’ve had a motivation to do it, and who has a twisted enough sense of morality to do it even
though they’re sworn to justice, there’s only one real candidate.
“Quewanak did it. He has the capability. He considers us his protégés and has always been quite
impressed with us, and could certainly see what a benefit forty-four more of us will be to The Just
Alliance. And he’s got a kind of inconsiderate sense of morality. Don’t forget that when me and Fire
were barely toddlers and had no magic and almost no physicalbat ability, Quewanak had us fight
hundreds of adult Sylvan to the death, armed with nothing but our psionics. He could have stopped it at
the beginning of their attack, but he let it go on until just before we were going to be overwhelmed and
killed because he wanted to see what would happen, and he thought it would be good for us.
“I think of every other possible suspect that has the skill to do it and ask myself; are they the kind of
people who could have done this? Yazadril? Dalia? Nek Sibook? Any of the Sylvan Elders? No. None
of them would do something like this, not in a million years. But Quewanak? Sure, he’d do it on a whim.
“Quewanak had the ability, the opportunity, the motivation, the requisite personality, and in my mind he
stands alone as the sole suspect by process of elimination.
“He did it.”
“Well done.” Quewanak chuckled, startling the rest as he appeared. Or rather his head appeared
without the rest of him since he couldn’t fit in the house, which was a rather disconcerting solution to
the problem for Mark and his children. “I hadn’t considered that you might identify me as the author of
the work with absolutely no evidence against me.
“You arepletely correct of course, I did do it, and I feelpletelyfortable with having done
so. It needed to be done; I could see no possibility that the fertility problem would be solved otherwise,
and it was the right thing to do.”
“You think it was right to steal my freedom to decide whether I was going to have children?!!” Mark
demanded in rage. “Was it right to make Yzell think that she’dmitted this crime against me, or to
inflict on my family the stresses and awkwardness that this situation has put on our rtionships?!! To
force me to raise forty-four more children at the same time?!!”
“These are extreme times, that sometimes require extreme measures.” Quewanak patiently exined.
“You’ve solved the problem of how to raise the children well, and though I knew not how you’d do so, I
was confidant that you would.
“I knew that Yzell would be exonerated, and in return for a few minutes of anguish, she was allowed to
aplish a great achievement that will greatly benefit many millions of people over millions of years.
“The stress and awkwardness suffered by your family have been minor.
“And as to my crime against you personally, I’ll make you a deal; After the time-bubble opens, after
sixteen years of subjective time for you spent raising the children I’ve caused you to breed, if you still
feel that I deserve punishment for my crime against you, I will submit to it. If you still feel that you
should confine me or torture me or even kill me for what I’ve done, I will allow you to do so, even
epting the true death, if you truly feel it is my due. I swear it by the soul of Holy Amirgath himself.”
And with a final chuckle, the head of Quewanak disappeared.
“Damn it!” Mark cursed. “There’s not a damn thing to be done about it but ept it, or bring him up on
charges for it before The Assembly and The Pantheon! And frankly, the entire situation seems a bit too
ridiculous for that!”
“Or, we can just let everyone know what happened.” Six mused. “Almost everyone in the Keran-Triax
alliance will be able to see the injustice of what he’s done. Perhaps he doesn’t care what everyone else
thinks of him, but he’ll still have to endure their disapproval, and some of the gods may feel that he
deserves some discipline for it.”
Mark angrily considered that for a few seconds, then finally calmed himself, took a deep breath, and
shook his head. “No, I don’t really want to do that either. As strange as he is, Quewanak has been a
good friend to us in many ways. This almost feels more like a problem within our family than a matter
for public prosecution.
“After I’ve made the Ascension, I’ll deal with it.
“In the meantime, we’ll go back to the meeting.”
They did so, and were joined there by Alilia and Talia a few minutester. They checked in with Povon,
Kragorram, and Karz, who were busy integrating the Serminaki forces into the attack n. Since they
had a week before the exercise began, by that time they nned to have most of Serminaki Draconia
trained with the new Xervian Draconian Void-proofing spell, and to be able to bring most of Serminak’s
dragons into the fray. They also nned to be able to field at least three thousand of Six and
Kragorram’s void craft crewed by twenty-four battle wizards each; all of them Serminak and Hilia’s best.
Within another hour the n was set, and Yazadril announced that it was so.
Just as Somonik took the stage to close the meeting Mark appeared there as well, so Somonik calmly
announced him as smoothly as if it had been nned.
“Prince Mark of Hilia; Lord of Serminak, Key to The Just Alliance.”
“Thank you Somonik.” Mark said with a bow to the white dragon, and spoke directly to him. “As you
know, all of the rulers and ruling members of The Just Alliance have been invited to a state wedding
some two hours from now, dering the love shared between myself, Princess Talia, and Princess
Alilia of The People of Life, and dering an alliance by marriage between The People of Life, Hilia,
and Serminak.
“However, Quewanak will not be attending. We’re not pleased with him right now, and we’re rescinding
his invitation. He can watch it in Revealings along with everyone else who didn’t receive an invitation.
“He was scheduled to perform the ceremony. That being the case, I most humbly ask you; Somonik,
First of The Ny-Nine of Xervian Draconia, Speaker for The Assembly of The Just Alliance, Most
Noble of All, would you conduct my wedding? Sorry it’s such short notice.”
“I would be most honored to do so.” Somonik replied with a grin and a bow as humble as Mark’s had
been.
“Excellent. You can consult with Yazadril as to the specifics of it. Thank you, and I’ll see you there!”
“You are most wee.” Somonik chuckled as Mark left the stage, walking back to his family on a
whim.
“That concludes our congress here today.” Somonik dered. “Please keep sending your updated
status reports as soon as they be avable.
“We thank our guests from The Triax, and look forward to continuing to work closely with you in the
days ahead.
“We will next meet immediately after the uing joint battle exercise, tentatively scheduled for one
week from now. That meeting will be limited to rulers and all military personnel down to the rank of
Colonel or its equivalent, unless unforeseen circumstances make it advisable to include other
personnel.
“Until then, be well."