'The Straight God works in many ways,' Alwir grated. 'If our strike against the Dark in their Nests is to succeed, we shall need both the troops of the Empire of Alketch in the south and the wizards of the west.'

Like flint, his words struck fire from those steely eyes. The Straight God has no truck with the tools of Satan,' she snapped, 'nor with those who foul their hands with such tools.'

'We are beyond the time when a ruler can pick and choose his tools.'

'There is never a time when siding with the Crooked One is excusable.'

Quietly, Gil took Ingold's arm, and they descended the steps to the main body of the shadowed Aisle. The old man moved slowly, stiffly, leaning on his staff. Those who had crowded around to see the confrontation between wizard and Chancellor fell back from him, murmuring and making the sign against evil. Rudy fell quietly into step with them. He nodded back to where the Chancellor and the Bishop were still squabbling and shook his head. 'I don't believe this.'

'Oh, come, Rudy,' Ingold said mildly. They haven't any proof that I did more than endanger the whole Keep by opening the inner gates.' He glanced sideways, sunken eyes amused.

'But I saw the motherloving runes!' Rudy exploded. They disappeared, goddammit!'

'Did they? Gil looked across at him curiously. 'You know, I didn't see anything at all. I could feel - things, forces, in the air. But it was just - darkness.'

Frustrated, Rudy turned to Ingold for support. 'Of course they did,' the wizard said. 'But you were the only person in the Keep capable of seeing - you and Bektis.'

'And it would be worth Bektis'job to say so,' Gil added wryly.

She looked tired, Rudy thought, and no wonder. Coming down from Karst and training with the Guards, Gil had begun to have the look of a half-starved alley cat. He had never understood her, either as an intolerant, intellectual scholar in California or now as a warrior of the Keep. But having seen her standing behind Ingold as he faced down all the armies of the night, Rudy felt an awe of her that amounted almost