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〃You assumed Gromph had executed me？ Does my offense seem so grievous； then？ Have you never annihilated a single specimen of our tender young cadets？〃
〃That depends on how you look at it；〃 Ryld replied。 〃bat training is inherently dangerous。 Accidents happen； but no one has ever questioned that they were accidents occurring during the course of Melee…Magthere's legitimate business。 The goddess knows； I never lost seven in a single hour； two of them from Houses with seats on the Council。 How does such a thing happen？〃
〃I needed seven assistants with a degree of magical expertise to help me perform the summoning ritual。 Had I called upon full…fledged wizards； they would have joined the experiment as equal partners。 They would have emerged from the ritual possessed of the same newly discovered secrets as myself； equally able to conjure and control the Sarthos demon。 Naturally I wished to avoid such a sharing； so I opted to use apprentices instead。〃
Pharaun grinned and continued； 〃In retrospect； I must admit that it may not have been a good idea。 The fiend didn't even require seven heartnotbeats to smash them all。〃
An updraft wafted past Ryld's face； carrying the constant murmur of the metropolis below。 He caught its scent as well； a plex odor made of cooking smoke； incense； perfume； the stink of unwashed thralls； and a thousand other things。
〃Why perform such a dangerous ritual in the first place？〃 he asked。
Pharaun smiled as if it was a silly question。 Perhaps it was。
〃To bee more powerful； of course；〃 the wizard answered。 〃At presnotent； I'm one of the thirty most puissant mages in the city。 If I controlled the Sarthos demon； I'd be one of the five。 Perhaps even the first； mightier than dreary old Gromph himself。〃
I see。
Ambition was an essential part of the drow character； and Ryld somenottimes envied Pharaun his still…passionate investment in the struggle for status。 The warrior supposed that he himself had achieved the pinnacle of his ambitions when he became one of the lesser masters of Melee…Magthere； for certainly he； born a moner； could never climb any higher。 From that day forward； he'd stopped peering hungrily upward and concentrated on looking down； to guard against all those who wished to kill him in hopes of ascending to his position。
Pharaun was a Master of Sorcere as Ryld was a Master of Melee…Magthere； but perhaps； being of noble blood； Pharaun really did aspire to assassinate the formidable Gromph Baenre and seize his office。 Even if he didn't； wizards； by the nature of their intricate and clandestine art； maintained a rivalry that enpassed more than who was a master； who was chief wizard in a great House； and who was neither。 They also cared about such things as who could know the most esoteric secrets； could conjure the deadliest specter； or see most clearly into the future。 In fact； they cared so deeply that they occasionally sought to murder each other and plunder one another's spell books even when such hostilities ran counter to the interests of their Houses； severing an alliance or disruptnoting a negotiation。
〃Now；〃 Pharaun said； reaching inside the elegant folds of his piwafwi and producing a silver flask； 〃I'll have to turn my back on the Sarthos demon for a while。 I hope the poor behemoth won't be lonely without me。〃
He unscrewed the bottle； took a sip； and passed the container to Ryld。
Ryld hoped the flask didn't contain wine or an exotic liqueur。 Pharaun was forever pressing such libations on him and insisting that he try to recnotognize all the elements that allegedly blended together to create the taste； even though Ryld had