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.I can recall once feeling philosophical inthe abstract and deciding, yes, it would be okay to sacrifice one innocentfor the good of the many.That was back in college, and haÒ something to dowith principles.But Coral was my friend, my cousin, and technically mylover-though under a set of circumstances that should hardly count; and aquick check of my feelings, so as not to be caught up short again, indicatedthat I could fall in love with her.All of which meant that philosophy hadlost yet another round in the real world."How long ago did she send these people off, Jurt?" "I don't know whenthey left-or even if they've left yet," he replied."And with the timedifferential, they could be gone and back already for that matter.""True," I said, and, "Shit!"He turned and looked at me."It's important in all sorts of other ways, too, I suppose?" he said."It is to her, and she is to me," I answered.His expression changed to one of puzzlement. Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html"In that case," he said, "why don't you just let them bring her to you?If you have to take the throne, it will sweeten things.If you don't, you'llhave her with you, anyhow.""Feelings are hard enough to keep secret, even around non-sorcerers," Isaid."She could be used as a hostage against my behavior.""Oh.I hate to say this pleases me.What I mean is.I'm pleasedyou care about someone else."I lowered my head.I wanted to reach out and touch him, but I didn't.Jurt made a little humming noise, as he sometimes had when ponderingthings as a kid.Then, "We've got to get her before they do, and move her tosomeplace safe," he said."Or take her away from them if they've already gother."" `We'?"He smiled, a rare event."You know what I've become.I'm tough.""I hope so," I said."But you know what'll happen.; if there are anywitnesses to say it was a couple of the Sawall brothers behind this? Mostlikely a vendetta with Hendrake.""Even if Dara talked them into it?""It'll look like she set them up.""Okay," he said."No witnesses."I could have said that averting vendetta would save a lot of otherlives, but that would have sounded hypocritical even if I didn't mean itthat way.Instead, "That power you gained in the Fountain," I said, "givesyou something I've heard referred to as a `living Trump' effect.Seems to meyou were able to transport Julia as well as yourself with it." Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlHe nodded."Can it get us from here to Kashfa in a hurry?" The distant sound of anenormous gong filled the air."I can do anything the cards can do," he said,"andI can take someone along with me.The only problem is that the Trumpsthemselves don't have that range.I'd have to take us there in a series ofjumps."The gong sounded again."What's going on?" I asked."The noise?" he said."That's notice that the funeral is about tobegin.It can be heard throughout the Courts.""Bad timing.""Maybe, maybe not.It's giving me an idea." "Tell me about it.""It's our alibi if we have to take out some Hendrakes.""How so?""The time differential.We go to the funeral and get seen.We slip out,run our errand, come back, and attend the rest of the service.""You think the flow will allow that?""I think there's a good chance, yes.I've done a lot of jumping around.I'm starting to get a real feel for flows.""Then we'll give it a try.The more confusion the better."Again, the gong.Red, the color of the fire of life that fills us, is the color ofmourning garments in the Courts.I used the spikard rather than the Sign of Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlthe Logrus to summon suitable clothing for myself.I'd a desire to avoid anycommerce, even the most mundane, with that Power, for now.Jurt then trumped us to his quarters, where he had suitable garments ofhis own from the last funeral he'd attended.I'd a small desire to see myold room, too.Sometime, perhaps, when I wasn't rushed.We washed up, combed, trimmed, dressed quickly.I took on a changedform then, as did Jurt, and we went through the ritual again at this level,before garbing ourselves for the occasion.Shirt, breeches, jacket, cloak,anklets, bracelets, scarf, and bandanna-we looked incendiary.Weapons had tobe left behind.We planned to return for them on the way out."Ready?" Jurt asked me."Yes."He caught hold of my arm and we were transported, arriving at theinward edge of the Plaza at the End of the World, where a blue sky darkenedabove a conflagration of mourners milling along the route the processionwould take.We passed among them, in hope of being seen by as many aspossible.I was greeted by a few old acquaintances.Unfortunately, mostwanted to stop and talk, not having seen me for some time.Jurt had similarproblems.Most also wondered why we were here, rather than back at theThelbane, the massive, glassy needle of Chaos far to our rear.Periodically,the air would vibrate as the gong continued its slow sounding.I felt it inthe ground, also, as we were very near to its home.We made our way slowlyacross the Plaza, toward the massive pile of black stone at the very edge ofthe Pit, its gate an archway of frozen flame, as was its downward stair,each tread and riser time-barred fire, each railing the same.The roughamphitheater below us was also fire-furnished, self-illumed, facing the Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlblack block at the end of everything, no wall behind it, but the openemptiness of the Pit and its singularity whence all things came.No one was entering it yet, and we stood near the gates of fire andlooked back along the route the procession would follow.We nodded tofriendly demonic faces, quivered to the note of the gong, watched the skydarken a little further.Suddenly, my head was filled with a powerfulpresence
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