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Shamefaced； I went back to unlock the door。 Inside the room the two little girls had settled upon one of the pallets and were engaged in a game of a curious kind。 I turned my face away； flushing。 Evidently they were not totally mindless。 They had been trained to do at least one thing。 〃What now？〃 I asked Mavin。
〃Now I need to think；〃 she rasped。 I could not understand her anger until she spoke again。 〃What is he up to； that fustigar…vomit？ What does he mean saying you were created by the Council？ I know better than he how you were created； and it was in the usual way。 No Council had part in it save the counsel between man and woman。 He seeks to trick these magicians in some way for some reason。 What is the reason？
〃Who are these people； these magicians who do not like to be called magicians？ They say they are 'faculty' of a 'college。' Well； I know what a college is。 It is only another word for school。 Windlow had a college。 So did Mertyn。 What are faculty except schoolmasters。 Hm？ Except these seem strangely preoccupied with signs and rituals； speaking often of signtists and Searchers。 Is this some kind of religion？ Manacle claims himself descended from original Searchers。 Well enough。 Searchers after what？ They hold Gamesmen in contempt。 There are no women among them。 They seem to admit only four kinds of beings： themselves； monsters； Gamesmen； and pawns。〃
〃Tallmen；〃 I offered。
〃Only a lesser kind of monster； or perhaps I should say a superior kind of monster。 What is this Council that Huld uses to frighten them with； as a nursemaid uses night…bogie to frighten naughty children？〃
〃Himaggery spoke of a Council。 I thought he said it was a group of very powerful Gamesmen…I think he said Gamesmen。 They search out heresy 。。。〃
〃Some such group has been rumored； yes。 But is it that group which Huld speaks of？ And meantime we know nothing about Himaggery and Windlow except that they are 'in the laboratories。' Where are the 'laboratories'？ What are they？ We are rattling around in here like seeds in a dry gourd； making a slithering noise with no sense。 e； son； set a plan for us。〃
To hear Mavin say this in such noise and frustration amused me。 There was no time to be amused； no time to treasure that moment； but I stored it away to gloat over later。 Of such moments are adulthood made。 I almost said 〃manhood；〃 but thought better of that。 〃We must not be misled by the puzzle；〃 I told her。 〃Whatever the Council is； whatever this place may be； whatever the history of the place or its reasons for existence…none of these are more important than Himaggery and Windlow。 Manacle will meet Huld after tonight's meeting。 So we will go to the meeting and hear what is said。 After that we will follow Manacle to his meeting with Huld； and Didir must protect me as best she can。 If we are inconspicuous； we will likely pass unnoticed。〃
When I said the word； inconspicuous； it made me think of Chance； and for a moment I was overe with a terrible homesickness for him； for Schooltown； for the known and familiar and sure。 I gasped； but Mavin had not noticed。
〃I will be inconspicuous；〃 she growled。 〃And I will be patient； but this place itches me。〃
It itched me； too； as I tried to find the place of the meeting。 No mind I sought through knew of the meeting or where it might be held。 〃An exclusive group；〃 murmured Mavin； when I told her this。 〃Do you suppose the room is never cleaned？〃
This took me a moment to puzzle out。 Then I understood that the room would undoubtedly be cleaned by someone； a pawn。 I began to search among pawnish minds； Didir dipping here and there as we moved above the place。 On the sixth or seventh try； we found a mind which had once known of the place。 We went to it。 All of this had taken so much time that we were there only a moment before the magicians began to arrive； only time to find a dark corner in a kind of balcony over the main room where two additional chair…like shapes would go unnoticed。 The place was under a duct which brought in heat； and Mavin settled into it with a tired sigh。
〃One more shift and I would have started to eat myself；〃 she confessed。 〃I cannot store as you do； my son。〃
I realized with some guilt that Shattnir had gone on storing power for me at every opportunity。 It had begun to feel as natural as breathing。 I let power bleed between us。 〃Take from me；〃 I whispered to her。 〃I feel we will not move from this place for some time。〃
One wall of the place below was made up of hundreds of tiny windows； blank and black； except that on one or two a light crawled wormlike and green。 One end of the long table had a slanted surface with buttons and knobs on it。 There had been many surfaces like that in this place； controls for the contrivances of the magicians。 Both the windows and the control surface looked dusty； unused。 A side wall held rows of portraits； face after face； mushroom pale above black garb； gold plates identifying each in letters too small for me to read。 The last portrait in the bottom row was of Manacle； however； which told us enough。 The tops of the higher frames were black with dust。 The carpet of the place was worn through in spots。 At each chair was set an empty bottle and a drinking glass； a pad of yellowed paper and a writing implement。 At one place the writing implement had been shifted in position； and I could see a pale pattern of it where it had once lain upon the paper。 Whoever might once have cleaned the place had not done so recently； perhaps not for years。 Dust lay upon everything in a thick； gray film。
Quench came in to sit at the place where the writing implement had been moved。 He moved it back onto its shadow； carefully； centering it upon its image before settling into the chair； arms folded across his wide torso。 The lines of his boxlike hat seemed to continue downward through his head； obdurately square。
Others entered。 There were whispers； mumbling conversations。 I risked a questing thought to get pictures of long； half ruined corridors； tumbled portals far to the north and south； ramified networks of dusty catabs； buried in decay。 One of those who entered had white tabs at his throat。 Others bowed toward him； murmured 〃Rector。〃 Time passed。 Some fifty were assembled before Manacle entered。 Well； now we would learn what we would learn。
〃Evening； gentlemen。 Evening。 Glad to see everyone is here so promptly。 Well； we have a considerable agenda this evening。 Let's call the meeting to order and get started。 Will the Rector give the invocation。〃
The tab…fronted one rose； stared upward and intoned； 〃Oh； Lord； we your children have pursued your purposes for thirty generations upon this planet。 For a thousand years we have been faithful to your mandments。 We have watched the monsters in this place； have kept ourselves separated from them； have kept your sacred ordinances to research and record everything that the monsters do。 Now； as we approach the holy season of Contact With Home； be with us as we consider grave matters which are brought before us。 Let us be mindful of your ordinances as we consecrate monsters to our use in order that your will may be continued unto future generations。 Keep us safe from the vile seducements of Gamesmen and