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I was alone there for a long time； time enough to get hungry； to find my way to a place food was stored for Tallmen； Tallmen who came and went； saying nothing to me in the guise of a Tallman as I also came and went。 The food was tasteless stuff。 but it sustained me。 I slept a time。 I strode back and forth through the mittee room； looking at the portraits of Deans from ancient times to the present。 Perhaps it was my imagination； but they seemed to grow more and more foolish…looking at either end of the time。 Some in the middle looked hard and petent…rather like Himaggery。 I thought about that for a while； without reaching any conclusions。 Then I had a fit of apprehension about Mavin。 Had she been caught？ Perhaps killed？ Was she lying somewhere wounded； waiting for me to rescue her？ I cursed the panic which had driven Didir out of my head and tried to get her back。 Nothing。 The little figure lay in my hand like a stick。 Not a quiver。 No； perhaps a quiver； but remote。 I tried Shattnir once more。 Only a far； faint tingling。 Well； whether it was something in the Gamesmen or something in myself； I could not tell。 My head felt as though it had been struck by lightning。 Perhaps there were fibers there which could be temporarily severed； synapses which could be shocked into quiescence。 I waited。 I walked about。 I chewed my fingernails off； grew others and chewed them off as well。 I was about ready to give up and go on searching alone when she arrived； breathless and weary； desperately glad of the food I had hidden in the balcony of that dusty room。
〃Lords； Peter； but that was a journey；〃 she said； falling into long silence while she chewed the tasteless food； eyes closed； body swaying with fatigue。 〃The techs in that place fiddled about for hours； talking among themselves； mostly about old Quench。 It seems that ancient firebrand has been preaching revolution and rebellion to the techs； along with his other strange activities。 The techs are mere pawns； Peter； brought in here； put in boots； forced to maintain the place。 Some of them are clever。 They have learned a lot though they are not given the chance to learn enough。〃 She swayed； chewed； sighed。 〃At last they put Himaggery and Windlow upon a kind of cart and wheeled it into a corridor where the cart was attached to a train of similar carts； all loaded with bodies and blues and crates of one thing or another。 I hid myself on one of the carts； and a group of pawns rode it as well。 Most of them are older men。 I believe there have been no young techs trained for some time。〃 She stopped to sip some of the bottled water I had found。 〃Lords； what a journey。 We went north and west； I think； though it is hard to say because of the ways the corridors curve and join。 Whatever the direction； we went far and long to the place they keep the bodies； distant and high； lying under some great glacier； I think…some source of endless cold。 They are stacked there； Peter； thousands of them； piled like wood for the war…ovens。 Endless aisles of them。 I saw Throsset of Dornes。 He was on top of a pile； like a carving。 I saw Minery Mindcaster。 I knew her when I was a child and she a marvelous； twinned Talent。 They drove the carts into a side room and left them； then they all got on the one little machine which had hauled the rest and went away。 There was no place on it for me to hide； and they all knew one another。〃 She put her hand on mine； still shaking with cold。 〃So； I followed them on foot； and became lost； and took endless time to return。〃 I let the food and drink restore her before I told her what I had learned。 When I had done； she questioned me。
〃What is Huld up to？ You knew him。 What do you guess？〃
〃I guess he is up to gaining power；〃 I said。 I knew this to be true； though I was not sure what power Huld sought in this strange haunt of magicians who seemingly were not magicians at all but merely bad custodians of ancient skills and knowledge。
〃Huld is not content to be merely Demon； merely Gamesman。 He has no wish； I think； to be willingly followed。 It is power he wants； power over the unwilling。 He wants to be worshipped； yes； but out of fear and trembling； not out of beguilement。 He had that； through Mandor； and it was something； but not enough for him。 Still； that is why he hates me。 Because I conquered Mandor and held Huld against his will； even for that little time。〃
〃And he came to this place…how？〃
〃I think he learned； somehow； how I had been protected in Schooltown； how Mertyn and Nitch had protected me。 He could have Read that from me； easy enough； when I was captive there。 I think Huld sought Nitch； sought him and found him； perhaps killed him for what he knew。 This is only supposition； but I know Huld； and the idea hangs together。〃 Surprisingly； the idea did hang together； though I had not known until that instant that I had figured it out。 〃So Huld came here； seeking power； and found Manacle。〃
〃And Nitch had taken certain books？〃
〃Perhaps。 And perhaps Huld had not thought to Read Nitch concerning books； so perhaps the books are gone forever。〃
〃Or perhaps they were lost half a thousand years ago。〃
〃Perhaps。〃
〃So there may be nothing we can find to tell us about these defenders； nothing we can find to tell us how to restore Himaggery and Windlow and a thousand； thousand more。
〃About the defenders； I know only what I caught from Didir's mind before she fled me in panic…or before I drove her out in a panic of my own。 She knew of the defenders。 Originally there were five keys； kept by five persons； one of whom was someone near to Didir。 The reason for this was to prevent the defenders being accidentally released。 Now Manacle has unlocked all the bonds。 Any one who gets into that room needs only press a lever down； and whatever it is the defenders do will occur。 The idea of this drove Didir into panic； the others as well； and it burst my head with them。 Now I cannot raise them。〃
〃You locked the door？〃
〃I locked the door。 Manacle has a key。 I have no helpful thoughts about that。 Let us think of Himaggery and Windlow instead。 So far we have failed horribly at everything we tried to do。〃
She replied with some asperity。 〃Who would have thought that rescuing them would have entailed putting them back together？ It is difficult to go into a place such as this to set someone free if that person is able to walk and think and assist in the process。 I have done that； in one Game or another。 It is more difficult if the prisoner is unconscious or wounded； and I have played that Game too； in my time。 But to have a prisoner who must be reassembled prior to rescue denies logic and sets all sense awry。 I did； however； try to make our process somewhat simpler。 I have half of them with me。〃 And she reached into some interior pocket to bring forth the two blues； Himaggery the Wizard； Windlow the Seer； tiny and impeccable； cold and hard。 They were only patterns； as Manacle had said。 Patterns of personality。 Mavin waved at me to keep them； saying。 〃I have been thinking all the way back how we might put them together again。 It may be that the machine used to separate them is the same machine used to reassemble them。 In which case； we need only bring the bodies to that labora