Elminster in Myth Drannor - Ed Greenwood [82]
"We also know something of the power of Symrustar's magic," Naeryndam Alastrarra said thoughtfully. "In fact, probably far more than she desires we know or suspect. I doubt the human lord has spells enough to do her harm, if they were in her bower, with all the magic she can call to hand there. If the hunt mounted by these young fire brains leads them hence, they might be in danger."
Amaranthae turned her head to look at the old mage, white to the lips. "Do you elders know everything?"
"Enough to keep ourselves entertained," the Srinshee said dryly, and Uldreiyn Starym nodded.
" 'Tis a common mistake of the young and vigorous," he calmly told the tabletop, "to believe their elders have forgotten to see, or think, or remember things- when what we've really forgotten to do is scare younglings into respecting us, thoroughly and often."
The Lady Amaranthae moaned aloud, anxious and miserable. "Symma could be dead," she whispered, an instant before the High Court Mage gathered her in his arms and said soothingly, "We shall go to the gardens now, to see for ourselves."
"Yet if she's unharmed, she'll be furious at our intrusion," Amaranthae protested.
The Coronal looked up. "Tell her the Coronal ordered you to check on her safety, and let her bring her fury to me." He smiled a little sadly and added, "Where she's likely to become lost in the crowd of clamoring complainants."
Lord Earynspieir silently thanked the old ruler with his eyes as he rose and led the distraught Lady Auglamyr away.
Lord Starym said heavily, "The murders done by the human in our midst-or perceived by most Cormanthans to be done by him, which at present holds out to us the same trouble-imperils your plan, Revered Lord, to open the city to other races. You know, Lord, as few can, how deeply my sister Ildilyntra felt against this Opening. We of House Starym still oppose it. By all of our gods, I beseech you, don't drive us into doing so with force."
"Lord Uldreiyn, I respect your counsel," the Coronal said softly, "as I have always done. You are the senior archmage of your House, one of the mightiest sorcerers in all Faerun. Yet does that make you mighty enough to withstand the swarming vigor of the most greed-goaded humans, whose magic grows apace with each passing year? I still believe-and I urge you to think long and hard upon this, to see if you really can seize to, and hold, any other conclusion-that we must deal with humankind on our terms now, or be overwhelmed and slaughtered by men storming our gates in a century or so."
"I shall think upon this," the Starym archmage said, bowing his head, "again. Yet I have done so before, and not reached the same conclusion as you did. Can it not be that a Coronal might be mistaken?"
"Of course I can be wrong," Eltargrim said with a sigh. "I've been wrong many times before. Yet I know more of the world beyond our forest than any other Cormanthan-save this young human lad, of course. I see forces stirring that to most senior Cormyth, as well as to our youth, seem mere fancies. How often in the past few moons have I heard voices at court saying, 'Oh, but humans could never do that!' What do they think humans are, lumps of stone? From time to time men hold something they call a magefair-"
"Selling magic? Like a sort of bazaar?" The Starym's lips curled in disbelief and distaste.
"More like a House-gathering attended by many mages: humans, gnomes, halfbloods, and even elves from other lands than ours," the Coronal explained, "though I believe some scrolls and rare magical components do change hands. But the burden of my song is this: at the last magefair I saw, in my days as a far-wandering warrior, two human wizards engaged in a duel. The spells they hurled fell far short of our High Magic, 'tis true. But they would also have awed and shamed most sorcerers of Cormanthor! "'Tis always a mistake to dismiss humans."
"All those of House Alastrarra would, I believe, support you on that," Naeryndam