Stormlight - Ed Greenwood [47]
Storm lifted amused eyes to meet his. "Is this some sort of trick question, Sir Broglan? What does it look like?"
"Broglan?" a voice rasped, out of the stone. "Is that you?"
"Vangey!" Storm barked. "Good to talk to you again! Why don't you ever swing out to Shadowdale to see me?"
There was a moment of silence, and then the sharp voice spoke again, in tones of cold dignity. "The Lord Elminster and I did not part on the best of terms," it informed her, "and I've no wish to sneak into his very yard and perhaps bump into him."
Storm made a rude noise. "He's forgiven you, Vangey-he forgave you the very same nightfall, and that was years ago. Forget it, man!"
"The question is not whether he has forgiven me," Vangerdahast's voice came out of the stone very precisely, "but whether I have forgiven him."
Storm rolled her eyes. “Well, if you haven’t, you should have. Isn’t it about time you set aside all this overblown pride and grew up?”
The obsidian stone in front of her sputtered and then snarled. “Whatever you wanted me for, good lady, this interview is at end!” It quivered once, and then sank toward the tabletop.
“What have you done?” Broglan roared.
Storm made a gesture. The speaking stone stopped and floated back to its former position again.
“Not until I’m finished, Old Thunderspells!” she told it crisply. “Your team has a serious problem. None of us-from ambitious young Hundarr, here, to you at court and Azoun up at the palace-can afford to have you getting up on your high horse and overplaying the high-and-mighty old wizard role. The safety of the realm is at stake. Even if it weren't, you'd do well to set aside the nose-in-the-air, fit-me-for-a-statue stuff, or you'll start to believe the role. Worse, you'll start to shrink and gnarl down to fit it! Royal Magician of Cormyr, indeed!"
All of the wizards were staring at her now, aghast. Hundarr was quivering in the grip of a rage even greater than Broglan's. The leader of the war wizards stepped back one deliberate pace-half to keep himself from throttling this outrageous woman, and half because he expected the stone to spit lightning around the room.
The stone flickered and pulsed with sudden light Then the four wizards heard Lord Vangerdahast's voice say quietly, "My apologies, Storm. What is happening at Firefall, and how can I help you?"
Jaws dropped in disbelief all around her as Storm said crisply, "We're facing an entity who can shapeshift and burn out the brains of its victims. They're blindbarred to all magic we've tried thus far. Since the two initial deaths, it's slain two of your junior wizards and the seneschal of the keep. On my arrival here, I enjoyed a feast that was one long parade of poisons and magical traps, too. You've got problems with a rotten noble house, and this slayer who can walk right through the ranks of the noble and powerful in Cormyr and keep going. The boldshield-Ergluth-is willing to do whatever it takes, but Broglan here has to have your permission before he'll even be civil to me. Will you tell him I'm his commander for a tenday, so get to work… before it's too late?"
"Lord High Wizard!" Broglan shouted. "There-
"Broglan, I presume you heard her," the voice rasped out from the stone. "Obey her as you would me, and tell all of the mages under you to do the same."
"I-yes, Lord High Wizard," Broglan said with a sigh.
"May I cast spells on your mages?" Storm asked.
"Gods, woman," the stone said, a hiss of exasperation in the voice, I can see why you want to, but that's one rule I never break… only war wizards can enspell other war wizards, and then only for certain specific things-else the Dragon Throne would've faced attacks from hostile mages long since…"
"These are not normal times," Storm said quietly, "and m not misuse this grant of power. More than that, I'll drop in on you soon and scratch your ears and the small of your back the way you like, and dare not trust anyone else to-"
The stone harrumphed very loudly, and said, "Consider both the offer