If I Pay Thee Not in Gold by Piers Anthony

Author:Piers Anthony
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Man-Woman Relationships, Science Fiction, Fantasy Fiction, Fiction, Imaginary Places, American, Fantasy, General
ISBN: 9780671876234
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Published: 1993-01-01T06:00:00+00:00

Now it was not possible to conceal the fact that her magic was low. She saw recognition passing through the group. Yet there seemed to be as much sympathy as fear. They were concerned for her almost more than for themselves. She appreciated that tacit support. Some other group might have chosen that moment to rebel, realizing that the magic of the mistress could no longer stop them. But her efforts to treat them like human beings were now being rewarded; they were treating her like a human being. And so this moment of her devastation was, in its subtle way, also her success.

Ware looked around. "I had hoped this would not occur yet," he said to the group. "Mistress Xylina was doing so well. The problem is that though Mazonite magic works beyond Mazonia, it fades with distance.

Thus her resources are not what they were before, or what they will be when we return. She will have to do less conjuring for now, so that her strength is not depleted."

Of course that was it! If Mazonite conjuration were strong everywhere, the other cultures would not have been able to maintain their independence. Xylina found that reassuring; she was not really weakening. It was part of the problem of far traveling. At least the men understood, now, and so did she.

But it was still her responsibility to protect this group. What could she do, without strong conjuration?

Outside the circle of concerned faces, she caught sight of other curious onlookers. The last sunlight gleamed on the huge emerald eyes of the lemurs, who peered at these invaders of their realm with unblinking gazes. This was the nearest she had ever seen them before. Perhaps the fact that they were all standing quietly had reassured the shy beasts. They had come to the very edge of the tentacle-beasts, and stood just within that charmed circle, watching the naked strangers avidly.

Charmed circle-the lemurs were weaponless, far more helpless than the intruders. Yet they were certainly surviving the night, with no palisades and no weapons. Could the tentacle beasts be protecting them?

"Ware, Faro," Xylina said urgently, as the latter brought her a cup of cool water and the former helped her to stand. "Look at the lemurs! They have no defenses, no weapons, no shells to protect them! They manage to avoid the spiders-could we do the same?"

"By hiding within the tentacle-beasts?" Ware asked, quickly seeing what she meant. "We could, if we could avoid the poison, or whatever it is that the beasts produce to kill with. I can't see any other way that the lemurs could be avoiding those spiders."

"I think their fur must protect them from the poison," she said thoughtfully. "The dog that died had such short hair it could not possibly have protected him; in fact, there was no fur to speak of on his belly or his paws. But look at the lemurs! Look, how thick their fur is, and how it covers every part of them, right

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