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___Tumblecrumble soon regained his balance, having been caught in only the edge of Portunista’s concentrated earthen ripple. Quickly he crushed the elder animal’s head—providing meat, in passing, for the feast the humans would surely enjoy on the morrow.
___Gemalfan and his sub-apprentices almost leaped to safety from his mount: throwing themselves in the natural direction—
___but not accounting for the momentum transferred by the falling shoulderbeast.
___Any leap still landed them beneath the animal.
___Seifas paced around the twitching mound of flesh as Tumblecrumble crunched the blocky, bony rectangular skull a few more times. Gemalfan had been a little more successful than his minions—the children were hurriedly being escorted away from the area, so that they wouldn’t see him.
___They could hear him, though.
___He lay, screaming, from the pain of both his flattened legs.
___Jian stood, arms folded, feet apart, between the children and the incoherent writhing magus. In the shifting bonfire glares, Seifas couldn’t read that backlit face.
___He knew his own heart’s resolution, though.
___His aasagai pierced Gemalfan’s head, twice in rapid thrusts, through the eyes, into the brain, ending his cries and life.
___“Hmmph,” grunted Jian.
___“Now he sees the All-Seeing,” Seifas explained. “And his journey there was quick.”
___“Indeed,” murmured Jian; and then, “How clearly they see, whom your sword instructs!” He began to laugh, a little shakily; Seifas didn’t think the joke was worth the humor.
___Portunista strode up then, demanding to know why Seifas had slain the magus without her permission.
___“I didn’t care to explain to her that I find torture distasteful,” Seifas would write in his journal a few hours later…
❖ ❖ ❖
___“His droning became annoying!” I retorted; and saw her settle upon her heels.
___Some might say my action meant nothing; that Portunista now held dozens of captives, and I couldn’t save them all.
___But I could spare Gemalfan—enemy though he was to me.
___Besides, I doubt that we’ll be wringing information from Gemalfan’s men; all of whom have freely spoken of his dispositions.
___And, if I read the signs aright, perhaps we might not ever be resorting to such cruelty again.
___But quite a bit remains along that line, to be accomplished.
___Altogether, circumstances favor us for now. We have assimilated a rival brigade, increasing our strength and seasoning our men. We have acquired a shoulderbeast, which—or who?—may be of help in later engagements. We should be able to easily find Gemalfan’s vendors and supplies; and Portunista may discover information in the magus’ texts. Morale runs high. ___Tomorrow I can pay a shepherd family for their loss, without a single worry.
___yet…I wonder…
___The Eye does seem to be smiling on us; but when my Matron Cami favored my brethren, she also was strengthening us for further service.
___So—what are we being strengthened for? And why?
___Or, is my perception of plan only illusionary?
___If I believe He plans, then this may be a part of one.
___But what if the Eye cares little for us, being so mighty and far away? What if we are beneath His notice, except for a casual whim of entertainment? The chaos of a Culling puts the teachings of our tutors in a new and frightening light…
___No…I decided before today’s peculiar events: the cries in my heart, are truly hope for justice.
___Small as we are, we cannot be too small for the All-Seeing.
And our Matron taught us:
the Eye Above is the Lord of Justice.
___So. I will wait, and watch events play out, before I cast my hope away.
___No!—I have had a taste of justice at last!—and so I shall hold to my chosen course!
___I will find the hope to have, or seek my death in finding it. I will share the hope I find, or seek my death in sharing it.
___And now let us see what the future will bring.
) established; two or three action sequences provided along the way; numerous themes and arc-phrases to unpack and build on later; and several key events which will affect the plot heavily afterward.
Specifically, the conservation of momentum from the toppling animal means that any extra force would naturally tend to be redirected in the direction the animal was already falling. People who work on heavy equipment are similarly warned, if the vehicle tips over, DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES TRY TO JUMP CLEAR! You’ll only end up throwing yourself under the falling vehicle. Gemalfan, being on the very top, got partially clear; the sub-apprentices were still hanging on the wicker baskets on the side away from where Tumblecrumble initially attacked, and that happened (perhaps with some directive help from Portunista!) to be the side on which the older shoulderbeast fell. (The mahout admittedly may have had enough sense to lean away from the direction of fall and pull his leg out from the impact zone. He’d be promptly disposed of some other way in a fuller account.)