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their energy and their hope, their striving in the face of huge obstacles and
heartbreaking setbacks. She loved their courage, their timidity, and the fact
that in terrible times they rose to heroic heights.
She loved them and love created a river that began pouring into and through
the gate.
She loved and her love proved powerful enough to start feeding her dying home.
She anchored that love to the gate, wrapping it in a spell that would remember
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this moment and what she had discovered. That magic was real, and the magic
that gave life to the universe was love.
Copper House
You ll be thinking about me, a voice whispered inside Molly s head. Baanraak.
Not dead, not dissuaded, and already back and aware of her presence, and her
location. Molly, ready to leave the safe room behind Lauren, stopped dead. And
I ll be thinking about you, my beloved.
Molly stepped through the door, into the comfort of copper-shielded security,
knowing as she did that safety was an illusion, and that though she had been
born to hunt and destroy, she would also be hunted.
Thinking about Baanraak. Yes. She would be doing that.
Copper House
Qawar was waiting in the suite when Lauren returned. You did it then, didn t
you?
Lauren looked at him. Did what?
Made a siphon. I ve been watching you all along, knowing that eventually, if
you were the ones I ve been hoping for, you would create a siphon. And you
did, didn t you? I can t feel it yet, of course. If it s a small one, effects
won t start sliding back this way for days. But& you have that air about you.
Lauren warily asked him, Why do you want to know?
Because I like Earth. And if you have a siphon situated somewhere on Earth, I
could go back and start living my life in the fashion to which I have become
accustomed.
Lauren said, Which would mean& hiding in a hole?
Absolutely. Well that and doing magic.
Now Lauren looked interested. Magic that helped people?
I spent a number of years as an itinerant faith healer, back when the Earth
still had some magic of its own. I put the good stuff out. I know how it
works. And if you d point me in the direction of your siphon, I d make sure it
started paying you dividends in short order.
And what about the dark gods? They ll be hunting for anything like that.
Qawar said, Yes, of course. But I know how to hide. It s the thing I ve done
best ever since forever. I m not the bravest person on a planet but you don t
need someone brave. You need someone who can stay hidden and who will use
magic to do good things without getting caught. And that s what I can do. It s
what I m best at.
Lauren said, I wasn t expecting volunteers.
You won t get many, Qawar said. Compared to the rest of the old gods, I m
daring. But if you look hard enough and long enough, you ll find more who will
be willing to take chances especially if those chances might open up
opportunities to go home.
How would they do that? Lauren asked. The worlds above the Earth are all
dead.
They are now. But if you were to create siphons into those worlds, too, not
only would this give old gods like me a chance to revive those worlds, if only
a little bit at a time, but it would start feeding something other than death
and poison back down the worldchain.
Lauren nodded. It made sense.
And going home would be their incentive?
Wouldn t it be an incentive for you?
Yes, Lauren said.
Point me where you want me to go, then to where you hid the siphon exit. As
long as I get to move upworld once you start putting siphons higher, I ll be
happy to work wherever you put me. But, godsall, I miss home.
Lauren said, I ll make you a gate there whenever you re ready. It s in a deep
valley in West Virginia. I spent some time there. Too rough to really develop,
and evidently no convenient coal. I figured it would be a good place to spread
a little magic.
He nodded. Send me now. I don t have anyone to whom I have to say my
good-byes. You can pass them on for me, if you will, to Seolar. He was a fine
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host, but at last I ve been given the opportunity I have so craved. The chance
to undermine the Night Watch s poison in their chosen world. I yearn to see
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