The Mayor ushered the local Magician's Guildmaster into his office, and told his secretary to make sure they weren't bothered. Shouldn't have to do that, he thought glumly. This place is so small that I almost never get bothered anyway, but what with the recent troubles.... He restrained the nervous shaking in his hands, and sat down behind his desk. Looking across at his guest, he saw a strong, if not overly bright, rat. Dark gray fur and a vest which let the metal shoulder show to maximum advantage completed the picture. Narans stomach tensed when he saw that. This metal as flesh business was just plain unnatural, and the desire to show it off made him ill to think of it. He almost reached into his desk for his stomach pills but decided not to.

"Well, " rumbled the guildmaster "now that we're alone, Narans, what is this extremely urgent problem? I've got my own guild and problems to worry about, you know." Not that they can't wait an hour or two, he snickered inside, but I do so love seeing this uptight fox squirm. How he ever got elected mayor, I don't know. He looks too nervous to give a public speech.

"As you know, we have a thriving little town here, Vika, but lately there have been a few... problems, I guess you could say."

"I know, that's what you told me already. So spit it out, fox. Just what sort of problems?"

"Uhmmm.... the local economy is based on our bright yellow dye- we're the only source for dye this good in the entire Heartland..."

"I've heard the patriotic speeches before, too. What does that have to do with anything?"

Narans mentally tightened his grip on himself. "I'm not sure how long we can continue to sell at a reasonable price, because there is a massive theft and smuggling going on. Or at least, " he added hastily, "it shows possibilities of becoming massive. Any theft is worrisome, of course."

Vika's look was one of boredom. "Ok, so you've got a problem. You might not be able to gouge as much for your local specialty. What's that have to do with me?"

Naran's mouth pursed at the insult. "At the risk of boring you a bit more, I would remind you of the legend of the Peace Enforcer."

"Oh, that. Yeah, I guess he'd be handy about now. But you don't have him. So?"

"No, but we do have his staff, and that is where you come in."

"I didn't know that old relic even existed still."

"Oh yes, it exists. It's been kept in storage, of course, but I had it taken out yesterday and looked it over." Narans pointed to a corner behind Vika. "Look at it for yourself, it's rather interesting."

Vika went and got it. "Hmmm.... gray stonewood about an inch and a half in diameter, amber ball on top... heavy shaver, isn't it." He hefted it with one muscular arm.

"Yes, it is. I guess it's that stone shaft that does it. So, what do you think of it?"

"Useless, unless you want to club someone over the head with it. Might be good for that."

"I meant magically speaking- it's supposed to have belonged to a powerful magician, remember."

"I know what you meant. It's totally dead. Anything unusual about it is that it doesn't respond to life energies at all. You can usually use just about anything to transmit the stuff, whether it produces it or not."

Narans looked disappointed, but inside he felt closer to devastated. He did have to admit- small consolation- that at least there wasn't a powerful magical weapon that he was about to turn over to the furry paws of an egomaniac. He cleared his throat. "Remember, legend says you have to know both sides of magic to use it."

"That's where legend shows how much nonsense it can be, Narans. There are no two sides to magic."

Narans stared. "But you're all the time talking about dark side and light side magicians, and..." he cut himself off before adding and telling me what a bunch of wimps and no-goods light siders are.

Fortunately, Vika didn't seem to notice. "Magic is magic, Narans. The ability to manipulate life energy is the same no matter what you do. It's just that some people are better at doing things than some others, so they sort of specialize, you might say. It doesn't make any basic difference, it's more of a job description than anything."

"I see." Narans sighed and sat back.

"Ok, so we've got one old relic that won't conduct magic worth a weasel's tail, and a story, and a problem. An interesting mix, but you still haven't said what it's all leading up to."

Narans did his best to act casual, and rather surprised. "I would've thought you would have figured it out by now, Vika. I want another Peace Enforcer."

"How do you plan to get one?"

"I'd hoped that you could supply him."

Vika's eyes narrowed. "That's a pretty tall order, you know. All you're asking for is a magician who can do just about anything except maybe raise the dead- and I'm not too sure about that."

"I know, it'd be something of a bluff. You'd need someone who was intelligent enough to carry off that sort of thing."

Vika grunted. "My boys know their stuff, but this....."

Narans took a deep breath. Here goes nothing, he thought. "It might also be a good idea if whoever it was was a stranger to the area."

Vika looked up sharply. "I don't think so. You'd want someone who knew the people and the town."

But this time, Narans wasn't so easily talked out of it. "That would be nice, but knowing goes both ways. You could hardly pass someone off as the reincarnation, practically, of a legend when everyone can tell you where they go on fiveday nights for a little fun."

His point scored. "Hmmmm..... having the staff would be a good way to prove it, but still.... you want to inspire awe, and people usually aren't afraid of someone they know."

At least not if that someone doesn't make a practice of bashing fur's heads in for the fun of it. Narans thought. Maybe we can get someone new in after all. They can't be any worse than the cutthroats there now. "Well, you think it over, and let me know when you come up with something."

Vika nodded, but then looked at him sharply. "Any particular Q when you want the answer?"

Narans laughed nervously. "Q? Surely you're joking. Considering the urgency, I'd like to know your decision at least within a couple of days." So much for casual, he sighed inwardly.

Vika smirked, and as he was heading to the door he casually remarked, "Elections are in 3 Q's, aren't they."

Naran's face twisted. "Ah, yes, they are." As Vika chuckled, he added sharply "And you can leave the staff by the door there!"

"Of course, of course. And I'll be seeing you later- Mayor Narans."

"Good day, Guildmaster" was the rather thin reply.

Yunis looked up as the bell to the Magician's Guild door rang. "Good afternoon... Adept" he added, looking at the simple purple robe that the rather thin vixen wore.

"Good midafternoon, Adept. I am passing through, and need to claim a night's stay."

"Do you have local credit?" Yunis asked.

The vixen stared at him. Yunis looked back and his flesh crawled a bit as he realized the eyes he was staring into were blood-red. "I said a night's stay. One night. Since when did that require anything more than this?" With that, she dropped a stone disk on the counter.

Yunis picked it up and looked at it. A black center, with a purple ring around the edge. It was the mark of a dark-side Adept, and a closer look showed the unmistakable match of the Adept standing before him. The verifying mark reminded him of someone from the southeast, he'd have to look that up... "It looks good, Adept, but how do I know this isn't a fake?"

The vixen almost sputtered, looked at him, and said in disgust, "why is it that every receptionist has some sort of neat little scheme to make magicians prove who they are? You can't lie to an adequate apprentice, much less an Adept. You're convinced that is real, and you and I both know it, so cut the games. Just tell me what sort of hairball-saver has decided that you're going to accept only local credit for an amenity that should be given on general guild credit for any Adept?"

Yunis looked apologetic. "I truly am sorry, Adept, but the Guildmaster has given me strict orders that all expenditures be on local credit only- no exceptions."

"Guildmaster? Don't tell me, he's a rat."

Yunis shifted a bit. "Please, Adept, you know we aren't supposed to have these sorts of prejudices. Yes, he is, but I'm sure that has nothing to do with his decision."

"Oh, of course not." The vixen's tone would have dripped sarcasm if it hadn't been for the weary note in it. "Ok, put me down on the books and I'll work it off. It's too late for the next guild now, anyway, and I've spent all the nights outdoors that I want to for now."

"Very well, Adept. And your name?"

"Lilith"

Yunis nodded and wrote it on his marble slate in the usual life-whorls. "Signature, please," he said, holding it out.

Lilith looked at the entry briefly, then put her forefinger on the indicated spot and signed it. "Now, receptionist, if you could tell me where my rooms might be, I think a bit of rest is in order before the evening meal."

"My pleasure, Lilith- and my name is Yunis. Dark-side Adept." They shook paws, and Yunis lead Lilith to one side of the reception chamber. "Just go down this hall, turn left, and the fourth door on your left will be a vacant room."

"Thank you, Yunis. My horse is outside, I assume you have stables in back? " Looking at Yunis' discomforted expression, she waved a hand wearily and replied, "I know, I know, you'll have to charge more. Put it down, Yunis."

Yunis nodded and walked briskly back to his desk. Lilith sighed and went outside again to take her horse around back.

The ring of the bell was lost in the slam of the front door. Yunis jumped, and was not at all surprised to see Vika swaggering in purposefully towards him. "Yunis, " Vika barked, "who is the newest Adept we have here?"

"Adept Lilith, sir."

Vika's eyebrows went up. "Lilith? I don't know the vixen."

"No sir, you don't. She just came in a couple of hours ago."

"Hmmm... new to town, then?"

"Yes, sir. From the southeast, I believe. She's staying for a night, and plans to work it off before leaving. Your local credit rules, sir."

"Yes, yes, I know. A hairball vixen!" he cursed. "Too bad. Still... Does she strike you as impressive in any way?"

"Well she seemed tired, although I think competent."

"Competent? Huh! What about any show of spirit? Is she a milk-sop light-sider?"

"No, sir, she's dark-side. As for spirit, well... she cut me short when I tried to draw her out about qualifications. She didn't take kindly to the local credit rule either, but she didn't protest too much. Said she'd work it out."

"Mmph. I know your little games. Anything else?"

"She had a metal bridge across the base of her muzzle, sir, and a metal left hand."

Vika brightened somewhat. "She's been around, then. Good! Anything else?"

"Welll.... she has blood-red eyes sir."

Vika's eyebrows went up. "Blood-red eyes, hey? I haven't seen those since I came west ten years ago."

Yunis shivered slightly. "I never have myself, sir. I heard they had them back East, but I grew up around here."

Vika looked at him sharply. "So you did. Blood-red eyes, eh? Good, good...." he chuckled slightly as he stared at a vision that seemed to delight him in some perverse way. Yunis looked at him, and the thought occured to him that he'd rather face any threat from the blood-red eyes of this new Adept than from whatever was being contemplated behind the beady black rat eyes staring off into the space above his right shoulder.