Enchantment (22 page)

Str
y
k
e
r
stood.
“
C
onsider
it
done.
I’ll
brief
the
garg
o
y
l
es.
The
y
’
l
l
be
rea
d
y
,
should
the
need arise.
Is
there
an
y
t
h
ing els
e
?
”

“You’ve
alrea
d
y
done
it.
I
don’t
have
to
worry
when
y
o
u’re
on
the
j
o
b.
I
m
a
y
need
a
guard to
watch the girl and
her co
m
p
anion
a
bit later.
With
y
o
ur
talents
and
abilit
i
es,
y
o
u
’
ll
be acting in my stead
w
hen I’m not
around.” The
thought of another
m
an
being
with Meeka
m
ade
his te
m
per rise,
but
he knew
it
was
the
on
l
y
wa
y
.
A
nd
he trusted
St
r
y
k
er.

“Wish
m
e luck
with
the
Counselors,”
he
said,
walking
to
the
platfor
m
.

* * * *

Kerrigan
ignored
the
sinking
se
n
sation
in
his
gut
as
he
tugged
on
his
T
-
s
hirt
before
the Council.
Ignoring
the
stares
as
ten
Counselors
appraised
hi
m
,
he
glanced
around.
After
centuries of
use,
the
y
’d
done
little
to
change
the
dark,
dreary
weight
of
their
cha
m
ber.
Turning
away
from his
errant thought
before
it
could for
m
,
he
m
et their harsh stares.
U
nlike other Enchanters, he
felt no
fear
regarding
the
i
m
pressive
p
o
wer
th
e
y
wielded.
Rather,
he
pitied
th
e
m
.
Ma
n
y
had
alrea
d
y begun
to
show
in
the
age
that
clung
to
their
bodies
the
penance
of
their
greed.

The
oldest,
and
considered
m
ost
powerful,
M
adget,
began
s
peaking
first
on
behalf
of
the group.
“Kerrigan,
it
has
been
hundreds
of
y
e
ars
since
a
foreigner
has
been
allowed
to
enter
our
w
orld.
The
foreigner
was
y
o
u,
but
the
decision
w
as
m
ade
by
us—the
Counselors
of Enchantment. Your
father
does
not
have
such
authori
t
y
, and
m
ust
be
punished
for
his
behavior.
It is
the
law.”

“Nobody
will
be
punishing
my
father.”
He
glared
back
at
th
e
m
.

The
Counselors
gasped
in
astonish
m
ent.
Thalius
spoke
up.
“Let
him
s
peak.
Kerrigan,
how can
y
ou
support
this
decision
?
”

Kerrigan held
his
towering presence
and position.
Regardless
of their
power, th
e
y would not wield
it
against
him
for
fear
of
his
retribution.
“For
h
o
w
m
a
n
y
centuries
has
my
father
faithful
l
y protected
the
Gatewa
y
?
Each
t
i
m
e
a
being
from
U
pper
World
has
fallen,
he
has
watched
it perish.
This
is
not
s
o
m
e
mindless
beast,
but
one
like
u
s.
Would
y
o
u
cond
e
m
n
one
like
u
s
to death?
We
are
not
killers,
and
allowing
her
to
die
would
have
been
m
ur
d
er.”

The
Counselors
were
silent,
but
the
looks
on
their
faces
varied
from
red
with
anger
to
wide-e
y
ed
with
fear.
He
knew
th
e
y
w
ere
co
m
mun
i
ca
t
ing
telepat
h
ic
a
l
l
y
It
w
a
s
a
talent
th
e
y
s
hared.

“Regardless
of
my
father’s
alleged
breach
of
protocol,
there
is
another
outrage
that
I
bring before
y
o
u
this
d
a
y
.
All
these
y
e
ars,
I
have
been
led
by
y
o
u
,
the
Counselors,
to
believe
that
the
U
pper
World
is
devoid
of
special
powers.
N
ot
the
case,
is
i
t
?
”
Kerrigan
paused,
his
hands knotting
into
fists.
“Apparent
l
y
,
it
is
not
i
m
possible for
foreigners to
co
m
e to
our
world.
Since
all
y
o
u have
led
us
to
believe
is
less
than
the
truth,
perchance
y
ou could
explain to
m
e wh
y
.

“W
h
y
?
H
ow
is
it
that
I’m
s
o
special? Where did
my
powers
co
m
e
fro
m
?
Perhaps
if
y
ou
want to
punish
so
m
eone for
breaking
y
o
u
r
laws,
it
should
be
m
e, a
foreigner.”

He
stood
perfect
l
y
still,
watching
Madget
tap
her
long,
y
e
l
low
nails
on
the
m
arb
l
e
table.
All ten
were
obviously
co
m
mu
n
ica
t
ing
telep
a
thic
a
l
l
y
.
K
errigan
wondered
how
they
would
answer his
questions.