Стража! Стража!

           Notachant,notabriefpieceofpoetry,butamereassemblageofmeaninglesssyllables.DeMalachitesaidtheycausedinterferencepatternsinthewavesofreality,butthedaftoldfoolwasprobablymakingitupashewentalong.Thatwasthetroublewithwizards,theyhadtomakeeverythinglookdifficult.Allyoureallyneededwaswillpower.AndtheBrethrenhadalotofthat.Small-mindedandvitriolicwillpower,yes,lousywithmalignitymaybe,butstillpowerfulenoughinitsway...

           They’dtrynothingfancythistimeround.Somewhereinconspicuous...

           AroundhimtheBrethrenwerechantingwhateachmanconsidered,accordingtohislights,tobesomethingmystical.Thegeneraleffectwasactuallyquitegood,ifyoudidn’tlistentothewords.

           Thewords.Oh,yes...

           Helookeddown,andspokethemaloud.

           Nothinghappened.

           Heblinked.

           Whenheopenedhiseyesagainhewasinadarkalley,hisstomachwasfulloffire,andhewasveryangry.

           ...

           ItwasabouttobetheworstnightofhislifeforZebboMooty,ThiefThirdClass,anditwouldn’thavemadehimanyhappiertoknowthatitwasalsogoingtobethelastone.Therainwaskeepingpeopleindoors,andhewaswaybehindonhisquota.Hewas,therefore,alittlelesscautiousthanhemightotherwisehavebeen.