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From: foleye@viper.CS.ORST.EDU (Stilt Man)
Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn
Subject: [DS][MG] Reaction in Action
Date: 12 Jun 1994 03:49:21 GMT
Organization: Computer Science Department, Oregon State University
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[ADMIN:  This story is copyrighted (c) 1994 by Stephen Hutchison.  All
rights save distribution via the normal alt-channels, archival, and inclusion
into Corey Venour's home page, are reserved to the author.  And hopefully
he won't shoot me for posting this before he did . . . :) ]

-=====00-----

Urcohea paced a tight pattern in the waiting room.  When Dasham
opened her office door his nasty comment was cut off by her
sincere apology.  He was quite stunned but managed to recover
his composure as he followed her back into the office.

Dasham settled behind the Supreme ArchMage desk while Urco stood
stiffly in front of it.  She gestured to a chair and he shook
his head and immediately launched into his complaint.

"WHY wasn't I told about a possible Invasion of this plane?
Why was the information in fact withheld from me and my people?
Our scans modified without our knowledge?  I will not stand for
this..."

"Urco... Urco... URCO!"  Dasham's volume finally stopped him.
"I didn't tell you because we cannot afford to have this escalate.
It's complicated, my dear adversary, so why don't you have a seat
and we'll discuss it?"

Urcohea locked gazes with Dasham for several long moments before
he sat with the controlled jerky motions of a very angry man,
and refused to allow the comfortable cushioned seats relax him.

Dasham steepled her fingers and looked at him very seriously.
"There are forty Mage Guilds on this continent, twelve of which
are involved in that damned war in the north.  The remains of
Raoh's empire have organized around a group of military dictators,
two of whom are using magical circles to consolidate their power,
and killing anyone who gets in their way.  Further, Magira has
not settled down since that foolishness last year, and there
are three separate groups there which have tried by covert means
to infiltrate this organization, as you well know."

"And Thorn is supposted to be keeping them busy, not you,"
Urcohea snarled.  "This is exactly his method of operation
when I was acting for Delalle."  He closed his eyes, deliberately
breathing slowly until his temper subsided.

Dasham nodded, smiling quietly.  "Fortunately I know Thorn,
as well as anybody here.  He's still playing his covert
games.  Did you know he scheduled a blank-slate vote to raise
the issue of selecting a permanent Supreme Archmage to happen
while I was on medical leave?"

"Rivy said something about it," Urcohea said hesitantly.

"Well, dear Rivy managed to lose the paperwork until it was
too late.  Urco, I haven't been bringing this up with you for
several reasons.  First, I need you to keep track of internal
security.  With everything that's going on we can't afford to
let any more incidents happen, especially things like that
sneak-thief.  Do you have any idea yet how the mind-control
was accomplished?"

"Nothing concrete.  I have suspicions but I'd just as soon
not bother you with them yet."

"Let me know as soon as you have something.  Meanwhile, back to
this Portal situation.  If we were to respond with a full
Task Force or even one of your Strike Groups, we would be
inviting war.  At my last count there are at least five groups
just waiting for us to go to Ready State to allow them to respond
with their own Ready State and possibly challenge us."

Dasham smiled mirthlessly.  "And, I am attempting to lull Thorn into
finally making his damn move.  He's been playing at it for so long,
I'm tired of the waiting.  Perhaps if he thinks I'm up to something,
he'll show his hand."

She shook her head in a moment of regretful thought before
continuing, "I have personally scryed the situation eleven ways
to the damn moons and I've had the Forecasting division looking
at it for a week.  It's cloudy, ill, formed, and irrelevant.
It always comes out the same.  This situation will be handled,
the usual, small-group-of-adventurers way."

Urcohea started to protest, but stopped when she held up a hand.

"We _will_ be making a subtle effort to ensure the odds, and I
was about to talk to you about putting a small, very skilled,
but formally _advisory_ team together to send to the Utgardi
hieserarch, to help her protect her priests as per our treaty,
but otherwise we must remain uninvolved.  I am truly sorry that
I was not able to tell you this when I first came across the
situation, but I needed some time to feel it out and make sure
it wasn't another game or a piece of bait meant to force us bring
out our big guns and leave our backs unprotected.  It may still
require more of our resources than we can afford to give."

She smiled placatingly.  "I want to bring you in on this
now.  But ONLY you.  None of the others, please, although if you
must tell Rivy, PLEASE be aware that Thorn has probably managed
to put an observation spell on you in some way, shape or form."

Urcohea went slightly pale then faintly flush at Dasham's last
comment, but his voice was calm and steady when he spoke.
"Well.  Good.  I'm glad to know what's going on.  What would you
have us do?"

"Give me some names for the advisory team?"