“About what?”

Slootjes pierced Ernst with his sad gaze. “All the lies that are my life.”

Ernst blinked. “I’m sorry…what?”

“It’s the title of a story I read long ago. I don’t recall who wrote it or a single thing about it, just the title. Because I’ve been living that title.”

“I’m not following.”

“That memoir, Ernst. It’s all true. Your grandfather witnessed the other side of the Veil and realized that he’d been lied to since he joined the Order, and that he’d been lying to the son he was grooming to join the Order. And you, Ernst, your father, Ernst Drexler the first, you’ve been lied to all your life as well.”

“Be careful, Saar.”

“Oh, I don’t mean your father intentionally lied to you. I’m sure he was convinced the lies he told you were true, and thought he was passing on arcane truths to his son. But they were lies, lies, lies.”

“Come now—”

The loremaster slammed his fist on his desk. “It’s true! It’s the only truth we have now! We are dupes! We are fools! And thanks to this stranger who met your grandfather, at last we know it. Which leaves me in a very awkward position.”

Ernst frowned. “I don’t understand.”

“Well, as loremaster I must pass this on to our brothers.”

Alarm bells rang in Ernst’s brain. “Pass what on?”

Slootjes had a strange look in his eyes. “Your grandfather’s fate and the doubts he had about the Order’s mission. I confess to having had my own doubts deep down over the years, but this confirms them.”

“Let’s not do anything rash. I’ll call a Council meeting to discuss—”

“Discuss? Discuss? The Council is peopled with dolts! Nothing but gullible dolts who believe every lie the One feeds them!”

“You shouldn’t talk about the One that way. If he hears—”

“And where is the One? Has anyone heard from him lately? He’s dropped out of sight. Maybe he’s in hiding. Maybe even he’s afraid of what the Change will bring!”

Good question. Where was the One? Two months had passed since Ernst’s last contact with him. Maybe the stars had to align or the spheres of the multiverse had to rotate into a certain configuration. Who could say? The convergence of the signals indicated that the Change was about to begin.

Of all living members of the Order, none had provided the One more personal service toward bringing the Change than he, Ernst Drexler. He and the upper echelons of the Order expected to be rewarded in the world that followed the Change. As for the fate of brothers like the loremaster and the rank-and-file members, Ernst was not so sure.

But the One’s silence these past months as everything came to a head…Ernst found it not only puzzling, but deeply disturbing.

“Please be calm, Saar—”

“The time for calm is long gone! I’m going to gather my notes and,, first thing tomorrow, I’m going to send out a worldwide email blast to the membership. Everyone should be prepared for betrayal. I may have been fooled like the rest of the Order, but now that I know the truth, I will not betray my trust, I will not betray my brothers.”