“And those men working down in the lower part of the Keep, what were they to do?”

Lothain again looked overjoyed to be able to answer her question. “Some were helping wizards who work on defenses against Emperor Sulachan’s weapons so that we would know what countermeasures the people of the New World had developed. Others worked with those developing weapons for the Midlands.

“When the people here went to great lengths to come up with a weapon and deploy it before a battle, they won’t know that Sulachan’s forces were ready and waiting with a trap. We also learned how you are able to defend against our weapons so that we can circumvent those countermeasures.”

“What else did your spies do here at the Keep and down in Aydindril?”

“They identified targets, letting me know who the most valuable and important people were. Then, I had others send the dream walkers to take them out, or else I would have them animate the dead down in the catacombs and send them out to kill those targets in order to spread terror in the Keep.”

Again the crowd gasped and whispered at all the horrific news they were hearing. A lot of these people had friends and loved ones who had been murdered mysteriously in the Keep. Now they knew not only how, but who was responsible. They wanted Lothain’s head. Some people, angry at the level of treason Lothain was revealing, surged forward to try to get at him.

Merritt quickly gestured to soldiers of the Home Guard. They understood and rushed in to hold back the angry crowd.

“Are there others working with you?” Magda asked after the crowd had settled down and was listening again. “Other officials or people higher up in the Keep?”

“Yes,” he said, pointing a meaty finger back toward the council. “Guymer and Weston. When they traveled in the sliph to meet with officials in the Midlands, they would also secretly travel to places close to the Old World in order to go on to meet with Emperor Sulachan and his inner circle of wizards. There, they reported on the progress of wizards here, handed over secret information about weapons as well as countermeasures, and brought back orders. The sliph never reveals anything about people who use her, so no one ever knew that Guymer and Weston were carrying important information to the emperor’s forces.”

Both councilmen, red-faced, shot to their feet.

“This is the most preposterous story I’ve ever heard!” Weston shouted. “You can’t believe the product of such wicked magic!”

“It’s all lies!” Guymer added. “You can’t believe this man’s delusions!”

Magda ignored them as soldiers surrounded the pair. “Anyone else?” she asked Lothain.

“Of course.” He began to lift his hand to point.