“You!” The young middle worlder trembles with rage, but the speaker is more patient.

“Go ahead.”

“When drains are not cleaned for a long time, they become blocked. Sometimes, they weaken. Eventually, they rupture. A plumber provides essential service. Similarly, the channels through which magic flows and becomes refined in the Between need a keeper to keep them unclogged. They might survive for a time without a keeper, just like pipes survive for a time without a plumber, but eventually these channels will break down. The Keeper of the Between provides essential service as well.” Taraana looks around the room. “That wasn’t too difficult to understand, was it?”

“You want us to believe that without you, the Between will collapse?” A middle worlder wearing too many gold chains laughs.

“Yes. Though I understand that your intellect is severely limited and will perhaps prevent you from believing me.” Something dark and very alien slips into Taraana’s face. He looks murderous. “I have lived in fear for a very long time. It has twisted me in ways that I don’t like. If you persist in challenging me, you will not like the consequences.” He looks at each middle worlder in turn. “Consider the closure of the Between my first act of revenge.”

The group shifts, clearly uncomfortable with his words. They whisper among themselves.

Again, Taraana smiles. Maybe you won’t believe us, but this new Taraana smile is much sharper. Frightening, even. His smiles say he has seen everything you hold hidden in your heart. All your secrets have been bared for his languid perusal.

“We can discuss the importance of the Keeper of the Between later. First, we have to address your crime. Murder is against the law!” a woman with heavy jowls says.

“Is it?” Taraana purses his lips. “Then you might want to investigate the murders of the previous Keepers of the Between. Unless you are suggesting that this law you speak of applies to some more than others?” No one speaks. “You may also want to investigate Baarish’s attempts to harvest magic off the children he trafficked. Isn’t that against the law too, or was it legal for him to do that?”

An older middle worlder loudly clears his throat.

Taraana doesn’t care, and we are proud of him. He addresses the room. “I will close the Between indefinitely. Or perhaps increase the magic toll. Maybe I will allow only a select few people to use it.”

“As if that’s possible,” a council member mutters, loudly enough to be audible to everyone.

“As I keep saying, I don’t need to prove anything to you,” Taraana replies. “You should do something about your comprehension skills. They’re very worrying.”

Paheli grins wickedly at his words. She’s definitely influencing him in some ways.