"But why do they summon?" asked Lily.

"That is a mystery, even to the greatest of the wise," replied Belloc. "You may as well ask, `What is magic?' For that, I have no answer."

"More important is what the Summoning Stone can now do," said Anest, who until now had been deep in thought. "We know nothing of the new nature of its power . . . and it is a very powerful tool . . ."

They laughed as Lily almost dropped the thing, expecting it to unleash its power at any moment. "Do not fear," said Belloc. "The stone cannot spontaneously unleash its power. You are now the stone's rightful owner and master. It will answer, willingly, only to yourself, and will not be an apt tool for evil hands wishing to abuse its capabilities."

"But I don't want that kind of power!" Lily blurted.

"You may not feel that way if we are again beset by the enemy," Dorain told her.

"I am not a warrior," said Lily.

"We are all warriors here," Dorain her, as though lecturing a young cadet on the facts of life in the army.

Celedhan made an admonishing sound, and said quietly, "Dorain, that is simply not true. Peacetime would still find you girded for battle. And the fact that Lily is not a warrior makes her the ideal master for the stone, because she will not think of it as a weapon."




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