The rest of the walk was spent with us both walking around to the others and praising them, asking their thoughts, and gathering information to share with the Duke and, in my case, the leadership team at the Shoppe.

  We entered the city with no issues. Traffic was halted for a few minutes to make room for us and to ensure nobody would be nearby ahead of or behind us as we went through the gates.

  As we neared Watch Keep, I turned to Biff and said, “Biff, you are with me, but the rest of the guards need to get these front three carts to the Shoppe and unloaded. Everything goes to the lower level, but only the first cart is to be broken out, and an apprentice library and stations get set up. Sandor can head that up with Marcia, Jakar, Adriana, and Wilma’s help. Nothing from the second or third cart is to be opened until I have a chance to look into it. Crates with a capital P painted on them go to my chambers. Bella will let you in. The last cart needs to go to The Tower, but keep it here under guard in front of Watch Keep until Isaac departs to accompany it.”

  He nodded and then walked over to have conversations with some of the nearby guards.

  Meanwhile, Isaac was walking beside Alexander, and they were talking. The double squad of Inquisitors formed a circle around them both.

  I walked over, and the guard parted to let me through.

  “Are you sure you will not submit to Bella at the shoppe?” Isaac asked.

  Alexander hesitated, looking at Isaac and then me as I joined them.

  “I understand that it will be safe, and while I may have done things over the years that I am not proud of, I have no harmful intentions toward Gwydion. Things are moving, and we are all pawns in a greater game than we know. But no. I will not, even though it means incarceration. I have a history with Psybans and spirits, and I will not open myself up again, even if it is with an allegedly benevolent spirit. I can’t and I won’t. I am sorry.”

  Isaac nodded. “I respect your decision even if I disagree with it. Our laws about such things back your rights. But you will be jailed until the Mage Council meets with you and until the Duke releases you. And he may not. Regardless, there will be people and places that you will never be allowed to enter because of your decision if you are ever freed.”

  He shrugged. “Nevertheless, I stand by my decision. If I am to meet an end, it will be on my terms.”

  Isaac nodded and turned to the lead Inquisitor. “Take him to the lowest cells on the opposite side to where we have the apprentice locked up. He is to have no visitors. Treat him with respect and see that he is fed and cleaned. Once this is done, he is in the hands of the Watch with two of you on duty at all times until relieved by me, the Patron, or your Commander. Is that understood?”

  “Yes Majordomo.”

  Isaac walked away, taking me with him. “I tried to get him to enter your Shoppe and let Bella do a deep probe. You heard his explanation.”

  “What did it all mean?” I asked.

  “Either he is a man of unusual conscience, or-” He paused.

  “Or what?”

  “Or he is hiding something he does not want any of us to know.”

  “Do you think he is in league with the necromancers?”

  He paused again. “I do not think so. But he is very clever and has a long reputation for study and planning. He came along after I had been gone from the guild for several decades, so he never studied under me, but he has a lot of talent and ambition if stories are true. But given that none of those who shared such tales are still alive, who can say?”

  “What will happen to him?” I asked.

  “If Mage Council believes him, and they are a truly paranoid group right now, given the betrayal and destruction of the entire alchemist guild, which makes that a very big ‘if,’ I suspect he would be released to his shop and commissioned to work on some powerful and useful potions for our defense. Either that or he will be executed. He is too dangerous to just keep locked up.”

  I hesitated to break a confidence, but I had a feeling Alexander would approve under the circumstances, and there was no guild to hold him accountable. I said to Isaac, “He is the one who taught me how to make the potions. While my father provided books, there were shortcuts and skills that the books entirely missed. We are making potions because of him. I wanted you to know that.”

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  He stared at me for a few moments and said, “So there are things that you have to be taught and don’t just come to you?”

  I must have had a comical look on my face as a reaction because he tilted his head back and laughed loudly. It was so uncharacteristic of him that everyone stared for a moment.

  He put his hand on my shoulder and said, “Alexander shared that with me an hour ago when he feared that I was leaning against his case. My opinion will carry some weight at Mage Council.”

  “So, what do you think?” I asked.

  “I think that you breaking your promise speaks to your character and willingness to take personal shame to save someone you feel could be innocent of the crimes he is accused of. And I think that he is not as innocent as he would wish us to believe, even if it is not for the crimes we are aware of. He was fine breaking his silence to save his own skin, but held off admitting it in the presence of his peers before your trial. He could have changed the attacks on you significantly.”

  “That was not a direct answer to my question,” I said.

  He laughed again. “It was, journeyman. You are not yet wise enough to understand it.”

  As we walked into the central stronghold of Watch Keep, I said, “That’s just wrong. You get to use that line with impunity. Both lines, in fact, as I will always be junior to you.”

  “Ah,” he said and leaned in close and whispered in a conspiratorial tone, “you begin to find wisdom.”

  He laughed again, and I had to walk faster to catch up with him. We left his cart under a heavy guard with the addition of some Watch soldiers by the gate.

  I grumbled a little under my breath about old mages, and it just made him laugh harder. We entered the inner keep with more than one guard, wondering what made the Majordomo of The Tower laugh and the Patron look grumpy.

  That thought made me smile. A little.

  Isaac must have had a way to message the Duke because the entire War Council had been summoned to hear our report.

  The Majordomo began. “I will allow Commander Istari to give a brief report of the actions in Undercity, but I will start with an overview for context.”

  He explained. “The Keelwell alchemist guild has been destroyed. Two masters that we know of were secretly necromancers, and they eliminated the guildmaster and all but one other master, who was imprisoned. That master is Master Alexander, who has a shop on the Diagonal. He is in the deep cells below and gave us no difficulty. One other apprentice who had turned dark is also below in a cell far removed from Master Alexander. All other apprentices and a few journeymen have been screened and are currently working with the Patron’s teams in his shoppe. We are nearly certain they are not under the influence of a necromancer, but they are being monitored closely.”

  I was surprised that the group was taking this so stoically, but they were some of the most daunting men and women in the city and did not easily show fear or emotion. At least not until they processed through it a bit, first.

  He continued. “The main threat of the master necromancer has been eliminated. The Patron can offer details, but War Wizard Draconis and I are certain we destroyed his reforming body in his secret necromantian in the Undercity.

  “Additionally, the alchemist tower has been cleared of all magical potions and magical tomes. Those items that I felt were too sensitive for the journeymen are being removed to The Tower, and all other lesser resources are being collected, cataloged, and will be distributed by Special Services. One other known alchemist necromancer remains at large. We do not know if it was an apprentice or a master in his own right. Of the estimated ten thousand undead that had been secretly gathered in Undercity and were clearly intended to attack us at a moment of weakness before or during the horde’s arrival, the Patron’s team accounted for between one quarter and one third of them in a couple of hours today.”

  That got a reaction. Taking on and eliminating so many undead, by such a young team, in a short amount of time, was impressive. I was very proud of them.

  “There is one more disturbing addition which I will leave to the commander to detail, but just before special services eliminated the necromancer, the master necromancer summoned an infernal.”

  “Surely not!” The Duke exclaimed.

  “I confirmed its presence in consultation with the War Sorcerer.” Wizard Draconis offered in support of Isaac’s claim.

  The Majordomo finished by saying, “It appears that at least this corrupted alchemist master had aligned with necromancy, shadow magic, and the infernal. We do not know to what specific purpose or what ends. It may have been a demented grab for power or part of something more. With the exception of the elite team at special services and those gathered in this room, the role of the infernal has not been shared, nor should it be at this time, in my opinion. Such knowledge would only panic the people who will undoubtedly be greatly concerned when news of the fall of the alchemy tower and the influence of necromancy is known. I suggest a public announcement be made rapidly to divert the panic which would likely result if we said nothing.”

  The commanders sat around the long table in stunned silence. Surprisingly, the High Minister was the first to speak. “Commander Istari, perhaps you could share your story with us to help give us time to process this dreadful news and offer some hope in the encroaching darkness.”

  The other commanders turned to look at me.

  I glanced at the Duke, who nodded assent. And so I spent the next ten minutes highlighting what had happened. I did not give every detail, but I included the success of our spells and rune arrows, and some of the strategies we had used. I admitted that we ran out of arrows far earlier than anticipated and are working on a way to get arrows to the front lines on demand or in large enough supplies that we do not likewise face shortages when the goblins arrive and our soldiers defend from the walls.

  And, while I hated to do it, I also explained what had happened with the Gray Master. There were far too many present that witnessed it, and each of these commanders had their own informants. There was no way that this kind of news would not reach their ears, and it was far better coming from me immediately on the heels of the events than a later story told defensively.

  Nevertheless, it raised eyebrows.

  The Ranger Commander asked, “So you are or are not the Gray Master?”

  I sighed. But before I could reply, Isaac stated, “He’s retired.”

  I glanced at him. “That’s not helping,” I said.

  I explained, “I took over as Gray Master only long enough to eliminate the threat in Undercity and then handed it back to the former Gray Master according to their code of honor.”

  “The honor of thieves?” The Marine Commander spat.

  I nodded to him. “You are right, Commander, it was a poor choice of words on my part. And I apologize to you, the Knight Commander, and others around the table. I should have said according to the rules that govern their guild. I do not understand, nor do I wish to delve more deeply into their politics or actions. But I will say in defense of those in Undercity who fought against insurmountable odds, that they wish to defend this city every bit as much as we top dwellers. Every man has his own agenda, but they were united against the undead and based on their words, appear united against the goblins.”

  There were expressions of doubt among the military leaders, and I feared that I might have lost some respect in their eyes.