Sunday Excerpt, "Crucible"

Necromancer turned and faced the Emperor. “What if I told you that you might have the same power as Linvin only an arm’s reach away?”

Mandrean took to his feet in both anger and curiosity. “If you are coming to a point, I suggest you make it or else bother me no more.”

Necromancer hovered over to the chest where the Red Sapphire had been stored. “I told you some of the writings on this chest spoke of a Red Sapphire which would give its master great power. You asked me what side of the chest housed it and I told you the right side. You never asked me what the rest of the writing on the chest said.”

“You said you could not read it. You lied.” Mandrean fumed.

“I never said that, My Lord. I told you what some of the writing said. You assumed I could not read any more. In your excitement about the Red Sapphire you never asked me about the rest of the writings. Did you never wonder what the other side of the chest held?”

“You said it was a trap of some kind,” Mandrean growled.

“I never made any such statement, My Lord. Once you knew where the Red Sapphire was held you assumed the other side was a trap. I never even commented on the matter and you never asked me if it was so.”

Mandrean’s rage boiled over. “So you didn’t lie to me. You just told me pieces of the truth. You are walking a fine line, Slave.”

Necromancer used all his will to not show his fury at being branded so. Retaining his composure, he continued to steer the conversation. “Does it not make you curious what is inside the left compartment of the chest?”

Mandrean’s anger was tempered with a lustful curiosity. “Tell me everything written on the chest,” he commanded. 152

 

Necromancer was only too happy to oblige. “Besides what I have already told you about the Red Sapphire, the carvings tell the left side of the chest holds a Blue Sapphire. Its power is described as equal to that of its counterpart.”

Mandrean raced over to the chest and saw the golden key still in the lock where Linvin left it before his escape. “Do the writings say I can use the Blue Sapphire?”

Necromancer sighed and said, “I have told you everything the markings reveal. From what we saw earlier, I would expect the Blue Sapphire would choose its master just as the Red Sapphire did. That being said, I feel strongly that you will have a sporting chance of mastering the gem if you open the compartment.”

Mandrean withdrew the key from the right lock and placed it in the left. “What if you are wrong?” Mandrean asked in freight.

“You forget, My Lord. I am forbidden to do you harm. Telling you to open something I know to be a trap would be beyond my capabilities. I am confident you will be unharmed by opening the compartment. Whether the gem makes you its new master is something not even I can determine for sure. You have wanted this power for so long. Take the chance and see if it is meant to be.”