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Chapter

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12, the

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wind cut across the high peaks

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and whipped down into the mountain

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valley. August Fenwick,

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now known as two, staggered

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under the weight of his burden, Masters

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Russian had dispatched him to gather fuel

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for the fire, no mean feat

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in this high country, and

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Fenwick had scoured for hours to a symbol

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the unwieldy collection of brambles and kindling

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he now bore. As

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he reached the steep slope of the path, that led

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down into the Sadhoo's Coty. The

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uneven footing seemed to get the better of him.

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He found himself cast off balance and

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he pitched forward toward the Jagged rock that

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shielded the path on either side. In

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an instant, the skills born of his

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long training burst alive. The

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kindling scattered as he threw his arms

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wide to counterbalance his fall. Acting

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against the instinct of a normal man, he turned

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his forward pitching to a dive, pulled

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into a tight somersault in mid air and landed

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on the flat edge of a protruding boulder with

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the agility of a monkey. He

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barely had time to complete the land before he

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heard the sound of slow mucking applause

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from a short distance away. His

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head shot around to face the source of the sound,

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seated on a ledge to his right was the master's

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other student, the man who now

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insisted on being called one.

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Very nice the elder student said,

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very deaf for one so clumsy.

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August felt his ears redened and his pulse

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quickened. He stepped down from his newfound

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perch quickly and with his little fanfare

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as possible. You

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are full of surprises, my young friend,

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one smiled, though there was little change

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to his hawk like countenance. Just

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lucky, Fenwick Grimaced regarding

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the scattered pile of wood and feeling anything but

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nonsense the elder student replied

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standing, you have skills

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and I would be a fool not to recognize

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them. The man

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called two froze in his tracks.

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There was a deeper import to the words of his

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fellow student. He turned and

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met the impassive predatory stare

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and said nothing. One

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smiled. Better and

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better. You listen much and

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speak little. You are not

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like the typical fools that find their

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way to the masters Cuddy seeking

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enlightenment in a single day, and

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you have had training. August

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shrugged, gymnastics, at

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school, he said casually. It

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is better to speak truth than to be thought

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modest. One replied. Sometimes,

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the young man replied cryptically as he began to

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reassemble his burden. Still

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better, and worse, the

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elder student smiled. But

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for the moment, I do not speak of your

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physical prowess. Fenwick's

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brows knits puzzled. I

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don't understand. He replied. One

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stepped down from his and moved smoothly

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across the uneven path towards his fellow

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initiate. I think

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that you do, he said calmly, I

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had occasion this morning to recollect your

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arrival here yesterday. Something

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about you seemed unusual.

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Is that right? Young man's ears

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were reddening again. There was something about one

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that set his teeth on edge and

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he couldn't put his finger on it. One

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smiled. Imagine my

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surprise when I found myself unable

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to recall your face.

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Fenwick tried to control his response to

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show nothing. That happens

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to a lot of people he said calmly. One

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shook his head. You are the first person

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other than master Rashan and myself to set

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foot in this valley in seven

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months. And yet I

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found my memory as clouded as

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if I had met a hundred men yesterday.

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And I say again, you

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have had some training. The

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pair of students locked eyes for a moment.

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At last, the man called too

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shrugged a little. I

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spent some time with an American stage hypnotist.

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His act was good. A little

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too good to mean nothing more than trickery.

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One raised an eyebrow in spite of himself,

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This charlatan knew the ancient secrets

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of the mind. Fenwick

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shrugged again. He knew a little.

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Enough to be useful if you'd rather not

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be remembered or to pluck a simple

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thought from the mind of another, an image,

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a name, enough

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to make you certain there was more to learn.

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More to know, one said

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his stare becoming still more intense

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as if he was struggling to read the young man

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and meeting only a cloud of misdirection,

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perhaps There

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is much to learn in this place, young one.

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I can offer you much help. One

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said relaxing his stare and miling

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with something like warmth for the first time,

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Fenwick's eyes narrowed with suspicion, such

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as, One

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closed his eyes and looked for the stillness

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within himself, finding it easily.

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He reached out with his mind into the physical

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world the tendrils of his thoughts

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feeling for the scattered firewood. August

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then were gasped in spite of himself as

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the pile of precious wood reassembled

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itself in mid air between himself

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and one and hung

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there without visible support. One

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opened his eyes and spoke without apparent

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concentration. Telekinesis,

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one said harmly, not

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my specialty, but it has many

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uses. Fenwick

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composed himself quickly, such

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as tripping me up on the path in the first

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place, he smiled in spite

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of himself. One's

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eyes narrowed, but he did not bother

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to Neyer. I

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think we understand one another

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perfectly, he said.