The Radiant Dragon Read Online Free PDF Page B

tribute to Sirian Windharp. The elven captain bowed deeply, then followed the aide from the chamber.
    The admiral’s smile faded abruptly, and her eyes drifted shut. After a moment she shook off her dark introspection and turned to Vallus Leafbower. “We need the ultimate helm,” she stated. As legend had it, an ultimate helm was the only device that could be used to control the mighty ship Spelljammer. Such helms were said to be ordinary artifacts imbued with special powers by the great ship itself, and they were exceedingly rare.
    “An attempt was made to recover the Cloak of the First Pilot, as Captain Kilian reported,” Vallus reminded, referring to elven admiral Cirathom’s effort to take Teldin Moore’s cloak. “It was not an honorable attempt.”
    “What, then, do you recommend? The war is taking a great toll, with a high loss of lives and ships. Kilian’s own ship is the sole survivor of the fleet we had stationed at the Rock of Bral. Now we learn that our newest and most powerful armada is vulnerable to some mysterious enemy. As highly as we value life, even a life as fleeting as a human’s, can we risk the survival of the elven nation on this principle?” she asked. From her dispassionate tone, they might have been discussing the menu for eveningfeast. “No, I think we must recover the cloak, and soon.”
    She paused, and the gaze from her sharp, ancient eyes met and held Vallus’s.” You will recover the cloak. I tell you this because you must be the next to wear it.”
    The wizard’s fine-boned face paled almost to transparency. “Why me?” he asked with unelven bluntness.
    A faint, sad smile thinned the admiral’s lips. “Because, dear Vallus, you do not wish to wear the cloak. We have seen that such power can be dangerous in the hands of those who covet it too dearly. The Imperial Fleet must ensure that the cloak, and the Spelljammer, will be brought to bear on the side of the elves. You would use it as you were bid.”
    Vallus’s silence affirmed the older elf’s insight, but his face remained troubled. “There may be another way,” he suggested cautiously. “I believe that Teldin Moore could be persuaded to join our cause.”
    “Do you?” She sniffed. “May I remind you that this conflict is widely called ‘The Second Unhuman War’? Humans, with the exception of the scro’s riffraff mercenaries, consider it none of their concern. As long as the war doesn’t inconvenience them, they’re more than happy to ignore it.”
    “But —”
    “Another issue,” she continued, pointedly overriding Vallus’s interruption. “Many of our people have made finding the Spelljammer their lifework, without success. Have you any reason to think that Teldin Moore can succeed where we have failed? Or that he could command the ship if he should find it?”
    The admiral paused and shook her silver head adamantly. “My dear wizard, your plan is – at best! – taking a long shot with a short bow.”
    “You may be right,” Vallus allowed. “However, while serving aboard the hammership Probe, I had ample time to observe Teldin Moore. It is true that he is limited by his youth and inexperience, but many times he showed signs of ryniesta,” he argued, using an Elvish term roughly meaning “the seeds of heroism.”
    The admiral frowned, startled by Vallus’s word choice and what it implied. He had deliberately used a term that conferred great honor, and that was reserved for things elven.
    Vallus pressed his point. “The cloak obviously has accepted Teldin Moore. From what we know of the Spelljammer, there is no reason to assume that the great ship will not do likewise. The human has shown the strength to endure and to persevere. I believe he possesses the potential to command. We could do worse than to have such a human on our side.”
    The elven woman considered him carefully, weighing his obvious conviction against his self-interest. “Hmmm. And you think the human could be persuaded to