The Shards Read Free

him from trying to destroy us.”
    “He requires no reason, ladies,” Teetoo joined in. “We cannot understand how he thinks. In some cases, it is clear to us what motivates his actions, particularly when it comes to the heir. He must stop the boy from finding the Gem of Eternity! There is no question about that. But, in his effort to bring the world closer to dissolution, we cannot always know why Colton chooses his battles as he does. His power is great despite his recent failures, and he is spreading it in many directions. It is possible that he does not know for certain what he wishes to find in each of his endeavors,” Teetoo said.
    The Queen cocked her head to the side. “You speak as if you fear that he has already been victorious,” she commented.
    “That he has defeated Premoran, you mean?” Teetoo inquired as he turned toward the Queen.
    “Yes. It is at least conceivable that Premoran has prevailed, is it not?” Elsinestra asked.
    Teetoo frowned. “More than conceivable, I suppose,” he responded.
    “Then let us not speak of the future as if Caeltin were the only one guiding the weave. We must continue to hope,” Elsinestra said.
    “I will never cease hoping, my Lady. Not until fact has replaced speculation, and I no longer have reason to wonder,” Teetoo replied.
    “Do you have suspicions, Teetoo? Can you sense anything? Would you know if the battle between Premoran and Caeltin has been won or lost?” Alemar asked.
    “I am certain that I would feel it. I believe that many of us would know. When the earth is robbed of a great force, whether for good or for evil, it reacts. The weave is altered forever and the cloth must then compensate for the absence of a thread which had been so prevalent in the design theretofore. It would not occur unnoticed. You know what happens when one of the great trees departs,” the Weloh said.
    “Yes,” Alemar replied, and she shuddered slightly at the thought.
    “So you know that Premoran is alive still! And if he is alive then we have reason to believe he may still prevail,” Elsinestra asserted.
    “No more or no less than before. When he went to confront his brother, he himself did not think it would be resolved quickly. They had much to discuss,” Teetoo said.
    “Do you think they will actually talk?” Alemar asked.
    “They will talk in their own way,” Elsinestra responded before Teetoo had the chance. “I do not know if verbal conversation will be the medium.”
    “They are brothers despite their differences. Once, they were close,” Teetoo said, recalling poignantly Premoran’s recollections of his brother before their separation.
    “It is hard for me to imagine one so good as he being linked by blood to the Dark Lord,” Alemar said.
    “The circle goes around and around, my dear. And it is multidimensional. Where does evil end and goodness begin?” the Queen commented.
    Alemar gasped. “Surely you do not believe that they are just differences in extremes?” she asked.
    “You misunderstand me, my child. No. They are as opposite as anything could be; pure evil and pure goodness. It is just for the purposes of human understanding that we compare them at all. If we did not weigh one against the other, or see one in its relationship to the other we could not begin to make sense out of their meanings. They are truly of different kinds nevertheless,” Elsinestra responded.
    “Colton’s evil is like no other. He is not simply bad, as one might characterize the actions of a spoiled and errant child. Neither is he immoral and cruel like a killer who disregards the value and meaning of life. He is amoral! He thrives outside of our concepts of good and evil. He wants life as we know it to end completely. If one were to characterize him more clearly, one would have to say that he is neither good nor evil at all. He is cruel simply because he has no regard for life, though he does not see his actions in the same light that we do. Cruelty requires