dancing shadows, I have heard the song of that book in the recesses of my mind. My answers are in that song."
"Song of the book?" Belisarius could not begin to understand.
"The rhythm of the words," Cadderly tried to explain, though he knew he could not, not really.
Belisarius shrugged and seemed to accept the simple explanation. "Then you have found your conduit," he sajd, "but I fear there is little I can tell you concerning it. This book would seem to be more a matter to take up with the headmasters at the Edificant Library."
"Or with my deity," Cadderly mumbled.
Belisarius shrugged noncommittally. "As you will," he said. "I can tell you this much, though, and I know I am right simply by looking at your haggard features - "
"I have not been sleeping well," Cadderly promptly put in, fearing what the wizard would say.
"Magic, the transference of such energies," Belisarius went on, undeflected by Cadderly's announcement, "exacts a toll on the practitioner. We wizards are very careful not to exceed our limitations. Normally we could not anyway, since the memorization of any spell is when those limits are revealed.
"Likewise, a cleric's granted powers stem from his or her faith and are tempered by agents of the gods, or even by the gods themselves where the high priests are sometimes concerned," Belisarius reasoned. "I warn you, young Cadderly, I have seen foolish mages consumed when trying to cast the spells of those more powerful than they, spells beyond their abilities. If you have found a way to avoid the normal boundaries and limitations of magic use, whatever type of magic might be involved, then I pray you will find the wisdom to moderate your activities, else it will consume you."
A thousand possibilities began their progression through Cadderly's thoughts. Perhaps he should go back to the library with his dilemma. He could speak to Pertelope . . .
"Now for some items that I know more about," Belisarius said. The wizard reached for the rings and the wand. He first held up a signet ring inscribed with the trident-and-bottle design of Castle Trinity. It once had belonged to the evil mage Dorigen.
"There is no detectable magic in this, as you believed," the wizard said, tossing it to Cadderly.
"I know," Cadderly said, as he caught it and put it into his pouch.
The declaration made Belisarius pause and consider the young man. "This ring," he said slowly, holding up the gold band set with a large onyx stone, "is indeed magical, and powerful.
"It evokes a line of flame," Cadderly said, "when the possessor utters 'Fete,' the elven word for fire. I have seen it in use," the young priest added quickly, noticing Be-lisarius's deepening frown.
"Indeed," muttered the wizard. "And have you ever heard of a wizard named Agannazzar?"
Belisarius smiled as Cadderly shook his head. "He is a mage of no large fame born two centuries ago," the wizard explained.
"Now dead," Cadderly reasoned.
"Perhaps," Belisarius said wryly, flashing a wink. "One can never be certain where wizards are concerned."
"And was this his ring?" Cadderly asked.
"I cannot be sure " Belisarius replied. "Either he or one of his associates created it with this specific power imbued. It is not too powerful, but you may find it useful." He tossed it to Cadderly and took up the wand. The young priest suspected that Belisarius had purposely saved the remaining ring for last.
"This is a common device " the wizard began, but Cad-derly stopped him with an upraised hand. At first the wand seemed an unremarkable, slender shaft of black wood just over a foot long, but, as he looked at it, Cadderly heard the notes of a distant song playing in his mind.
Cadderly studied deeper, sensed, and then saw clearly, the magic of the item.
"Light," he said to the wizard. "The wand's power has to do with the manipulation of illumination."
Belisarius frowned again and looked at the wand, as if ensuring that there were no runes visibly etched on its smooth side. "You have seen it in use?" the wizard asked hopefully, already tired of being upstaged.
"No," Cadderly said absently, not releasing his attention from the revelations. In his mind, he saw lights forrriing different images and dancing about. "Domin flfu," he muttered.
The light he pictured became constant and of the same intensity as the light he had conjured in his room and in the maze.
"fflu" an arcane word for light, escaped his trembling lips. The light intensified, brightened to where Cadderly squinted against the glare in his mind.