34: Telvanni friend

"You should have come to me first," Baladas said when I told him of my approach to the Telvanni Archmagister. "I'd have told you to just kill him."

He was at least partly right. I realized when I woke up this morning that the most likely place to get advice for dealing with the Telvanni was here in Gnisis, so I took an armload of reports and caught the caravan. I think the caravaners have become accustomed to hearing me curse over the piles of paper that I scatter across the seats when I travel.

"I know the Telvanni consider killing each other a perfectly acceptable way of settling their differences Baladas, but I won't get much help against Dagoth Ur from a pile of dead wizard lords."

"I didn't say you should just kill them all, Arvil. You may have to kill some, and I have no doubt you will eventually kill Gothren. You are not the most patient of men as Arvil Bren the Archmage; as Nerevar you don't have time to be."

"What does that have to do with Gothren?"

"The Archmagister could try the patience of a statue." He waved his hand, encompassing the tower around us. "I petitioned the council when I settled here, a petition to claim just the tower and the grounds for House Telvanni. As a Velothi artifact suitable for occupancy only by a well versed wizard there was sufficient precedent. The Redorans also petitioned, to have me recalled or branded as a rogue. Both petitions remain on the council agenda to this day, and the Archmagister routinely swears to me and to the Redorans that he will see them resolved soon. It has been more than four centuries. Even with the Moon and Star you will not live long enough to hear yes or no from his mouth."

"You make a good case for killing him then Baladas. No disrespect intended, but what's in it for you?"

He laughed. "Too bad you joined the noble Redorans Arvil. You would have made a fine Telvanni. If nothing else my petition might be resolved if Gothren was removed from his progress blocking position, but I suspect that his successor will not only resolve the issue but resolve it in my favor."

"Does that really matter?" It was my turn to gesture at our surroundings. "You don't seem to be letting any lack of official sanction stop you from moving in."

"True. But living so far from Sadrith Mora it is hard to keep up with events. I want to be on the council so I can have a mouth keep an eye on things for me. A close eye; my spies just do not have enough access. If Gothren dies I will very likely take his seat on the council."

An idea began to form. "Who else would benefit from Gothren's demise?" I asked. "Specifically, who would take over as Archmagister? I assume you can't just all kill each other until only one is left. Even among the Telvanni that must be too obviously wasteful."

"Too hard to do. We Telvanni are cautious, we don't kill easily." He pondered for a moment, as if he hadn't already thought through every angle. "Aryon," he said. "Most likely Aryon would come to power, I'd say."

"And he would resolve your petition your way, I suppose...and don't bother with the 'I haven't thought about it' look, Baladas, we're all friends here."

He chuckled again. "As I said, you would have made a fine Telvanni. Yes, Aryon would support my petition, and awarding me the vacant seat on the council, in return for me supporting him to the Archmagister seat. All that aside though he is really the only choice."

"Why is that?" I asked, thinking that 'the only choice' and 'the best choice for Baladas' being one and the same was more than a coincidence.

"Neloth might have been a better choice five centuries ago, but he is too old and set in his ways. I don't think he would even want to be Archmagister in these difficult times. Dratha hates men. Neloth and Aryon could never allow her the power of the Archmagistrate, she would kill them both, or have them emasculated at the very least. And Therana's judgment is...slipping...of late. The centuries are beginning to take their toll."

"But if Dratha hates men so much how will Aryon get her support?"

"He won't, but he probably won't have to."

"Why?"

"Because you probably won't be able to either, so you'll probably have killed her before she can give Aryon any problems." I gaped at him. "It's so refreshing to have a friend, and not have to pretend that I don't have this all worked out!" he crowed.

"So if I had come here first..."

"I'd have sent you straight to Aryon. He's expecting you."

I enjoyed a fine dinner then teleported home. Ahnassi has been packing for the move to Bal Isra. She got word that construction of the manor is complete. It seems as if everyone knows where I'm going but me.