Travis opened his mouth, although he was unsure what exactly he would say, but another voice spoke first.

"I believe," a quiet voice said.

All eyes turned toward Oragien, who stood beside his seat, staff in hand.

352.

"Ever were the Runebinders the proudest of the orders," the All-master went on. "They traced their line directly to the runelords who bound the Rune Gate in Shadowsdeep. Mikelos, last All-master of theRunebinders, once said that his order might bind the sun in the sky, if they so wished, so that it would ever be day. A year later, the White Tower fell, and the Runebinders were no more." He turned his gaze on Travis. "Now, at last, we know why."

Heads nodded around the chamber, and some wiped their eyes at the tragedy that had befallen the Un-MoT-tn-t^Qm /-.-iro- 4-l^v /-tttT-M l"fi i+ 353.

perfectly proportioned. He turned the stone hand over, and a thrill coursed through him. Carved into the palm was a symbol. No, not a symbol. A rune, one made of three intersecting lines: ^.

Travis knew the rune well. It was a mirror to the one that, at times, shimmered on his own right palm. The rune of runes. The mark of a runelord.

361A quick search of the room confirmed his suspicion. The stones were the remains of a statue. It was a man--or had been at any rate--clad in a flowing robe. From what Travis could make out, his features had been sharp and stern, but the corner of a mouth Travis found seemed to curve upward in a knowing smile, softening the harshness of the countenance. Beyond that, Travis could tell little, save that the entire statue seemed to still be here. He had found two eyes, two ears, and two feet. But, now that he thought of it, only the one hand. Perhaps some of the pieces were missing after all.

Nonsense, Travis. Of course it's all here. And you know perfectly well who it is.

Travis winced at the voice--Jack's voice--as it sounded inside his skull.

Who was it that gave up his hand to the dragon's maw that he might steal away with the secret of the runesi It never ceased to amaze Travis that Jack could still chastise him even when he wasn't around anymore. But he was right--Travis did know who the statue depicted. In some ways, Travis supposed, he had been the first runelord. Olrig, the Old God called Lore Thief, who stole the secret of rune magic from the dragons and granted it to men.

T*- * i---^ '-r,.....;_ i.^j """"" """"

354 * mark anthony any women runespeakers. Only witches. Why was that? Perhaps it was simply that women had more sense than men did.