the booth, counting money, answering questions, taking measurements, and noting down special orders.

"Silver and amethyst, if you please," a noble lady was dictating. "And a pair of earrings to match."

"No, not a chance," Caramon replied. "You know Kit. She

was ready to kiss and make up, but Tanis..."

As if aware that they were talking of him, Tanis turned from

dropping another three steel into the money box.

"Are you still planning to go through with this?" he asked. "I am," Raistlin said.

Tanis shook his head. He had gray smudges beneath his eyes and looked tired. "I don't like it."

"No one asked you to," Raistlin returned.

An uncomfortable silence fell. Caramon flushed and bit his lip, embarrassed for his brother, yet too loyal to say

anything. Sturm gave Raistlin a look of haughty disapproval, reminded Raistlin silently that he was not to be

disrespectful to his elders. Tas was going to tell another Uncle Trapspringer story, but he couldn't think of one that

seemed to fit, and so he kept quiet, wiggled unhappily in his chair. The kender would have run cheerfully into a

dragon's open mouth and never turned a hair on his topknot, but anger among his friends always made him feel very

uncomfortable.

"You are right, Raistlin. No one did ask me," Tanis said. He started to turn away, to go back to the front of the

booth.

"Tanis," Raistlin called out. "I'm sorry. I had no right to speak toyou-my elder-in that manner, as the knight

here would remind me. I can offer as my excuse only that I have an extremely difficult task ahead of me tonight. And

I remind you and everyone here"-his gaze swept them all "that if I fail, I will be the one to pay the penalty. None of the

rest of you will be implicated."

"And yet I wonder if you realize the enormous risk you're running," Tanis said earnestly. "This false religion is

making Judith and her followers wealthy. By exposing her, you may be putting yourself into considerable danger. I

think you should reconsider. Let others deal with her."

"Aye," said Flint, coming back behind the booth to bring more money for the iron box. He had overheard the latter

part of the conversation. "If you'll take my advice, laddie, which you

never do, I say we keep our noses out of this. I was thinking on this last night, and after what you told me about

the people tormenting that poor lass who lost her babe, it is my opinion that the humans of Haven and Belzor

deserve each other."

"You can't be serious, sir!" Sturm protested, shocked. "According to the Measure, if a person has knowledge

of a law being broken and that person does nothing to halt it, then that person is as guilty as the lawbreaker. We

should do everything in our power to stop this false priestess."

"We do that by reporting her to the proper authorities," Tanis argued.

"Who won't believe us," Caramon pointed out. "I think-"

"Enough! I have made my decision!" Raistlin put an end to the arguments, which were making him doubt

himself, undermining his carefully built fortifications. "I will go ahead with the plan. Those who want to help me

can do so. Those who don't may go about their business."

"I will help," said Sturm.

"Me, too," Caramon replied loyally.

"And me! I'm the key!" Tas would have jumped up and down, except he found that jumping was difficult

when it involved bringing along the chair to which he was tied. "Don't be mad, Tanis. It will be fun!"

"I'm not mad," Tanis said, his weary face relaxing into a smile. "I'm pleased that you young men are willing to

risk danger for a cause you think is right. I trust that is why you're doing this," he said, with a pointed glance at

Raistlin.

Never mind my motives, Raistlin advised the half-elf silently. You wouldn't understand them. So long as I

achieve an outcome that pleases you and is beneficial to others, what do you care why I do what I do?

Annoyed, he was turning away when Kitiara strolled through the door of the stall. Elbowing aside several

customers, who glared at her resentfully, she made her way behind the counter.

"I see we're all here. Ready to go feed Judith to the snakes?" she asked, grinning. "I'm among the chosen, by

the way, baby brother. I've asked to speak to our dead mother, and the High Priestess has kindly granted my