Ordermaster

Epilogue

“There won’t be any great mages in the future,” Kharl said, standing on the front porch and looking out at the small harbor of Cantyl-his harbor, or his and Jeka’s.”I had trouble stopping rifle bullets when a whole company was firing. Before long, they’ll start building bigger cannon with soft iron shells, maybe even black iron shells. Then they’ll build something bigger, because the next Emperor of Hamor, or the one after that, or the one after that, can’t stand the thought that someone stopped Hamor from grabbing another land.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Jeka said, squeezing his hand. “Always someone making trouble. You fixed things now. When the time comes, folks then, they’ll have to fix things for themselves.”

“I suppose so.”

“You’ve done enough. ‘Sides no one’s going to bother Lord Ghrant solong as you’re his mage. Folks are stupid, but not many stupid enough to get you after them.”

“I didn’t really create all that chaos,” Kharl pointed out. “The chaos-wizards did.”

Jeka laughed, the musical laugh that he loved so much. “Who knows that, except you and me?”

Kharl squeezed her hand back and looked at the smooth silver of the harbor water, calm in the late fall evening.