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turned her attention to his arm。 ‘When we were being attacked by those beasts； you thought to save us； but everything you did only increased the danger。’
When she finished； she held the knife blade over the fire。 A thin stream of white flame roared up from the steel； consuming the remaining paste。 She held the blade to the fire until the paste； and the white flame； were gone。
‘If I hadn’t acted； Sister； we would be dead。’
She shook the hot blade at him。 ‘I did not say you were wrong to act！ I said you acted in the wrong way！ You used the wrong kind of magic！’
‘I used the only thing I had！ The sword！’
She pitched the knife。 With a thunk； it stuck solidly in a piece of firewood。 ‘Acting without knowing the consequences of the magic you call forth is perilous behavior！’
‘Well； nothing you were doing was helping！’
Sister Verna rocked back on her heels； stared at him for a moment； and then turned to busy herself with replacing the bottles in the green bag。
‘I’m sorry； Sister。 I didn’t really mean that。 It didn’t e out the way I intended。 I only meant that you weren’t able to sense the way； and I knew if we stayed； we would be killed。’
The bottles clinked together as she moved them around in the bag。 She seemed to be having difficulty getting them packed the way she wanted。 ‘Richard； you think that controlling the gift； using magic； is what you are to learn with us。 。 That is the easy part。 Knowing what kind of magic to use； how much to use； when to use it； and the consequences of using it； that is the hard part。 That is the meaning of everything。 How； how much； when； and what if … just like the magic I have put on your bites。’
She fixed him with a deadly serious expression。 ‘Without that knowledge； you are a blind man swinging an axe in a crowd of children。 You have no idea of the danger you invoke when you use magic。 We try to give you sight； and some sense； before you swing that axe。’
Richard picked at a clump of grass at his feet。 ‘I never thought about it that way。’
‘Perhaps； if anything； I should be angry with myself for being foolish。 I didn’t think there was anything powerful enough to tempt me into a trap。 I was wrong。 Thank you； Richard； for saving me。’
He wrapped a long stalk of grass around his finger。 ‘I was so relieved to find you 。。。 I thought you were dead。 I’m glad you’re not。’
She had pulled all the little bottles out of the bag and set them on the ground。 ‘I could have been lost in that spell for all time。 I should have been。’
‘What do you mean？’
There seemed to him to be more bottles than would fit into the bag； but then； he had seen them all e out。 ‘We have tried to rescue Sisters before。 We have seen some； and their charges； lost in those enchantment spells。 I saw one； the first time I went through。 We have never been able to get them out。 Sisters have died trying。’ She started replacing the bottles。 ‘You used magic。’
‘I used the sword。 The sword has magic； you know。’
‘No。 You didn’t use the sword’s magic。 You used your Han； even though you didn’t realize it。 Using your Han through desire； without wisdom； is the most dangerous thing you can do。’
‘Sister； I think it was just the sword’s magic。’
‘When you called to me； I heard you。 We have tried to call to others； and they have never heard us。 Not once。’
‘You just didn’t know how。 You couldn’t hear me either； until I stepped through some sort of sparkling wall around you。 Then you could hear me。 You just have to step through that wall first。’
She pushed bottles to each side to make more room as she spoke softly。 ‘We know that； Richard。 We have tried every sort of magic； and have never been able to pass through or break the wall of one of these spells； or been able to get the attention of one captured by it。 No one has ever been brought out of an enchantment spell before。’ She replaced the last bottle and finally turned to face him。 ‘Thank you； Richard。’
He shrugged as he pulled the grass off his finger。 ‘Well； it was the least I could do to make up for what I did。’
‘For what you did？’
Richard occupied himself with carefully rolling his pants back down。 ‘Well； before I saved you； I kind of killed you。’
She leaned closer。 ‘You did what？’
‘You were hurting me。 With your magic。 With the collar。’
Tm sorry； Richard。 I was in the spell and didn’t realize what I was doing。 I didn’t intend to hurt you。’
He shook his head。 ‘Not then。 Before。 In the white tower。’
She leaned even closer and gritted her teeth。 ‘You went into a tower？ Are you mad？ I told you what those towers are！ How could you be so 。。。’
‘Sister。 I had no choice。’
‘We have already discussed choice。 I told you how dangerous those towers are。 I told you to stay away from them！’
‘Look； there was lightning all around。 It was trying to strike me。 I 。。。 well； I didn’t know what else to do。 So I dove through an archway； into the tower； for protection。’
‘Can’t you follow the simplest instructions？ Must you always act a child？’
Richard looked up from under his eyebrows。 ‘Those were your exact words。 You came into the tower。 I was sure it was you。 You were angry with me； much as you are now； and you used those exact words。’
He gritted his teeth as he put a finger to the collar at his neck。 ‘You used this。 You used it to throw me against the wall； and pin me there with it。 Can this collar do that； Sister？’
She sat much quieter。 ‘Yes。 We don’t have the power of a wizard； the male Han。 The collar amplifies our power； so we may be stronger than the one wearing it。 So we can teach them。’
His voice was deep with anger。 ‘Then you used it to give me pain； like the pain you did for real； when you were in the spell。 Only it was stronger； and went on and on。 Can the collar do that； too； Sister？’
She pulled a clump of grass to her side and began cleaning her hands with it； avoiding his glare。 ‘Yes。 But that was a vision； Richard。 I wasn’t really doing it。’
‘I told you to stop hurting me or I would put a stop to it。 You wouldn’t stop； so I called the sword’s magic and broke the bond of the power holding me。 You were furious。 You said that I had made my last mistake。 You said you were going to kill me for fighting you。 You were going to kill me； Sister。’
‘I’m sorry； Richard；’ she whispered as she looked up； ‘that you had to suffer that。’ Her voice regained some of its strength。 ‘So； what did you do to me 。。。 to the vision of me？’ He leaned over and touched the edge of his first finger to the side of her shoulder。 ‘I cut you in half with the sword。 Right here。’
Her hands stopped； she was stone still。 Some of the color had left her face。 Finally； she regained her posure。
Richard picked at the clump of grass by his foot again。 ‘I didn’t want to do it； but I was positive you were going to kill me。’
She tossed the grass aside。 ‘I’m sure you were； Richard。 But that was only a vision。 If it were real； it wouldn’t have turned