Master (Book 5) by Robert J. Crane Read Free Book Online Page B

absent and had been for some months. “All right, that seems agreed. Any other business?”
    “We need more officers,” J’anda said.
    “Why?” Ryin asked.
    “To make fun of your blatantly stupid opinions,” Vaste said. “I try to do it all myself but it’s exhausting, as each meeting you seem to come up with new ways to trump your previous stupidities.”
    “If you don’t care for my oppositional ideals, even though I present them in a loyal manner designed to produce thought before reckless action—” Ryin began.
    “You desperately need some action right now, I think,” Vaste said.
    “Was that a personal remark?” Ryin asked, face pinched in anger.
    “Yes, I was suggesting you need to have relations,” Vaste said, straight faced. “Ever since you and Nyad parted ways, you’ve been a particularly grim son of a bitch.” He glanced at Nyad, who reddened but said nothing.
    “I am not … grim,” Ryin said, sputtering.
    “Not as grim as Vara, it’s true,” Vaste said, “but we’ve all given up hope that she will ever get laid and lighten up. You still have some potential.”
    “Oh, gods,” Cyrus muttered under his breath.
    Vara said nothing. Gradually every head turned to her. Her face remained expressionless, but her eyes turned to take in every looker. “I have nothing to say in this matter.”
    Cyrus looked over at Vaste, who mouthed the words No hope before Curatio cleared his throat in the silence.
    “If we might come back to the matters at hand,” the healer said, his voice a little thin and raspy, “and steer clear of the personal?”
    “Sure, give it a go,” Vaste said.
    “We need more officers because we now have somewhere in the neighborhood of fifteen thousand members,” J’anda spoke up, looking over at Ryin and keeping his voice smooth while he spoke. “When we had sixty-eight members just three and a half years ago, we had seven officers. Now we have nine officers and fifteen thousand members, with more applicants flooding in all the time. The Halls of Healing are in disarray because Curatio—as acting Guildmaster—no longer has time to run them with his focus on keeping the guild going day to day.” The enchanter leaned forward and placed his hands onto the table. “We need more help. All of us are feeling the pinch.”
    “I just don’t know that we need to expand the Council just yet—” Ryin said.
    “Almost all of us are feeling the pinch,” Vaste corrected. “The lazy are apparently quite fine, doing nothing as always.”
    “I am not lazy,” Ryin said, reddening again. “I, too, have more work to be done than time to do it, but I am hesitant to grow the numbers in Council before we are ready, because it is a potentially dangerous exercise that could eventually cost us control of the guild. Does anyone recall only a few short years ago when Goliath nearly manipulated us into a merger? Only the Council’s united will kept us from a momentous mistake.”
    “Ah, yes, I remember your strong leadership in that matter,” Vaste said, stroking his chin. “Oh, wait, weren’t you the one leading the charge for Goliath?”
    Ryin glared at him. “I don’t mind using my mistakes to make a point. The Council was right and I was wrong, but the only reason you were successful in thwarting their intentions was because the Council was small enough to avoid fragmentation while they held us together.”
    “He has a point,” Erith said, and everyone looked to the dark elven woman, who stared back with smoky eyes. “Double the size of the Council, and you potentially lose our identity. There are some ten thousand fighting Luukessians in Sanctuary now; I’m sure they’d love to have a proportional say in how things are run.” She looked at Longwell. “Why, they could dominate the elections and pack the Council with their own people.”
    “No, they can’t,” Longwell said, shaking his head. “The charter states that one can only become an officer of Sanctuary