A strange silence settled over the tent as everyone tried to understand the strangest words they had heard in their entire lives.
The Wanderer Merchant looked at Maruun's face, open and sincere, then at the other Practitioners, and found not the slightest hint of a lie in any of their eyes.
He lifted his black-furred hand, and a low light burst outward in a quick flash that made everyone clamp their eyes shut. For an instant, the tent went rigid with fear, certain the Adept had grown agitated and chosen to kill them.
When they opened their eyes, a heavy sigh escaped them as they realized they were still alive. The tent was unchanged, the cool marble still beneath their boots, and the world still intact.
"Sorry for that," the Merchant said, voice level. "I had to be sure none of you are under mind control. Now, can you explain in more detail? Begin at the beginning, from the moment you first entered the Sanctuary."
