Nita was puzzled. "It's the old word for emotions, sort of," Kit said. "Not like 'funny' humor.""I know," Nita said, annoyed. She hadn't. S'reee blew, laughing. The spray missed Kit this time. "Those ten whales ruled the Sea, under the Powers," she said. "If the Lone Power wanted to trick the Sea into the Great Death, It had to trick the Ten—then all the life they ruled would be stuck with the Great Death too. So the Lone One went to the Ten in disguise, pretending to be a stranger, a new whale sent to them so that they could decide under which of their Masteries it fell. And as each one questioned the Lone Power, the Stranger whale offered each of them the thing he wanted most, if he would only accept the 'Gift' the Stranger would give him. And he showed them just enough of his power to prove that he could do it." "Uh-oh," Kit said softly. "I've heard that one before." "Apples and snakes," Nita said."Yes. The pattern repeats. One after another, the Lone One tempted the Ten. The Sea was silent then and gave them no advice—some people say that the Powers wanted the Ten to make up their own minds. But however that might have been, three of the Ten took the Gift, and fell. Three of them were undecided. Three of them rejected the Gift. And the Lone Power needed a majority of the Lords to accept Death, or Its victory would only be Partial.""Those were only nine Lords, though," Kit said. 'Yes, and here the Tenth comes in: the Silent Lord, they called her. She w as the youngest of them, and each of the other Nine tried to bring her a round to his own way of thinking. The Lone One came to her too and tempted her as It had tempted the others. You know, though, that it's the youngest wizard who has the most power, and where the other Lords
