Yes, I will be going back to the Turo story arc, but not for the moment.

Forebodings

Dumah was jerked abruptly out of his memories when they arrived at Moebius' apartments. There were voices inside.

"No! I will not! Not this time!" Moebius' voice. Dumah and Malek exchanged surprised glances. He never sounded that distressed, not even when they'd fallen into that nest of Fire Demons.

"You know what happens to servants who disobey." This was a new voice, deep and powerful. Something heavy hit the door. Moebius screamed.

"You will do as you are commanded!"

"I thought you were the hub of the Wheel." Moebius noted, now with an enraged edge under the desperation. "Nothing can act without your blessing; therefore my very rebellion is at your behest, to suit some purpose of your own. Unless you are less powerful than you would have me believe, perha-" He cut off in another scream. Dumah and Malek charged the doors. They opened on the second impact. Moebius looked up.

He was on his hands and knees, in the centre of the room, alone. The windows were shut, and there was no afterglow of teleportation magic.

"Why are you here?"

"You called us, m'lord. What happened here?" Malek spoke first, visibly gathering his courage, but speaking nevertheless. Dumah didn't dare.

"I did not. What did you hear?"

"You...arguing with some other. He was commanding you to obey."

"You could hear him?"

"...Yes."

"Then my rebellion was at his behest." Moebius murmured, not speaking to them any longer. "Telepathic speech is not heard when you do not wish it to be." He gathered his thoughts. "As you are here, regardless of who summoned you, I must speak to you. When the vampires attack this fortress, I will not be with you, and neither will my legion. We will hold back, for gathering survivors once the battle is won...and it will be won! I have foreseen this."

"This smells of treachery, Moebius. Perhaps you serve a new cause now? Perhaps the 'hub of the wheel', as you call him, is a vampire, merely wishing to slay his rivals without notice."

"Do not think such thoughts have not occurred to me, Malek! Do you think I obey blindly? My God is no vampire! The Chronoplasts have shown me as such!"

"Then show them to me also! Restore faith in me! I will not lead soldiers to their deaths for no purpose! Show me that you are not leaving us to our doom! I will not trust in the word of a God you have moments ago rebelled against and now sing the praises of!" Dumah stared. Malek, faithful Ward of the Circle, accusing Moebius of treachery? All might think it, yet few would dare to voice their claim. And here was Malek, the true Malek, the man feared by all foes of the circle, giving voice to it in tones of ringing command. Moebius recovered quickly.

"You dare accuse me of treachery? Me, without whom this order would not exist? Why would I create it only to destroy it? I have devoted my existence to the Sarafan! Not even for a God would I unmake it! But, since you doubt me, come! Come, look upon the future, see the outcome of this battle! And when you see your error, you shall beg my forgiveness! Know this, Malek, there will be a price for this impertinence!"

Malek did not flinch under this tirade, but merely stated levelly "It shall be paid."

"Have a care, Malek!" Dumah whispered, alarmed.

Moebius stepped forward and teleported himself and Malek. Dumah was left standing alone in the empty apartments. Minutes later, they returned. Dumah opened his mouth, but Moebius cut him off.

" No, the rest of you shall make no demands of me. One legion shall still abstain from battle. But, to reassure you, it shall not be mine. I and my legion shall ride in the van."

Malek left, with Dumah supporting him. "No one else would have dared to do such a thing, Malek. Our thanks."

Grey faced, Malek replied "I find myself unable to believe what I just did."

"We must tell people of this."

"That our leader serves a God? We cannot. The Sarafan would splinter, and with an army of vampires about to attack, we cannot afford this. We must keep his secrets, whether we wish it or not."

Dumah sighed. "An unenviable position, mine, but less so than yours. His price will be high."

"I know, but I could not fail to ask. My life weighs heavily, but not so heavily as thousands."