Part 27
“Most of us are on multiple teams, if not as many as you are, Father.” Talia told him as she gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Even the kids here are on nine different teams, including their own and Mark’s, and Mark is on twenty-six.
“What are you doing?” Alilia asked as she detected the Governors casting on themselves.
“We’re casting a modified version of the brain-charging spell we came up with in the brainstorming session.” Val explained. “The one we’ve been using just charges us up enough to figure out whatever we want to figure out at the time. This one keeps us almost fully charged all the time, then goes to full boost when we need it. It’s a little less safe but it’s still pretty good that way, and we won’t take the chance that we’ll fail to realize it when we need to be smarter.”
“Ah.” Alilia smiled, and was distracted by events before she could respond further.
Pakdag appeared on the stage, his archaic armor shining, and spoke as if every word was a grand announcement. “Be welcome, contestants and news-carriers, to the greatest and most momentous tournament ever held on Kellaran; The Tournament of Governors!
“A random drawing has been held to decide the order of the contest. The order number of each team has been added to their entry in the official team listing.
“In fifteen minutes the tournament will begin. The leaders of the first team will step upon the stage within a circle of elder gods. They will allow those gods to cast upon them, and they will begin the scenario. Every team will face exactly the same scenario, and no team leaders will be permitted to disclose what occurred during their play until all the teams have played and the results have been announced. Since some people are serving as supporting team members on more than one team, no supporting team members will remember their experiences as such until after the tournament is concluded, to prevent their play on one team from affecting their play on another.
in real time. At the beginning of the scenario the team leaders will believe that they have already won this tournament, and that they now command Kellaran. They will
it. Each team will face exactly the same foes. The behavior of all the people of Kellaran who are not team members will be simulated based on a Reading of them that will be taken just before the tournament begins, and that same Reading will be used for every team’s play. The behavior of The Triax and most of the behavior of the demons will be simulated by gods of
Almost every god we have will be participating in conducting the tournament or actively monitoring it, including most of the new gods. Our work with them has shown that the contestants who are new gods will be subject to the scenarios in every way exactly the same as mortals are, so long as they are sincerely permitting it. They will believe, as every contestant will, that it is not a tournament, and not an exercise. They will be convinced that what they are
the twelve teams who led us
the placing of the teams that do not place in the top twelve. We know that every team will do their best for Kellaran, and none of them deserve to be ranked last. It will be enough for them to know that they were not in the
performances, and will be provided with a detailed Revealing of their play in the tournament. Since such a Revealing may well require several years to review in its entirety in real time, they
ready to take your places
fortune to you
forty-sixth.” Val noted
be fifty-seventh.” Mark stated as he did
led by the gnome King Wosea of Enj and the giant Emperor Baltar of the Empire of Eskangir in Felion. In four and a half seconds their play was
placing of the team leaders in the center of a circle of gods was purely symbolic. Every member of each team was cast upon by the tournament’s organizers as their leaders were cast upon, no matter where they were. As it turned out, some supporting team members weren’t even present in
of the gods were so sophisticated
forty-sixth team to play; the Governors of Hiliani, please take your places