To have that kind of control over — over everything—live things, the world, even… She took a deep breath and looked back at the book, beginning to get an idea of what kind of power was implied there. The power conferred by use of the Speech has, of course, one insurmountable limitation: the existence of death itself. As one renowned Senior Wizard has remarked, "Entropy has us outnumbered. " No matter how much preserving we do, the Universe will eventually die. But it will last longer because of our efforts — and since no one knows for sure whether another Universe will be born from the ashes of this one, the effort seems worthwhile. No one should take the Wizards' Oath who is not committed to making wizardry a lifelong pursuit. The energy invested in a beginning wizard is too precious to be thrown away. Yet there are no penalties for withdrawal from the Art, except the knowledge that the Universe will die a little faster because of energy lost. On the other hand, there are no prizes for the service of Life — except life itself. The wizard gets the delight of working in a specialized area — magic — and gets a good look at the foundations of the Universe, the way things really work. It should be stated here that there are people who consider the latter more of a curse than a blessing. Such wizards usually lose their art. Magic does not live in the unwilling soul. Should you decide to go ahead and take the Oath, be warned that an ordeal of sorts will follow, a test of aptitude. If you pass, wizardry will ensue…. Yeah? Nita thought. And what if you don't pass?

"Nita?" Mrs. Lesser's voice came floating down the stairs, and a moment later she herself appeared, a large brunette lady with kind eyes and a look of eternal concern. "You still alive?" "I was reading. "

"So what else is new? They're gone. "

"Thanks, Mrs. L. "