And that is when things started happening that Ephraim had been afraid of for years; they wanted to use magic to fight magic. That damned fool Alaric proposed a reading, an idea Landar didn't even seem to be opposed to. Ephraim was glad for the man's consent to assistance, but surely he was smarter than this? A séance being to die for? 

[B]"Yes, let the halfling experiment with magic and let's see what happens, shall we? Do you honestly think that's a good idea, Landar? Or have we all already forgotten how it ruined Cyrabassis? There is absolutely no telling what might happen if we let Alaric have his way here."[/b]

Speaking directly to the halfling, Ephraim continued. [B]"I don't even trust you. You didn't lift a finger inside Melazus, and now you're... what, a wizard? You went from a coward to an occultist brave enough to tamper with magic that kills men twice your size? How do I know you're not merely trying to discover how to duplicate whatever magic was performed here?"[/b]

While talking, Ephraim's voice had grown steadily sharper and more accusatory, and his right hand had seized one of his rhyming swords, with which he was now pointing directly at Alaric's chest from across the table. [B]"I won't have it."[/b]