Small balls of light danced in the library, some concentrated near the precious devices under bell jars, while others seemed to prefer the proximity of heavy leather-bound works. Niian looked at them, a little disillusioned. None of the ones he was looking for were here. He walked from one end of the long room to the other, passed among the different groups, taking care not to touch the balls, then counted them again, as if he could have been wrong. In the end, he dropped into his large leather chair and massaged his temples, despairing over his blindness. Apart from Darya, all the Corypheus of Russia were dead, three of them within a fairly short time. Too much to be a coincidence. And he hadn’t noticed anything!
“Damn old fool!” he grumbled, pulling his hair. “What have you done?”
Sudd
