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'No on both counts, I'm afraid,' said Garovel. 'But it appears to be at least as old as the early Mohssian Empire. One of the books on that shelf over there mentions the Forge, and it is written in both the Nykeirian and Old Mohssian languages.'

"A minimum of two thousand years, then." The sheer awe in Abbas' voice made Hector's anxiety spike somewhat. "Magnificent."

'Can you tell if it's still functional?' asked Garovel.

"Its condition appears absolutely pristine, but when it comes to Fusion Forges, without being able to consult the creator, the only way to know for certain is to test it out."

'That... sounds rather dangerous,' said Garovel.

A beat passed.

"Yes," was all Abbas said.

Ah.

Hmm.

Everyone fell quiet again, and Abbas continued his inspection, circling around the stony base of the giant glass globe.

Eventually, Garovel spoke up again. 'Y'know, if you think it's too dangerous, we understand. No matter how useful the Forge is in theory, it's not worth losing you, Lord Abbas. I mean, it REALLY isn't. So. Please. Don't feel pressured to do anything you are not comfortable with.'

"Oh, we are far beyond the realm of comfort already," said Abbas.

Yikes, Hector thought. A question stirred within him, and he had to ask it. "Have you ever worked with a Fusion Forge before, Lord Abbas?"

Abbas scratched his temple, not taking his eyes from the globe. "As a matter of fact, I have." There was a wavering laugh in the tone of his voice. "It nearly killed me."

Hector was not pleased to hear that.

"I was young and foolish then," Abbas went on. "I refused to heed my mentor's warnings."

'Or mine,' added Worwal.

"Yes. I wanted to prove myself--that I was the intellectual equal of so many of the great men around me. It was pure egoism."