"You seem to have forgotten my father and Hecar, who also are clan members."

Dastrun looked at the other elders. A narrow-muzzled female that Kaz thought might be an older cousin of his nodded. The patriarch turned back to Kaz. "There are others watching for them. Fliara and her group were ordered to watch for you. It's you that causes the most concern to the clan."

Kaz glanced sideways at his sister. She stood stiff and emotionless, a fine example of the sort of warrior that was being reared in the homeland these days. Did she even care about her father? Granted, much of her early upbringing was owed to the teaching prescribed by Warlord Crynus and his ilk, but the years since Kaz's departure had not improved Fliara.

"It is fairly certain now that we will request an amnesty for your father. He will even be given a chance to crew his own vessel again despite his past carelessness." A few elders muttered at the choice of words. Dastrun pretended not to notice them. "Hecar may join him as well."

They would be virtually exiled on the high seas. It would not be the first time the unruly were cast out in such a way. More often than not, they did not return, falling overboard during storms or wasting away, through no choice of their own, on some lonely island.

"And me? The high priest has already offered me a chance to rejoin the cause, to help take us further down the path of ruin." Kaz's words ought to have been considered sacrilegious, but instead he received little more than a weary stare from Dastrun and concerned expressions from the others. Even Fliara was looking at him oddly. "My apologies. I meant the emperor, of course. I wouldn't dare suggest that he followed the priesthood's commands and not the other way around."

It took the patriarch a while to collect himself enough to continue. "I've been petitioned by some within the clan to act on your behalf. There is a chance to save you, and it's a path I suggest you accept. It's believed that the emperor will permit it. There is a ship, an explorer under the banner of Orilg, sailing to the continent east of here."

"Another continent?" Now and then, there were rumors of another continent, and, despite his reluctance, Kaz's curiosity was piqued.

Observing Kaz's reaction, Dastrun pressed on. "Yes, another continent. An opportunity to expand even further. We've already made some inroads there, Boy. The few inhabitants discovered there so far have been… of no consequence. However, we've explored only a little into the interior. There's room for adventure and opportunity."

Sail to the other land and become one of those who pioneered the way for the rest of the people. It was exciting, an offer Kaz would have accepted gladly under other circumstances. But several concerns held him back. One was that he could never leave Helati and the children behind. Another was that he knew, despite whatever Dastrun and the others believed, that Polik and Jopfer would not agree to the offer… or they would send Kaz off, only to have him suffer an 'accident' once he was far from home.

Kaz wondered if Dastrun himself made the offer in good faith or was aware of what would likely happen.

"A tempting offer," Kaz finally commented, still pondering. Whatever happened to him, Kaz refused to let others assuage their guilt by sending him somewhere far away where his fate could not be tied to them and their tainted sense of honor. "But you might as well turn me back over to the circus if that's the best you can do."

"Don't be a fool, Kaziganthi!" warned Dastrun. He rose from his chair. "We offer you a chance not only to maintain your own honor, but to increase your standing! At the very least, the honor of the clan should mean something to-"

"You're the fool, Dastrun, if you expect us to believe that honor is still of such import that we're willing to sacrifice one of our own like this!"

Kaz and the others looked to the source of the voice. Somehow, Ganth had found his way from the circus and slipped into the audience chamber. There was no sign of Hecar, but at least Kaz's father was safe.

"You are not a part of this meeting, Ganth!" snarled the patriarch. "You'll leave now!"

"Ganthirogani has as much right to speak as any of us!" pointed out an elder. "More than some, even."

The consensus of the majority of the elders was the same. Dastrun might be patriarch, but even he could not argue against certain precedents. One of the foundations of clan life was that each minotaur was allowed to voice his opinion, and those who achieved the age and status of Kaz's father were entitled to speak during matters of council. The race considered itself the most democratic of all the peoples of Ansalon.

"Aye, it's good to see that some haven't forgotten that." Ganth marched forward until he stood next to Kaz. He glanced briefly at his daughter, who looked away in what might have been embarrassment, then at his son. In a low voice, he told Kaz, "I can say only that Hecar waits outside. More'll have to wait until we get you out of this."

To the others, Ganth addressed these words, "I've missed a few years among my kin and clan, I'll be the first to admit, but there are some things that shouldn't have changed completely in that time. We're minotaurs, the greatest race ever to walk Krynn, greater than the ancient ogres from whom we're descended. Only dragons could be considered superior, and they've left this world to us now."

Kaz watched as his father appealed to the vanity of the race. To him, the words were almost a jest, but to the others, who had never lived outside their small world, they were true and monumental.

"What's happened now, though?" the older minotaur asked, giving a theatrical performance that Kaz would not have expected his mariner father capable of delivering, but he had the crowd. "We've become willing to set aside our personal honor, to set aside the clan and our esteemed ancestors, including great Orilg, who once fought a dozen ogres to save his children. Our ancestors watch us now, Dastrun, and what do they see? That's the question you should all ask yourselves. Are we being true to our ancestors? Are we being true to the honor of Orilg?"

He had most of them agreeing with him, except for Dastrun, of course. The patriarch snorted; then, seating himself again, he countered, "Pretty words, Ganth, but they say nothing. Are we to presume you speak for our ancestors, most especially great Orilg? More to the point, have you forgotten that we also belong to a larger family? We're the children of Sargas! Even Orilg would give Sargas his due." He shook his head and looked at Ganth as if Kaz's father was a dim-witted child. "The high priest teaches us that sometimes there must be sacrifice for the greater good. That is what we must all remember, even you and your son."

"I know what the Great Horned One's like, Dastrun, which is why I've chosen Kiri-Jolith to be my lord… or is such a choice now also forbidden?"

"Ah, yes." Dastrun nodded. "You met them both, didn't you?" He chuckled. "Quite a yarn that was."

The old mariner drew himself up to his full height. He still had the presence to impress most around him. Kaz was proud of his father. "Aye, I've met them both. Whether you choose to believe that or simply toss it aside as a sea tale, you'd do well to remember one thing: It's honor we've been brought up to believe in more than anything else, even more than our so-called destiny. It's honor that's at the core of our kind, even more than among the humans of the Solamnic knighthood. 'Honor is our blood and our blood is honor.' Recall that? Orilg liked to quote it. It's carved on the outside and inside of the circus and every minor arena throughout the land. It's carved high in the walls of the palace and the headquarters of the Supreme Circle." Ganth crossed his arms and looked up. "Why, it's even carved up there."