‘The might which was released many long years ago, such as that part which controls the Seasons and the Weather, cannot be undone or called back. The means is beyond us. It runs like a vast machine, and its parts have to be carefully tended. But unlike a machine, it will not simply break down and stop. If left untended, it will eventually break free and wreak unimaginable havoc. If that happens, no one will be able to stop it.’
Facing Doc squarely, he said, ‘My friend, I must tell you . . . this chance pales in comparison to what the King and his personal Loremasters will unleash if they are not stopped . . . if they were to at last get their hands on the Lore.’
Doc took a deep breath and let it out slowly. With a wry look, he said, ‘Pran warned me before I came here, to be careful what I wish for. My guess is that such advice almost always goes unheeded.’
Finli shrugged. ‘How could it be otherwise? Such is the price of curiosity.’
‘With regard to how things came to this pass,’ the Thane said, ‘I will tell you something of how it all began. To begin: it cannot have escaped your notice that there are great similarities between the Elf and Pixie languages.’ When Doc nodded in response, the Thane continued. ‘What you may not know is the reason why the Elf language is so much more complex. That reason is simply the written word, which the Pixies do not have.