Qi would be the
safest place on Earth to house the items, just as she felt that
Exodesia would be the most unsafe place imaginable. These items were
forged by a Hindu cult called the Black Cabal; legend had it that if
one man was ever worthy of bearing sword and amulet, he would inherit
the powers of the entire Black Cabal. Jerusha wished this for her
son. Her motives were not exactly pure however; she harbored a deep
resentment of Clive Dharma's father, Cary Bradcroft, for seemingly
abandoning her in his quest for power in Exodesia. She felt Clive
could be molded, as Kar-Fai was molding Clay Byron, into an
instrument of vengeance.

Fellbane, however, had other
plans. He desired the power of the Black Cabal for himself, and had
schemed for nine years to be in the position tohis power and knowledge, though he'd not yet
wrought the good he went on to accomplish leading the Aggregate.

Jerusha understood, but
asked that Kar-Fai weave a new spell protecting her and Clive from
Bradcroft. Kar-Fai did so, and added the caveat that only one who
wielded the sword and amulet of the Black Cabal could banish the
spell. All was made well for the time being. Jerusha was invited to
stay at Feng Qi to live, and she agreed.

Thus, Clive Dharma, Clay
Byron, and Caulder Gaunt trained together with Mei-Chan Ko
under Archimedes for nine years. Caulder fell deeply in love with
Mei-Chan but feared upsetting their dynamic at the monastery by
sharing his feelings. Gaunt was a confident man, but he was troubled,
as he still had no memory of his life before 1955. By 1975, Gaunt
and his