As was the common practice of The Unit of Sky and Earth a great expedition was taken for the purposes of 'planning and review'. This expedition was far into the lands of the West, to the Town of the Wise Man (for this is what it was called). Once safely ensconced in the town ale house, the Unit began to deliberate. Early on the first day, during a break for the taking of a light repast, The Bully called to Goldbird that they must speak privately.

Goldbird was on his guard after the incident in the parklands and the subsequent politik. Times had been hard for Goldbird since that day. There had been much whispering and shading of eyes. Relationships with the serfs of the Unit had hit a low point, with much mistrust and even anger. Goldbird was puzzled as to how things had become so bad, and had started to fear for his own sanity. Had he done things to alienate the serfs he had once called friends? Had he greatly miscalculated the will of the Unit and been wrong to follow his policies and pursue his ideas for the future? Goldbird was uncertain, nervous, and ready to move on from the Unit. His will had been broken, but had he been asked how this came to be, he would not have had an answer. Such was the power of the The Bully and his underhand ways.

Retiring to the gardens behind the ale house, Goldbird and Sadim took a stroll. "Things are coming to a head now" said Sadim. "For the sake of our Unit and the lives of our loyal serfs we must be strong and take difficult decisions". "We need a single leader, whom all will follow in obedience and awe". Goldbirds heart sank, for he was expecting these words and had thought long about becoming the junior of Sadim (as was Sadim's stated plan). Goldbird was ready to move on, but was also ready to make his feelings clear and fight for the future of the Unit and its serfs to ensure that they had a future at all. But, as was common during these turbulent times, The Bully had planned another surprise to unsettle the Techie. "We need one leader, not two", said Sadim, "But of course there's no reason why it should not be you". "It does not matter who leads the Unit, so long as we have a single strong leader who can stand in the Court of the Magi and fight for the future of the Unit". As this remarkable turn of events began to sink in, The Bully delivered the knockout blow ... "Of course if you choose to lead the Unit, I may have to move on and take the disciples of the Sky with me to greater things in the Ivory Towers to the South". Goldbird knew that without the Earth and the Sky the Unit could not survive, for the Magi were fickle and needed the fame of both dimensions of the Unit.

So it came to pass, on that cool bright morning in the hills to the West, that Goldbird decided that for the good of all in the Unit he must swallow his pride and support the elevation of Sadim The Bully to the rank of sole leader of the Unit. The position of Goldbird would not be so bad. As deputy to Sadim, and not himself directly in the power of The Bully (for his rank in the Kingdom ensured that Sadim could not directly control him) Goldbird felt that he could continue to take the work of the Earth forward to greater things. After all, this change in leadership was nought but a convenience for the sake of the Magi and the politik if the Kingdom. Nothing would change in reality and perhaps all could be well again, as it once had been before all of this upset had occured. Goldbird could not have been more wrong.

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