Quincunx Ch 09

Two

An answer

With my cofftea break over I trundled back to my book, sitting and getting myself comfortable for all of ten minutes before the acolyte came in.

"The Grand Council is ready to resume their hearing on Princess Rasyondi, they're opening the doors in five minutes if you want to attend."

Did I want to attend? I was out the chair before he finished telling me.

"Show me the way," I asked, a broad smile coming to my face.

He took me through the passageways and down and up stairs till I faced the public doors, leaving me to enter by myself. There were a fair few wizards seated but no sign of Rash or Miriamni, I sat among the wizards in the second row and waited.

Rash entered, accompanied by Miriamni, the restless crowd grew still as they walked to the desk and two chairs out front, barely seating themselves before standing when the wizards filed in. when the wizards were seated and the expectant calm hush had extended long enough Lobsang broke it.

"Princess Rasyondi, you have appealed for asylum here, we give you this answer...."

He went on to justify it by weighing the elements, actually using one of my arguments from our dinner discussion, before winding up with the proviso that the king, her father, could make representations here and she must answer to any charges brought.

He went on to allow her a further month of residency while she bought her own place to live in. We were saved, I think, by the dinner bell, when it rang Lobsang swiftly brought proceedings to a conclusion, Rash was taken back to the waiting room while Miriamni stood looking a little bemused and lost, as if she didn't know what to do next.

"Hi Miriamni," I greeted her, walking down the aisle towards her.

"Davor, where did you disappear too? You were at tea then you'd gone. All your stuff cleared out, oh, but they left your sword, and us getting told you'd gone to the dorm." She complained as her greeting.

"Ah well, they seem to think I've a special talent, they want to teach me to do magic," I replied

"Do you want to join me? I'm off to get my dinner." I asked.

"No, but I'll walk with you aways." She answered.

We walked and talked, she said that Rash was grumpy and seemed to miss me, I should call around one night and pick my sword up. I asked her how her studies were going; she was pleased with herself, telling me she'd learnt a few useful spells and a trick or two.

I told her to give Rash my best and congratulations on winning as we parted. I walked slowly through to the refractory, my thoughts flittering to Rash, how gorgeous she looked in that regal get up and the fact that she'd be staying close by for the next few weeks.

Xentha joined me at lunch, she was both relieved and inflated, saying she felt she did really well. I was exited both for her and with her, she had an infectious laugh and a crooked smile, a hundred percent different from the one who crept out this morning on tip toes.

I passed along the news that Rash was free to stay, asking her if she knew anything about renting or buying a house around here. She told me there was a rental agency and on a misassumption that I could get a grant from the bursar to pay reasonable rent.

I had to explain again about Rash's deadline and how it might be better to rent while she looked for a long term dwelling. As she finished up standing with her tray she asked me.

"Walk back to the dorm with me?"

"Yes, I could do with a breath of fresh air, I haven't been out all morning, first it was Heen'll's study then the court room," I answered.

She laughed. "Not used to the fusty air that permeates this place."

On the walk back she told me that she was to join the advisory panel on her home island of Lancs, telling me more about her family and the boyfriend who couldn't wait, having broken up with her three months past.

She continued on telling me of some of her childhood adventures, all the time me nodding and replying with 'Ah ha', 'Did you' and the like. She went straight to put the cofftea on, then to change out of her robe, 'to slip into something more comfortable'.

I was pouring the water for the cofftea when Xentha reappeared, dressed now in a light cotton dress with an open cardigan decorated in a pretty rainbow pattern. It showed of her figure, emphasizing her hips and slim thighs, once again reminding me of Rash.

"So you didn't get to see Heen'll then?" she asked, walking and sitting at the table.

"No, not yet, though I did get some idea of magic and the theoreticals of how to do it, I'm dying to try it out but I'd better wait for my official lesson."

"It's easy once you learn to put the focus of your mind on the event happening and transfer the power into your words," she said as I walked back to the table clutching the cups of cofftea.

"Ah ha," I acknowledged, interested in what she was saying.

"It's the ability to narrow down, like a beam of sunlight through a chink, focus on the essence of what you want, to create shape and form with your words." She continued. "That marks the measure of your rank. That's what I've learned here, how to think like a magician, how to see the problem I want to solve. I've learnt to sift words for truth, divining their meaning and veracity, using a subtle magic that measures the emotional quotient."

"So you can tell if I'm lying?" I asked, grasping the implication.

"No, only when I go into a light trance as I cast the spell, I could show you if you like."

I got the picture of her sitting in a tribunal, sitting quite still while questions and answers battled for attention.

"That sounds specialized." I replied. "Can you do general magic as well?"

"Oh yes, I merit a wizards rank, it took me a while to think about it, I only decided after a friend was beaten and robbed, the trial was a farce, the better advocate won not the truth."

It brought to mind my father and his role as magistrate, a role my brother would inherit but was unsuited for. He could be swayed by fancy words, he wasn't any good at poker either. I wondered if our friend the mayor was also the judge.

"Ah," I said noncommittally.

I sat back in the seat, watching as she sat back, her dress revealing her knee, the tucked under hem tightening it to give shape to her legs. Her life was set while mine was beginning anew. My magic made that inevitable the more I questioned and thought about it.

I could concentrate on a thing, like reading a good book or watching a furrow, so my magic should get better with practice as well. Though I still wondered where seeing magic came into it, did I have an extra rare talent in my control over spells, did I have other yet hidden powers?

The lessons bell chimed and interrupted us, I gulped down the last of my cofftea and hastily said my 'See you later', bit while lengthening my stride to the door. I hoped that professor Heen'll would be there but found her study empty as I left it, both books still laying open on the chair.

With a sigh I picked them up and resumed my seat, laying the one on enunciation on my lap and trying to memorize some more of the simpler spells as I relaxed back. Heen'll turned up about twenty minutes after that, juggling a scroll and a sheet of parchment as she pulled the bell rope.

I stood and turned to follow her movement in behind her desk.

"Professor...," I started as she sat down.

"Wait wait wait," she said looking up at me.

"First I want you to listen to this passage from Iclon's histories;"

"Tis known that as a child he could defeat spells, he would sit with a grin, mumbling and smiling with a glint in his eye."

"That's what you do, without the grin of course. Iclon became a major figure in the old war, it was he that decided the argument for banning it. Here in this scroll is another who was known with the magic you possess;"

"Ruther, as a youth would often play with his friend's magic, hiding and killing the spell as it was cast, sometimes replacing it with one of his own, one student finding a kitten which scrammed him and cost him an eye in a tankard of beer he'd conjured up."

"That was over three hundred years ago, Ruther was also a Great Wizard, became the leader of the council and was known for his reign of peace as the kings advisor."

"So you think I'm another of the Greats?"

"Not think, it's far too soon to make that judgment," she gave a wry smile. "Only history will pass that sentence on you, I may have an answer in ten years if you come back and ask again."

"So I am just a student then," I said feeling a little deflated.

"You're going to be more than that, or so my bones tell me, but for now you're a first grade student, you can stay in the mature students block and you'll have personal tuition but you've got to take the baby steps first."

"Ah," I responded, my heart was beating a little faster as realized that I was being handed more power than any in my long family line had ever been granted before, that any thoughts of returning to manage my father's estates was gone.

"I've arranged for one of our senior acolytes to begin tutoring you, you can do your studying in the great library where he works, I'll take you down now and introduce you."

I nodded. "I need to keep my family informed, I should ask my father to send me enough to support myself."

"I'll see to that, I'll get you some monies from the discretionary fund tide you over in the meantime if you need any?"

She stood as my mind turned back to the magic in me. "Well come along then," she said as she turned to the door.

I followed as she lead us through the building and out across the grounds to an arched door in the wall. On the other side was yet another stately building, this time built as a block, without the wings of the administration.

We ended up in a fusty old library, in one of the study rooms that pepper its sides. Ferlatio, the head librarian had his office there and Heen'll left me in his care after the introductions were over. He rang on a bell rope as he saw Heen'll out, then turned to face me.

"So you're the boy whose causing all this fuss," he said softly, his portly frame rolling as he walked back. "Well, Davor of Pike Manor," he continued. "You're here to learn how to do magic, we'll soon see the stuff you're made of."

He was wearing an acolyte's robe with a broad purple edging to it, It flapped around his knees as he waddled back over. I waited, swivelling to face him as stood in front of his desk. He settled himself back on the cushioned chair.

With a knock the door opened and I turned my head to see an acolyte enter and give a bow. "Pater."

"Ah, Suntiling, would you please ask Brother Swapswisle to attend my office." He said dismissing the young girl by turning his attention back to me.

"You might as well sit down while you wait," he informed me as he then bent his head to the ledger in front of him, dismissing me as well.

I sat on the leathered bench and lay back wondering what life would be like when I could use magic, wondering which of the five elements would favour me. Earth was the best, it held the greatest power, it was what Miriamni drew her magic from.

I sat and pondered, a farmer with green magic has only to worry about droughts and floods, his fields and orchards otherwise bringing in a bounteous harvest. Air and Water were also useful affinities to have, though Fire was second in the league with Void at the bottom.

My daydreams were interrupted by a brisk knock on the door.

"Come."

The door opened and in stepped a man of middling years. He gave a cursory nod of his head.

"Archimandrite, you wished to see me?"

"Brother Swapswisle, yes," he said sitting upright. "I have a task for you. Take young Davor here and instruct him in the novitiates art. He is untutored so you need start from basics."

I looked back at Swapswisle, a faint astonishment showing on his face. "As you wish, Archimandrite." He intoned automatically.

Ferlatio turned and looked at me as I turned to face him. "Well, go along then," he said brusquely.

I stood and headed for the door, Swapswisle following on as I passed him.

"What's this all about?" he asked me, as soon as the door was closed behind us. "You don't look like some rich bankers son who wants to dabble."

I gave a nervous laugh. "No, my story is so strange you would think it fiction from a fevered mind," I told him as I launched into my story once more, giving him the expurgated version.

He led me through the back of the library then up some stairs to a row of doors, as expected his was one of the labelled ones, a proud little plaque bearing the title: "Senior Researcher in Paleontological Magic." With a welcoming spell shining out from it.

He sat me down inside as I finished the telling of my tale, then going to sit behind a desk crowded with papers.

"Strangely enough I was studying Alfrad the Great, his first manifestation was the sight, he was a magician of the first water, wow, I'm humbled to meet you," he said, leaning forward with an earnest look on his face.

"If the research is true there's nothing anyone can teach you, you don't need teaching, you can command raw magic. You can shape it to your will without the intermediaries of spells and potions. You can even suck a place temporarily dry of magic if some tales that are recorded are true," he carried on.

I listened raptly, wondering exactly how that worked, my father had inculcated me into a methodical reasoning of fact, perhaps now my instinctive side should be given its chance. Did I just think things, why hadn't my previous wishes worked, there had to be some 'Knack', concentration and imagination must be major players, mental agility and acuity would also be important.

I realized there was silence. "Sorry," I said, refocusing on him. "I was just digesting the latest slice of the story, power over magic itself, no wonder I've been kid-gloved around."

"Yes, you're a wild card, a joker who trumps anything, there's no bickering over who's best with you around."

"It's not about that for me, I've got a life to lead, I'd like to go back to my family,"

"You can learn it on your own if you please, it is only mental discipline, but 'twould be quicker to learn it here. There's a girl who was good with meditation... let me see, took the extracurricular yoga classes of mine..., Xentha, that's it. She was doing truthsaying and saw parallels with the trance state."

That was interesting, Xentha, she'd make a nice teacher.

"I think I know her," I exclaimed. "She's in the same dorm as me, she's got a few weeks before she leaves."

"That's time enough, a couple of hours a day, just till you find the stillness. It is said that the Great Arasimov contemplated on the growth of an apple tree from the pip in his hand to gain transcendence, and Ethelred has that waterfall over the cliffs of Donlifig named after him."

For a second I wondered where she was and what she was doing.

"I'm going to have to do this in secret," I said, lowering my voice. "If I make a show of failing, pretending I haven't got the mental discipline then I can get back to the peace and quiet of a country life. Can I trust you, you can 'Help hide the body' as the saying goes. I'm an alien here, and a naive one as far as the politics of wizards go, I don't want to mess with your business."

He laughed at my final point. "You're the one," he said. "You can see behind the curtain, a year from now and your word would be law."

"Let me go back and manage my farm, I'm sure I'd make a lousy king." I answered back. "We're going back to the territory I argued at Rasyondi's hearing. I have the right to my own private life. If I openly show my power, (assuming I can,) then I will be forever branded."

"Huh," he sighed. "Aye, even if you managed to disappear the story would grow the more."

He shifted in his chair.

"I think I can trust Xentha as well, if I employ her then she would be duty bound as well," I continued, mapping the plan out. "How long till my spectacular failure is feasible?"

"We should plan it for term end, you can protest you're fed up trying and demonstrate your failure by doing nothing but pull faces if need be," he answered. "That would give you time to set firm foundations."

So far the plan seemed simple but there was another saying I remembered; "Gang aft agley." I hoped that I could carry my part off.

"Well, I'd best be seeing if I can find Xentha then," I said, sitting forward in my chair.

As we walked back through the stack of books he insisted we divert to see the actual story of Iclon, the latest work to be reassembled. We were walking past the rows when a gleam of magic caught my eye, I stopped and turned, there was an ensorcelled book, a small brown leather bound volume, I pulled it from its neighbours turning it in my hand to see the cover.

A Quincunx was emblazoned on it, a gold chain linking the square. The five dots coloured for the elements. The spell was in runes, old and ineffectual now, but felt well crafted when it was cast.

"What's that," Swapswisle asked stopping and looking back.

"Just an old book," I replied, "A book of the five fold path."

I turned and started again as he led onwards to see the proposed encyclopaedia entry, after that he led me back out into the entrance way.

"Come see me tomorrow sometime, I'm usually in my office or in the stacks." He informed me as he paused just through the door. "You can find your own way back from here?"

"Yes," I reassured him. Standing waiting to be off looking for Xentha.

"Well okay then, tomorrow it is." He reached out and clasped my hand, bowing a little as he did. "I'm really pleased to meet you," he added as he pumped my hand. When he released me he took a step backward then turned and walked back into the library.

I made my way back, turning things over in my mind. The super duper powers were wasted on me, a simple farmer who sought only the simple life. And yet to deny them, to not use the talent would be the bigger waste, used wisely they could be of great benefit.

Xentha wasn't in the dorm, Bemnie was along with Kenval. He was lay back hugging a cup of cofftea, she was hunched over hers, both looked to see who it was.

"Hi," she greeted me. "How was your day?"

"Oh, interesting," I replied, walking towards them. "Is there any cofftea in the pot?"

"Yes there should be," she answered.

"Thanks."

I walked past them and helped myself, then joined them, lounging back in the chair. "How was that place you were going to?"

She grinned at me. "It was nice, we ended up at the Lamb's Pen, they had an open stage, there was one female lead that was really good."

She'd had a few glasses of wine as well, enough to make her merry.

I looked across to Kenval, his eyes were drooping closed as he struggled with sleep.

"Oh, he'll be alright, he was on beer chasers, trying too hard to get his leg over with Calorissa, She and Xentha are the only ones he's not prodded," Bemnie explained.

Prodded? The word stuck, that couldn't mean what I thought it meant, could it be such an open subject here?

"Pardon, prodded?" I queried. "Poke with a finger or stick?"

She gave a giggle. "No silly, dipped his prodder, stabbed her with his beef bayonet."

If my senses hadn't already been sent reeling by my magic the openness of sex here would have done it now, talking as if sex was a casual thing that you could do or not do, another major challenge to my way of thinking.

"Bit of a 'Gay Lothario' is he," I said jokingly.

She giggled again. "Who's he?"

"Oh an old legend, it means he likes the girls."

"Yes." Her voice quieted. "But he's not very good at it."

I let it lay quiet while I took a sip of cofftea.

"Speaking of Xentha, do you know where she is?"