Salamander (13 page)

There was a long silence. At last Prince Kieron spoke. “I concede the strength of your argument. Nonetheless, I have my duty. Suppose that I do not develop the Cascade. How then can I fulfill my obligation of protecting my brother the King from enemies who will show no such restraint?”

“I have been thinking about that too.
I do not think the situation is quite as hopeless as you suggested yesterday. The containment sphere blocks magic, including the magic by which the Cascade spreads. It should be possible, by containing his Majesty and the mages that protect him in something similar, to keep the Cascade from spreading to them. A mage controlling the pool from a Cascade would still have a very considerable advantage, but perhaps not an overwhelming one, especially if there were other places also so protected, such as the College.”

The Prince gave him a skeptical look. “Maridon breached the sphere using only the
power of the mages within the College.”

Coelus nodded. “Yes. But he was standing next to the sphere, and as you know, magic weakens with distance. I expect His Majesty’s guards could make it difficult for an enemy mage to tear open the sphere protecting them and His Majesty.

“And the containment sphere had no supporting mages. Its makers are long dead. I think it at least possible that such a sphere, actively supported by the mages it contains, could withstand a very great force.

“But I must concede that so far this is speculation. I have not built a containment sphere. So far as I know, only one has ever been constructed, its builder is dead, and I do not yet know how to duplicate his work. Ellen has done more research on the subject than I have, but she, I gather, is gone. I have no idea how to find her and, if I did, I would not. I will, however, be happy to do what I can to devise defenses against the threat the Cascade poses.”

“I thank you. I will consider your points and try to decide what to do with you. You have already missed your morning lecture, so I have at least a few more hours to make up my mind.”

It was nearly noon by the time Gervase returned and was immediately brought in to the Prince.

"I was beginning to wonder what had happened to you."

"Under the circumstances, I thought your Highness would want as much information as possible. I used the guest room that Coelus had arranged for me for an evening of gossip with some of the magisters, and breakfast gave me a chance to listen to the students. Afterwards Magister Bertram was free, so I talked with him for a while."

"And you learned?"

"They all know something lethal happened to Maridon, of course, in an experiment Coelus was doing that other magisters were glad not to have volunteered to help with, and that it had to do with pooling more than two mages. They don’t seem to know much more than that.

"Coelus had a morning lecture; someone else filled in for him after I passed on his note about being taken ill in town. Nobody seems to have noticed that one or two of their students are missing. Apparently it would not be the first time the boy stayed out all night. Some of his fellow students had at least a guess as to where he was."

"Not, I hope, a correct one."

"No. With the town whore, if I correctly took their meaning."

The Prince put another question. "What about the girl—Ellen? What could you learn about her?"

"She was not at breakfast—I asked. One of the other girls is a good friend of hers and seemed a bit concerned."

Alayn broke into the conversation.

"Did you find out what the missing girl looks like?"

Gervase nodded.

"Short, stocky but not fat, dark hair."

"Not a looker?"

Gervase shook his head.

"By what I could gather, brains not beauty. Her friend Mari, on the other hand … ."

The Prince thought a moment.

"I will send someone to fetch the friend; I expect if he tells her it is about Ellen the girl will come."

* * *

"Send her in."

One of the guards opened the door. Mari walked through it, dropped a low curtsey to the Prince.

"Greetings, Your Highness. It has been some time."

The Prince stood regarding her silently for a long moment. Mari spoke again.

"It is a common name."

He replied with a visible effort. "Yes. I had not expected to find Duke Morgen's daughter as a student at the College."

"It is surely not that surprising, Highness. I am told that even princes can sometimes be found here."

"Sometimes, but rarely." He closed his eyes a moment. "It is true that you have talent. And yet … . Just when did your father decide to enroll you?"

"This is my first year, Highness."

"And Nan died a little more than a year ago, leaving me … . If I were inclined to suspicion, and if your father were not a man utterly without subtlety or intrigue, I might suspect some connection."

"Indeed, Your Highness. As might I, were I not an innocent and unsuspicious damsel."

Their eyes met, held.

"You were a clever child, and I see that you have become a clever lady. I do not think this is the time and place to discuss your father's plans. Still, it would at least not be boring."

"Even so. How then may I serve your Highness?"

"You may tell me everything you know concerning your friend Ellen, who seems to have vanished from the surface of the earth just when I wished her presence, and about Magister Coelus. It appears that their doings may touch nearly upon the kingdom's welfare, and my duties to it. And … I would advise you to speak the truth."

Mari nodded. "Advice you would not have to give to Ellen, were she here. To judge from my experience, that is her fixed policy, even when there is no truthteller in the next room. A weakness, I suppose, but an endearing one. Is that the sort of information that is of use to your Highness?"

"It might be. I take it you are fond of the girl?"

Mari nodded. "Very. In some ways an innocent, in others the wisest person I have had the pleasure of knowing. And very generous with her time and knowledge. She has taught me and several of our friends more about magery these past months than all of the magisters together."

"And her connection with Magister Coelus?"

"Magister Coelus has been giving her a tutorial on the theory of magic, a field in which I understand, at least from her, that he has no masters and few equals."

"I thought she was your year. Have they started giving tutorials to students in the first year now?"

"To students, no. To Ellen, yes. She arrived, so far as I can tell, already knowing more than any student and half the magisters. It took a month or two for Coelus to realize that he had finally found a student fully able to learn what he had to teach. He offered her a special tutorial, she accepted. She attends the lectures and is very helpful in explaining them to the rest of us, but most of what she learns is from him."

"How much does she know of his work?"

"Whatever he has been willing to teach her; how much that is I do not know. He cannot have taught her all of it yet, since she has shown no sign of wanting to depart."

"Do you think that is all that is between them—teacher and student?"

Mari hesitated a moment. "Do I think so? No. Do they think so? Perhaps. I suspect Coelus is falling in love with her, but he may not have noticed it yet. As to her feelings for him … . She regards him with great admiration, I think some fondness. Whether more I cannot tell.

"I have told you the truth, so far as I know it, as your man in the next room will assure you. Now tell me why you need to know all this."

There was a long silence. At last the Prince broke it. "Your father and I have not always agreed, but I have never had any reason to doubt his loyalty nor have I any reason to doubt yours; I trust you can keep your mouth shut when necessary. The research that Magister Coelus was doing led him towards certain discoveries which would be of considerable value to the kingdom—or to its enemies. I wish to make sure that the results end up in our hands, not theirs, and to know who knows enough about his research to be dangerous. It sounds as though your friend may be one.

"If you could get a message to her, asking her to come here and assuring her of safety, would she believe you?"

"Perhaps. Would it be true?"

Another long silence, again ended by the Prince. "No. She sounds an admirable person, and one who might in time prove useful to the Kingdom; I would prefer to do her no harm. But I have obligations to my brother and to the kingdom he rules. If it turns out that the only way of keeping our enemies from learning magery that could be our ruin is to kill a charming young lady, or two, or three, I will do it. "

Mari smiled. "And you say so even though I have no truthteller to tell me if you lie. I am not sure your Highness is fit for politics."

"I do not think you need a truthteller, lady. And under the circumstances, lying to you might be unwise."

"There is that. If you have a truthful message for Ellen, I will take it. I cannot promise delivery; I am no more able than you to find her, probably less. But she may find me."

After Mari left, the Prince remained silent for some time, finally gave Alayn a quizzical look. Alayn was the first to speak. “So that is Duke Morgen’s daughter. A formidable young lady.”

“Yes. I wonder what terms her father is planning to offer me.”

“You think he intends to propose a matrimonial alliance?”

Prince Kieron nodded. “Shortly after I become a widower, he sends his very beautiful and very clever daughter to be trained as a mage, providing her with the one qualification no rival can offer. I have no doubt that is his plan, and it is clear that she is of the same opinion. Not a lady to take lightly.

“Morgen is one of the most powerful men in the kingdom and one of the cleverest. I am my brother’s closest adviser. We are not exactly enemies, but we clash sometimes on policy and, more often, on patronage. Our combined interest would be a faction loyal to His Majesty and more powerful than any likely rival combination.

"It is a tempting idea, even without the very tempting bait. And, since I am my brother’s heir, marrying Morgen’s daughter would tie Morgen more closely to the throne, which would be a very good thing. I have no doubt that that is what he intends. I am not at all sure that I will not let the plan succeed…but, I will at least charge as high a price as I can manage."

* * *

Magister Bertram looked around the senior common room once more. All of the magisters were present and none of the tutors, as was, under the circumstances, proper. Coelus looked tired but not unwell. Interesting, even suggestive, but none of Bertram's affair. Bertram coughed twice to get the attention of the others, then spoke: "I asked you all here this evening to greet a distinguished visitor, one some of you already know." He nodded to Simon, standing by the door, who opened it and whispered to those outside. The Prince came to the doorway, looked curiously around and entered, accompanied by a second mage.

"His Highness Prince Kieron, His Majesty's Master of Mages and a most distinguished graduate of the College. Your Highness, may I introduce my colleagues?"

The Prince smiled and shook his head. "How could I forget Magister Simon, who very nearly despaired of my ever learning to construct a word of the true speech? Magister Hal, too. His lessons have proved useful to me in recent years. Magister Coelus of course was not here then, but I have met him since."

Simon was the first to respond: " I remember just what the word was that you succeeded in constructing but will refrain from sharing it. If I am ever charged with professional misdeeds and brought before you, it may prove useful."

The prince grinned. "Not if Magister Hal did his job properly. Having been well instructed in the ethics of magery, I am as immune to threats as to bribes. I hope. What violation of the bounds were you planning to commit?"

"I will have to consider the matter carefully."

After Bertram introduced the remaining magisters, Hal was the first to speak. "By your leave, Your Highness, I have a question I was not inclined to ask when you were a student, but which may be permissible now."

"Ask away—I have answered enough of your questions in the past, or tried to. I hope this one will not prove even more difficult."

"It is quite simple, Highness. In all my lectures, you, as I recall, were never the first to answer any question. And yet your answers were correct at least as often as those of other students. At the time I formed a conjecture as to your reason and now I would like to know if it is true."

The prince thought for a moment. "A fair question, and one that deserves an honest answer. Before I came here as a student, I discussed how I ought to behave at some length with His Majesty my brother. He was concerned that the presence of a royal prince, heir presumptive to the throne, might disrupt the functioning of this valuable institution. I resolved never to be the first to answer a question, so as not to oblige others to agree with whatever I said, and held to that resolution."

Hal nodded. "Thank you, Your Highness, so I surmised. I am delighted at last to be able to thank you for your forbearance."