The Reluctant Mage: Book One in the Zandar Series (8 page)

They only had to wait a few minutes before they heard several people running towards them. When they came around the building and entered the practice field, they abruptly stopped. The headmaster was there along with Baltar and another man Marko did not recognize.

“What happened here, Rakan?” said Headmaster Sorrell.

“Student Maurice Deniau attacked Student Marko Kunich outside of the sparring match. Marko struck Maurice in self-defense. I am afraid that the fates were not with either of them and Maurice died from the strike. I have confined the other students to barracks. They will all bear witness to my account and will exonerate Marko here.”

“That very well may be, Rakan. But I am sure Governor Aymeric will assign an Inquisitor to investigate. Consider yourself and Marko confined to quarters until the conclusion of the investigation. I am sorry, Raul, but I have no choice.”

“I understand, Headmaster. I will walk Marko back to the barracks.”

Rakan motioned Marko to follow him as they slowly walked towards Marko’s room. “Teacher, you said that my strike was an accident. I knew what I was doing but it was just a reaction.”

“It was an accident, Marko. Had you had time to decide on another strike, you would have dealt a non-killing blow. Remember that point of distinction, because it is what will guarantee your freedom. Also, there are very few teachers and Inquisitors that have fought in a battle. They don’t realize that you can kill without a sword. That will make them more accepting that your strike had an unattended consequence.”

“But what is an Inquisitor? I have never heard of them.”

“Several years ago, the Emperor created a new class of code enforcement officers. They are from the ranks of mages. One thing that is strong in all of them is the ability to truth read. They are also quite clever. The Inquisition is at the disposal of just the nobility and high bureaucrats. With all the intrigue they cause, the Empire needed an impartial group to arbitrate disputes.”

“But isn’t the Governor just going to use them to get back at me? What chance do I have against a mage?”

“Marko, the Inquisition reports directly to the Emperor himself. The Governor can appoint an Inquisitor to investigate Maurice’s death, but he cannot select the specific Inquisitor or influence the outcome. If he tries to interfere with an investigation, he can lose his position. He also has to accept the judgment rendered although that does not mean he will forget. I recommend that you stay well away from Knin as long as he presides over that territory. One thing he can influence is the choice of local code enforcement officers.”

The next week was the most uncomfortable in Marko’s life. He was given a small room in the basement of the barracks to live. He was told that it used to be a supply room years ago. His assignments were brought to him by Baltar. The only time he was allowed to leave his room, was to eat his meals in the commissary, to bathe, and to use the latrine. Consequently, he used his time to practice his forms.

Stranac was now visiting him every night. Lately he began talking to Marko about small unit battle tactics. He talked about various ways to deploy small groups of soldiers under different battle scenarios. Whenever Marko asked him how he learned all this information, Stranac would just say that he did not remember.

Marko had become somewhat of a celebrity at the school. The story of his fight with Maurice had spread throughout the school within hours. By the time he walked into the commissary for dinner after the attack, many heads had turned his way.  He returned his tray of food and walked over to a bunch of grays in the corner of the hall. As he passed by tables, several reds looked at him and slapped their right hand on the table. An entire table of whites followed suit. By the time he sat down at this table, he must have heard forty of them in total.

“What’s that all about?” he asked no one in particular.

“Acceptance, Marko. When the Emperor’s Council votes, they slap the table to indicate that they agree. Now it’s how everyone communicates agreement without voicing it,” said Ivan.

“People know that you are innocent.” said a boy at the end of the table. “They may not know you personally, but everyone knew Maurice. To be honest, I am surprised someone had not tried to murder him already for one offense or another. Today you probably saved several people in this hall from making a tough decision.”

Most evenings began with Marko reading copies of lectures and finishing assignments. He had already read the rules of the orphanage as instructed, so that usually left a mark or so before he went to sleep. He also tried exercising in his small room. His performance during the run showed him that he had better get into shape. He would run tiny circles around his room until he became too dizzy to continue.

Marko surprised himself with his interest in trade. He tore through this trade lectures. By better understanding the merchant system in the Empire, he was able to see how all of the Empire’s elements fit together. Trade created wealth rather than just shifting it between people. Trade allowed farmers to sell goods to people far away that valued it more than his neighbors. In turn, the farmer could purchase supplies and equipment that made him more efficient in growing and harvesting crops. The merchants facilitated the transaction, the army protected the trade, and the bankers loaned the money. Each element was critically important to the proper functioning of the Empire. Marko’s admiration of all the trades of the Empire grew immensely.

On first day, Marko was visited by the headmaster after lunch. “Marko, Inquisitor Fabre is here to see you. As you no doubt are aware, there has been an investigation into the death of Maurice. I am to escort you to him. He is conducting interviews in my office.” He paused and finally said, “Just be honest and forthcoming and you have nothing to fear. I have never dealt with this specific Inquisitor before, but the Inquisition is known to be fair.”

Marko followed the headmaster out of the barracks and towards the orphanage’s administrative building. The day was overcast; Marko hoped it was not an ill omen for his upcoming meeting. He saw one of his fellow students with a bandage wrapped around his head walk out of the building as they approached. Marko realized that he had likely just finished an interview with the Inquisitor himself.  He wondered what the Inquisitor thought about Maurice’s malicious blow to the boy’s head.

He snapped out of his daydream as he walked up the stairs. He paused briefly as Baltar waived him through to the headmaster’s office. He noticed that the headmaster did not enter his own office, but closed the door, leaving Marko on his own.

“Marko Kunich I presume?” Marko saw a man dressed completely in black. He had a clean shaven head but a black short beard peppered with gray. The man did not wait for an answer and said, “Have a seat, young man. As I am sure you are aware, the Empire has seen fit to task the Inquisition to investigate the death of Mr. Maurice Deniau. My name is Inquisitor Fabre. I am in charge of this investigation. If you are unfamiliar with the Inquisition let me illuminate our services to the Empire. Once I begin the inquisition with you, I will know if you are lying to me. I will also know if you are not answering a question completely. If I believe you wrongfully caused the death of Mr. Deniau, then you will be remanded to a higher authority for sentencing. If you lie or withhold information today, then you are committing an offense. The Emperor gives the Inquisition the authority to administer justice immediately in those situations. Do I make myself clear?”

Marko gulped as the implications the Inquisitor made became clear. “Yes, sir. I will answer truthfully and completely. I was just defending myself.”

The Inquisitor studied Marko for a minute and said, “Well, that is what we are here to determine. I have here a stone. You are to hold this while I perform an incantation. You will continue to hold the stone until the inquisition ends. You will know it ended when I remove the stone from your hand.”

Marko took the stone and looked down at it. He had never seen anything like it. The stone was a golden brown but he could almost see completely through to the other side. There was something in the stone, but it was impossible to make out any shapes. Marko looked up when the Inquisitor began what sounded like a hum. As he studied the man, he realized that he was in fact whispering a series of words but they made no sense. As with the mage he had met on the road, Marko began to see a colorful mist leave the Inquisitor’s mouth and snake towards the stone. This time the mist was black. It engulfed the stone Marko was holding and began to crawl up his arms. Finally Marko could see the black mist lightly covering his whole body.

“The inquisition has begun.” The man said.

“Marko Kunich, did you kill Maurice Deniau?”

“Yes, but it was in self defense.”

“Self-defense, you say? Wasn’t it Maurice Deniau that shoved you down on the ground that same morning during an exercise run?”

“Yes, but I did nothing to cause him to shove me.”

“Nonetheless, it gave you a reason to be angry with him during the sparring match, didn’t it?”

Marko wondered how the Inquisitor knew about the shove, but then he remembered he had been interviewing other students. Marko wasn’t surprised that at least one of them had seen what happened.

“Yes, I was angry because he shoved me. He obviously did it on purpose, since he taunted me afterwards. That did not influence my actions during the match, though.”

“So then, tell me what you think happened during the match.”

Marko went on to give the Inquisitor a detailed account of the match. The Inquisitor stopped Marko several times for clarification and questioned what Marko was thinking at a particular moment. Those were the hardest questions to answer. Marko did not want to answer incorrectly yet at the same time it was very difficult to remember specific thoughts at the time.

After one particularly long pause after a question, Marko noticed that the black link between the Inquisitor and the stone dissolved. He watched as the mist around him dissipated immediately. Marko put the stone on the desk in front of him.

“What are you doing?” asked the Inquisitor. “I told you to hold the stone until I removed it from your hand.”

Marko quickly took the stone back and stammered, “I am sorry! When you broke the link with the stone, I thought you were ending the Inquisition. Please what other questions can I answer for you?”

The Inquisitor looked startled for a moment and then quickly recovered. He stared at Marko for several seconds. “Nothing,” he said aloud. “Absolutely nothing.”

“Marko, I want you to look closely at that stone you are holding. Try to look into the stone. Tell me what you see.”

“Sir, I know there is something in there, it’s just too cloudy to make it out.”

“Just as I suspected,” he said rhetorically. “Anyway, that is not why we are here.”

The Inquisitor opened up a small wooden box on the desk. He pulled out a sturdy metal chain with a wooden circle dangling at the bottom and placed it around his neck. He stood up and looked Marko directly in the eye.

“Marko Kunich, by the power of the ordained Inquisition I find you not negligent in the death of Maurice Deniau. This judgment is final except by the direct intervention of the Emperor himself.”

The inquisitor reached into a pocket on the right side of his robe and pulled out a small metal disc. It was green. He handed it to Marko. Marko looked down at the disc, not much larger than a coin. It was not painted, but Marko could not tell how the color was applied to the metal. His father had never shown him that kind of craft.  On one side was an etching of the Imperial eagle. He turned it over and read the name “Maurice Deniau” etched on the other.

“The green signifies your innocence. If you received a red one, then you would have been judged guilty. If anyone blames you for his death, all you have to do is to show them that judgment medallion. If they still charge you or speak of your guilt behind your back, they will be code breakers in the eyes of the Emperor. No citizen can challenge the Inquisition. You will be required to bring those names to the attention of the Inquisition. Young man, you are free to leave. Do you have any questions?”

Marko stared down at the medallion again and said, “Thank you sir. I am very relieved. Well, I guess I am just glad you did not reach into your left pocket, then.”

“An Inquisitor only brings one medallion to an inquisition. Why that is the case, I cannot tell you. Maybe someday you will know. Now go. I am sure Headmaster Sorrell wants his office back.”

Marko got up quickly and was out the door in less than two seconds.