Arcanorum. The tall redheaded armiger Mero was there as well, with folded arms and an expression of malicious glee.
“There! I told you, my lord doctor. The knave picked the lock and went up to snoop in the guardroom, maybe thinking to steal something. He deserves a good whipping! Shall I—”
“Go down and join your mates,” Stergos told the young man with a grimace of distaste. “You, Deveron, come into my cubicle.”
When Mero was gone, clearly disappointed at not being able to witness Snudge’s punishment, Stergos said, “Sit there, then tell me truthfully what you were about.” The partially walled recess had a small window, through which the fading crimson sky was visible. A clerk’s desk had been appropriated by the alchymist for his own books, and he now seated himself at it and gestured for the boy to take a stool.
Snudge had no intention of lying. “My lord, I was exercising my talent. Out on the roof.”
“I knew it! Oh, Deveron, you gave your word you wouldn’t spy on the council of war—”
“Nor did 1.1 perceived a windwatcher and felt it was my duty to trace the person. I was successful. It was Lady Ullanoth, and she fashioned a magical duplicate of herself and engaged Prince Conrig here in the castle.”
“Blessed Zeth!” Unlike the inexperienced boy, who knew little of magical technicalities and would never have willingly betrayed the prince’s secret, the Doctor Arcanorum was well aware that a Sending could come only to one who was talented. Stergos had harbored suspicions about his brother ever since Conrig and he were accosted—apparently for the first time—by Ullanoth’s double at Brent Lodge. “Did you… do your lip-reading trick?”
“As well as I could, my lord.”
“Tell me!” When the boy hesitated, Stergos added, “You must. The prince trusts this witch, but I don’t. We may have to protect him from her. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
Snudge nodded. Ullanoth made him uneasy, too, and not only because of her magic. Her beauty would inflame a marble statue, and Snudge was not made of stone.
“His Grace was in the musicians’ gallery looking down on the duke and the others. Ullanoth wore a hooded cloak that concealed her features, so I couldn’t tell what she might be saying. At first, Prince Conrig seemed to be hearing good news from her. He was pleased. Then his mood changed to concern, and he asked her if she could break some spell and discover what they were doing.”
“They?” Stergos repeated.
“I have no idea who he meant. Ullanoth replied in some manner that disturbed the prince mightily. He said, ‘Must you invoke those dire creatures? Isn’t there any other kind of sorcery that’ll serve our purposes?’”
Stergos drew in a sharp breath. “The Beaconfolk! God help us, I tried to warn him that she might use them to implement this scheme. But he would hear nothing against her… What else did you hear, lad?”
Snudge told how Conrig had asked if he should tell the council of war how Ullanoth helped formulate the Edict of Sovereignty, and how he had also said that it would be awkward to explain their friendship to Duke Tanaby and the earl marshal, since the two of them had never truly met face-to-face.
“And then came the most puzzling thing. His Grace and the lady spoke of you, my lord.” Snudge hesitated. “The prince said, ‘My brother will never tell a lie, even for me.’ The lady spoke. Then the prince said, ‘He is my brother. I love him.’ And his words seemed weighted with anger and fear.”
“Damn her!” the doctor whispered, knowing what Ullanoth must have told Conrig. His face twisted like one in pain. “Is there more?”
“Only that His Grace said he would do what was best. Then the Sending left him… and so I went in search of the second watcher.”
“A second—!”
“Aye, my lord. And one who is apparently far more adept than the lady, for he can perform two magidal actions at once. He’s hiding
“There! I told you, my lord doctor. The knave picked the lock and went up to snoop in the guardroom, maybe thinking to steal something. He deserves a good whipping! Shall I—”
“Go down and join your mates,” Stergos told the young man with a grimace of distaste. “You, Deveron, come into my cubicle.”
When Mero was gone, clearly disappointed at not being able to witness Snudge’s punishment, Stergos said, “Sit there, then tell me truthfully what you were about.” The partially walled recess had a small window, through which the fading crimson sky was visible. A clerk’s desk had been appropriated by the alchymist for his own books, and he now seated himself at it and gestured for the boy to take a stool.
Snudge had no intention of lying. “My lord, I was exercising my talent. Out on the roof.”
“I knew it! Oh, Deveron, you gave your word you wouldn’t spy on the council of war—”
“Nor did 1.1 perceived a windwatcher and felt it was my duty to trace the person. I was successful. It was Lady Ullanoth, and she fashioned a magical duplicate of herself and engaged Prince Conrig here in the castle.”
“Blessed Zeth!” Unlike the inexperienced boy, who knew little of magical technicalities and would never have willingly betrayed the prince’s secret, the Doctor Arcanorum was well aware that a Sending could come only to one who was talented. Stergos had harbored suspicions about his brother ever since Conrig and he were accosted—apparently for the first time—by Ullanoth’s double at Brent Lodge. “Did you… do your lip-reading trick?”
“As well as I could, my lord.”
“Tell me!” When the boy hesitated, Stergos added, “You must. The prince trusts this witch, but I don’t. We may have to protect him from her. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
Snudge nodded. Ullanoth made him uneasy, too, and not only because of her magic. Her beauty would inflame a marble statue, and Snudge was not made of stone.
“His Grace was in the musicians’ gallery looking down on the duke and the others. Ullanoth wore a hooded cloak that concealed her features, so I couldn’t tell what she might be saying. At first, Prince Conrig seemed to be hearing good news from her. He was pleased. Then his mood changed to concern, and he asked her if she could break some spell and discover what they were doing.”
“They?” Stergos repeated.
“I have no idea who he meant. Ullanoth replied in some manner that disturbed the prince mightily. He said, ‘Must you invoke those dire creatures? Isn’t there any other kind of sorcery that’ll serve our purposes?’”
Stergos drew in a sharp breath. “The Beaconfolk! God help us, I tried to warn him that she might use them to implement this scheme. But he would hear nothing against her… What else did you hear, lad?”
Snudge told how Conrig had asked if he should tell the council of war how Ullanoth helped formulate the Edict of Sovereignty, and how he had also said that it would be awkward to explain their friendship to Duke Tanaby and the earl marshal, since the two of them had never truly met face-to-face.
“And then came the most puzzling thing. His Grace and the lady spoke of you, my lord.” Snudge hesitated. “The prince said, ‘My brother will never tell a lie, even for me.’ The lady spoke. Then the prince said, ‘He is my brother. I love him.’ And his words seemed weighted with anger and fear.”
“Damn her!” the doctor whispered, knowing what Ullanoth must have told Conrig. His face twisted like one in pain. “Is there more?”
“Only that His Grace said he would do what was best. Then the Sending left him… and so I went in search of the second watcher.”
“A second—!”
“Aye, my lord. And one who is apparently far more adept than the lady, for he can perform two magidal actions at once. He’s hiding
Similar Books
