Read Online Hawk (Vlad) by Steven Brust - Free Book Online

it’s possible to hide from the Orb, then it might also be possible to tap into those channels of the Orb.”
    “Tap in?”
    “Identify the channels psychically, manipulate them with sorcery to direct them to, say, me.”
    “But then you’d—oh!” His eyes widened. Then he frowned. “Wouldn’t that be illegal?”
    “I imagine it would. So, if you’d be so kind, explain.”
    He gave a sort of shrug. “All right. It’s pretty simple; after you’ve identified the channels, you just externalize your thought-stream so you can shape it, and—”
    “Wait. Slow down.”
    “Vlad, how much do you know about the basics of psychic manipulation?”
    “Not that much.”
    “How about how sorcery works?”
    “Not that much either. I just use it.”
    “All right. Do you understand the Sea of Amorphia?”
    “I know what it is. I mean, I know it’s amorphia.”
    “And you know what amorphia is?”
    “Ah, sort of.”
    “It is simultaneously matter and energy, and—”
    “Wait. What does that mean?”
    “It means—” He stopped, frowned, and it was like I could see him back up to take another run at it. He said, “Amorphia is chaos: material randomness.”
    “Um—”
    “The Orb is a device for imposing dimensionality on its formlessness, thus permitting sorcerous access to amorphia, through the Orb.”
    “Daymar, does ‘imposing dimensionality’ actually mean anything?”
    “I think so.”
    “All right. Please explain how this relates to hiding from the Orb. Or, more specifically, to identifying the channels through which someone is reaching the Orb.”
    He did, and we’d each had another cup of klava by the time I realized that I was never going to be able to manipulate the channels myself—whether I had the psychic power I didn’t know, but I most certainly didn’t have the skill. I also had a deeper understanding of the relationship between physics and sorcery, and between sorcery and amorphia. And the beginnings of a headache.
    But I also understood manipulating the channels well enough to know my plan might work. I didn’t need to be able to do it, you see. Well, I sort of did, but only once, so I was perfectly willing to cheat on that part. The point is, it had to be possible to do it. If it were possible, I could make it happen. Because I know people. Like Daymar.
    When he’d finished the explanation, I said, “Thanks, Daymar. I appreciate you taking the time. Now let me tell you what I’m going to try, and you tell me if it’ll work.”
    “All right.”
    He listened, and his eyes widened. “Why didn’t I ever think of that?” were his first words.
    I bit back the obvious reply and said, “Because you aren’t both a witch and a sorcerer. There aren’t many of us who are. Morrolan might have thought of it, but it would never cross his mind to do that. Will it work?”
    “I could do it.”
    “Yes, but can I? Using the equipment I talked about?”
    “I can’t think of why not,” he said.
    I nodded. “Good then. And thank you once more.”
    “You’re welcome,” he said. “Is there anything else I can do for you?”
    “Yes,” I said. “I think a great deal. But not just now.”
    “Oh? What, then?”
    “I’ll get back to you.”
    “All right. I’ll open up for a few minutes on the hour.”
    “Thanks,” I said. “But—”
    “Oh, right. You won’t be able to reach me.”
    “So, I’ll be spending yet more time flying around Pamlar University?”
    “Unless you have another idea.”
    “I’m not the idea guy.”
    “No, you’re the one who flies off to find Daymar.”
    He called me something impolite.
    Daymar vanished with a pop of displaced air. It got me more glances from those in Len’s. Then he popped back in.
    “Oh,” he said. “Was that rude? Should I not have done that?”
    Sometimes I just have no idea what to say. Daymar went through the door this time.
    I left a few coins on the table at Len and Nieces and headed out to deal with urgent matters that had