Read Online The Haunted Wizard - Wiz in Rhym-6 by Christopher Stasheff - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Christopher Stasheff
Tags: Fiction, General, Fantasy fiction, Fiction - Fantasy, Fantasy, Fantasy Fiction; American, Fantasy - General, Fantasy - Series, Wizards, American Science Fiction And Fantasy
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back of a man at the same time." He scanned the body, frowning. "Notice what's missing?" Page 34
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Both men stared down, thinking. Then Sir Orizhan said, "His purse!"
"Right." Matt nodded. "Sergeant, send somebody back to the inn to search. Might be the prince really did think he'd been robbed."
"Why else would he have accused her?" Sir Orizhan asked. His face sickened as he realized the answer.
"Right again." Matt nodded. "Gaheris wanted an excuse to beat up on her."
"I assure you, this prince never troubled with such an excuse."
"A real sweetheart," Matt said grimly. "Still, it might be interesting rinding out where that purse is. Send someone, would you, Sergeant?"
"There's no need," Brock said, voice very low. "I watched you fight the sorcerer from the shadows. I wondered why he needed two purses. I thought perhaps one held magical powders."
"Not a bad guess, but wrong this time." Matt nodded with satisfaction. "You've got sharp eyes, Sergeant. So whether or not the sorcerer struck the death blow, he did provide the excuse for the brawl." He stepped away from the corpse. "Okay. I can't put it off any longer. Time to tell his parents." They went out of the Great Hall, but Sir Orizhan said, "I can see you do not believe all you have seen, Lord Wizard."
"Oh, it's believable," Matt told him. "I've seen knives big enough to make a wound like that."
"Short swords, more likely," Sergeant Brock grunted, then stared in surprise at his own words. Matt nodded "Could have been a short sword, like a Reman gladius, yes."
"But you do not believe it," Sir Orizhan pressed.
"No, I don't," Matt told him. "It's much more like the hole a scissor blade would make, or maybe a paring knife, if you stuck it into the back of a straw doll and jabbed it around a little for good measure. It wouldn't even be an inch long, of course, but on the real body…"
"Witchcraft!" Even the toughened sergeant shuddered.
"Or sorcery." Matt nodded. "No way to defend yourself against it, is there? And all three of us know the man who went out the window was a sorcerer."
"Then you must tell the king that his son was slain by one of his own countrymen!" Sir Orizhan exclaimed.
"Yes," Matt said heavily, "and I don't think he's going to like that In fact, I don't think he's going to believe me at all."
"You lie!" King Drustan cried, and Queen Petronille declared, "You seek to shield a man of your own!" Their rage was frightening, but Matt felt a surge of anger at being called a liar. "If I had the man here, you couldn't deny it"
Page 35
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"If you had him here, aye!" Drustan roared. "Lord Wizard, do you call yourself? When a peasant sorcerer can outdo you in magic? Or did you let him escape in order to shield your country from war?"
"Ask your own man." Matt nodded at Sergeant Brock. "Ask him how I fought."
"He wrought wonders," the sergeant told the king. "It was pure bad luck that he lost, and good luck he lived."
Matt flashed the man a look of surprised gratitude, but Drustan roared, "Bad luck for him, for he'll die in battle on a Bretanglian lance!" He struck Brock backhanded.
"How dare you insult us by saying our son was slain by our own countryman!" Queen Petronille cried, white-faced and trembling.
"There can be no question of peace between our countries now!" Drustan shouted, and turned to Alisande. "We go back to Bretanglia at first light—to gather our armies, and march in vengeance!" He spun to Sir Orizhan and Sergeant Brock. "You have failed in your duty, knight and soldier! You were set to guard the prince, and he is dead! Do not think to come back to Bretanglia until you have found his murderer, or avenged his death!" He whirled back to Alisande. "Prepare your people for war, Your Majesty!" He made the words an insult. "Prepare for war—and defeat!" Matt stood beside Alisande on the
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
Both men stared down, thinking. Then Sir Orizhan said, "His purse!"
"Right." Matt nodded. "Sergeant, send somebody back to the inn to search. Might be the prince really did think he'd been robbed."
"Why else would he have accused her?" Sir Orizhan asked. His face sickened as he realized the answer.
"Right again." Matt nodded. "Gaheris wanted an excuse to beat up on her."
"I assure you, this prince never troubled with such an excuse."
"A real sweetheart," Matt said grimly. "Still, it might be interesting rinding out where that purse is. Send someone, would you, Sergeant?"
"There's no need," Brock said, voice very low. "I watched you fight the sorcerer from the shadows. I wondered why he needed two purses. I thought perhaps one held magical powders."
"Not a bad guess, but wrong this time." Matt nodded with satisfaction. "You've got sharp eyes, Sergeant. So whether or not the sorcerer struck the death blow, he did provide the excuse for the brawl." He stepped away from the corpse. "Okay. I can't put it off any longer. Time to tell his parents." They went out of the Great Hall, but Sir Orizhan said, "I can see you do not believe all you have seen, Lord Wizard."
"Oh, it's believable," Matt told him. "I've seen knives big enough to make a wound like that."
"Short swords, more likely," Sergeant Brock grunted, then stared in surprise at his own words. Matt nodded "Could have been a short sword, like a Reman gladius, yes."
"But you do not believe it," Sir Orizhan pressed.
"No, I don't," Matt told him. "It's much more like the hole a scissor blade would make, or maybe a paring knife, if you stuck it into the back of a straw doll and jabbed it around a little for good measure. It wouldn't even be an inch long, of course, but on the real body…"
"Witchcraft!" Even the toughened sergeant shuddered.
"Or sorcery." Matt nodded. "No way to defend yourself against it, is there? And all three of us know the man who went out the window was a sorcerer."
"Then you must tell the king that his son was slain by one of his own countrymen!" Sir Orizhan exclaimed.
"Yes," Matt said heavily, "and I don't think he's going to like that In fact, I don't think he's going to believe me at all."
"You lie!" King Drustan cried, and Queen Petronille declared, "You seek to shield a man of your own!" Their rage was frightening, but Matt felt a surge of anger at being called a liar. "If I had the man here, you couldn't deny it"
Page 35
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
"If you had him here, aye!" Drustan roared. "Lord Wizard, do you call yourself? When a peasant sorcerer can outdo you in magic? Or did you let him escape in order to shield your country from war?"
"Ask your own man." Matt nodded at Sergeant Brock. "Ask him how I fought."
"He wrought wonders," the sergeant told the king. "It was pure bad luck that he lost, and good luck he lived."
Matt flashed the man a look of surprised gratitude, but Drustan roared, "Bad luck for him, for he'll die in battle on a Bretanglian lance!" He struck Brock backhanded.
"How dare you insult us by saying our son was slain by our own countryman!" Queen Petronille cried, white-faced and trembling.
"There can be no question of peace between our countries now!" Drustan shouted, and turned to Alisande. "We go back to Bretanglia at first light—to gather our armies, and march in vengeance!" He spun to Sir Orizhan and Sergeant Brock. "You have failed in your duty, knight and soldier! You were set to guard the prince, and he is dead! Do not think to come back to Bretanglia until you have found his murderer, or avenged his death!" He whirled back to Alisande. "Prepare your people for war, Your Majesty!" He made the words an insult. "Prepare for war—and defeat!" Matt stood beside Alisande on the
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