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Authors: Michael Pryor
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the
villain said. He gestured dramatically.
'Not likely,' the greybeard growled. 'At 'em, lads.'
The guards closed in. The chief villain took a step
backward, then seemed to remember his role. He threw
up both hands and began to chant a spell.
The guards halted their advance, knowing magic when
they heard it. Aubrey listened carefully, and had to admit
that the villain knew his Sumerian. Even though he
hurried, he managed each syllable clearly and ended with
a showy flourish of a signature. He then slammed his
right fist into his left palm.
Aubrey recognised that the spell used the Law of
Magnitude, with the intention of turning the fist strike
into a barrage of sound. Despite the presence of the
so-called magical suppressors, he felt the sudden build-up
of magical power. 'Cover your ears!' he urged, and then
he felt a strange, unsettling wave of magic.
Nothing happened. The chief villain gaped, stared at
his hands, turned to his colleagues as if he were about
to complain, then they were buried under an avalanche
of guards.
'Splendid!' Rokeby-Taylor crowed over the hubbub
of astonishment that filled the chamber. 'As you see,
any magic is nullified by the suppressors. It doesn't
matter what type, an equal and opposite effect is created
and the final result is as you see.' Rokeby-Taylor
beamed. 'A timely trial indeed.'
'Very timely.' Sir Darius watched thoughtfully as
the struggle in the middle of the chamber proved to be
short-lived. 'Most fortunate for you, Clive.'
'Well, the bank won't have any doubts about the
efficacy of the devices now, will they?' Rokeby-Taylor
glanced around. 'I hope some of the governors were
watching.'
'Sir Norman was,' Aubrey said. That particular
governor would give a good account of the magic
suppressors, he was sure.
The guards separated and marched the villains out.
The foiled spell-caster looked particularly affronted at
his unexpected end. 'This wasn't supposed to happen!' he
cried. 'I wasn't told about this!'
His protests dwindled as he was hauled out of the
bank, along with his unhappy cronies, and Aubrey found
himself wondering at the convenience of the attempted
robbery. It was a perfect demonstration of the effectiveness
of the magic suppressors, with the governors'
meeting and the Prime Minister in attendance.
Very convenient.
'Your company should be flooded with orders,'
Sir Darius said to Rokeby-Taylor, 'once word of this gets
around.'
'I should hope so.'
'And to that end, you won't need my financial
support.'
'Well, I suppose not. But I'd like to have you on board,
so to speak.'
'I don't think so. Now, Aubrey, we have a matter to
attend to.'
Rokeby-Taylor took Sir Darius's arm. 'Before you go,
in the boardroom, you were about to offer me some
advice.'
'Of course. It's just this: don't ever approach me again
with anything that has the remotest hint of impropriety
about it.'
Rokeby-Taylor considered this, then brightened. 'Of
course not, Darius. Why would I? Now, I really must see
the governors. They should be around here somewhere.'
He rushed off, slipping through the crowd that had
once again populated the chamber, going about their
business as though nothing had happened. The buzz of
transactions, the scratching of pen on paper and the rustle
and clink of money melded into a sound that was the
hum of commerce.
'Will the Prime Minister be needing a room?' Sir
Norman appeared at Sir Darius's elbow, looking neat and
tidy, with no sign of having been a hostage in a bank
robbery drama only a few minutes ago. Aubrey thought
it a wonderful characteristic of the Albionite bank
manager, the ability to appear unfazed by events that
would necessitate most people having a good lie down.
'Of course, Sir Norman. I have another matter that
needs discharging. Please bring my deposit box.'
Sir Norman straightened, enthused. 'In an instant,
Prime Minister!' He cast around then pointed at one of
the uniformed doorman. 'Eames.'
'Nolan, sir.'
'Nolan. Please show the Prime Minister
villain said. He gestured dramatically.
'Not likely,' the greybeard growled. 'At 'em, lads.'
The guards closed in. The chief villain took a step
backward, then seemed to remember his role. He threw
up both hands and began to chant a spell.
The guards halted their advance, knowing magic when
they heard it. Aubrey listened carefully, and had to admit
that the villain knew his Sumerian. Even though he
hurried, he managed each syllable clearly and ended with
a showy flourish of a signature. He then slammed his
right fist into his left palm.
Aubrey recognised that the spell used the Law of
Magnitude, with the intention of turning the fist strike
into a barrage of sound. Despite the presence of the
so-called magical suppressors, he felt the sudden build-up
of magical power. 'Cover your ears!' he urged, and then
he felt a strange, unsettling wave of magic.
Nothing happened. The chief villain gaped, stared at
his hands, turned to his colleagues as if he were about
to complain, then they were buried under an avalanche
of guards.
'Splendid!' Rokeby-Taylor crowed over the hubbub
of astonishment that filled the chamber. 'As you see,
any magic is nullified by the suppressors. It doesn't
matter what type, an equal and opposite effect is created
and the final result is as you see.' Rokeby-Taylor
beamed. 'A timely trial indeed.'
'Very timely.' Sir Darius watched thoughtfully as
the struggle in the middle of the chamber proved to be
short-lived. 'Most fortunate for you, Clive.'
'Well, the bank won't have any doubts about the
efficacy of the devices now, will they?' Rokeby-Taylor
glanced around. 'I hope some of the governors were
watching.'
'Sir Norman was,' Aubrey said. That particular
governor would give a good account of the magic
suppressors, he was sure.
The guards separated and marched the villains out.
The foiled spell-caster looked particularly affronted at
his unexpected end. 'This wasn't supposed to happen!' he
cried. 'I wasn't told about this!'
His protests dwindled as he was hauled out of the
bank, along with his unhappy cronies, and Aubrey found
himself wondering at the convenience of the attempted
robbery. It was a perfect demonstration of the effectiveness
of the magic suppressors, with the governors'
meeting and the Prime Minister in attendance.
Very convenient.
'Your company should be flooded with orders,'
Sir Darius said to Rokeby-Taylor, 'once word of this gets
around.'
'I should hope so.'
'And to that end, you won't need my financial
support.'
'Well, I suppose not. But I'd like to have you on board,
so to speak.'
'I don't think so. Now, Aubrey, we have a matter to
attend to.'
Rokeby-Taylor took Sir Darius's arm. 'Before you go,
in the boardroom, you were about to offer me some
advice.'
'Of course. It's just this: don't ever approach me again
with anything that has the remotest hint of impropriety
about it.'
Rokeby-Taylor considered this, then brightened. 'Of
course not, Darius. Why would I? Now, I really must see
the governors. They should be around here somewhere.'
He rushed off, slipping through the crowd that had
once again populated the chamber, going about their
business as though nothing had happened. The buzz of
transactions, the scratching of pen on paper and the rustle
and clink of money melded into a sound that was the
hum of commerce.
'Will the Prime Minister be needing a room?' Sir
Norman appeared at Sir Darius's elbow, looking neat and
tidy, with no sign of having been a hostage in a bank
robbery drama only a few minutes ago. Aubrey thought
it a wonderful characteristic of the Albionite bank
manager, the ability to appear unfazed by events that
would necessitate most people having a good lie down.
'Of course, Sir Norman. I have another matter that
needs discharging. Please bring my deposit box.'
Sir Norman straightened, enthused. 'In an instant,
Prime Minister!' He cast around then pointed at one of
the uniformed doorman. 'Eames.'
'Nolan, sir.'
'Nolan. Please show the Prime Minister
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