by Clark Bolton
The acrobat began making swimming motions while the crowd went from shock to awe. “Uuuuuuu!” people screamed as they applauded. Shouts of “How do they do that!” went out along with questions like “Where are the wires … are there not wires!”
“BRAVO … BRAVO … BRAVO … Lord Vis Mage-Councilor!” Someone yelled from behind Autbek. Glancing back he was startled to see it was Fesmbol. Now that any hopes of a quick and low key exit had been dashed he let the swimming acrobat sink to the floor … at a nearly safe rate.
On his feet in a flash Castor altered his face with a swirl of his hands to that of a tusked-boar and proceeded to run around the inner circle of the crowd scaring the hell out of the ladies. The lucky ones had a man to step out in front of them to fend off the beast. The unlucky ladies had a boar ravage their shoes with his tusks, and perhaps a bit of their hemline.
Deflated and exasperated Autbek could see the boy’s latest antics had become a game with the crowd. People went from sheer glee to sheer terror and back again as the little boar-man moved from goring one side of the crowd than another.
“One of yours?” Fesmbol stepped up to ask.
“Yes!” Autbek barked irritably. He realized a moment later that he should not be yelling at one of the heirs to the city of Astrum. It appeared though that Fesmbol had not taken offense as he helped cheer the boar-man on.
When the acrobat was finished with the crowd, he stood to his full height and walked jovially toward the door as the crowd quickly parted in front of him. Then with one last trick he turned and dashed a huge handful of copper and silver coins onto the floor sending them showering back toward the crowd.
“Here are your coins back!” Castor yelled with a laugh, still wearing the face of a boar. He then turned and ran through the doors.
The crowd cheered and roared and then applauded as a few brave souls began picking up coins. Autbek watched with a frown on his face as the crowd began to break up into smaller groups as nearly everyone continued to chatter excitedly. He decided he was too upset to stay and that he should not have to.
Before Autbek could get far he felt Fesmbol tugging on his sleeve. “Another impressive show by Tenric’s boys.” Fesmbol said as he slapped Autbek on the shoulder. “Keep this up and you really will get that academy built.”
Autbek wasn’t sure quite what to make of the statement as he disentangle himself a bit rudely from the man, and then proceeded to ignore loud calls of “Lord Vis Mage,” as he followed Castor as fast as he could walk.
Autbek loosened the buttons of the fancy shirt he wore as he sat at his desk next to Castor’s bed. The boy himself was laying on the bed staring at the ceiling with a rather neutral look on his face and not saying much as he listened to Autbek’s lecture.
Pulling the stolen coins from his pocket Autbek continued to express his consternation at the boy’s actions this evening. “How are we going to give these back!”
“We don’t have to give them back … ‘cause they already think I did!” Castor said without remorse.
“How’s that?” He barked a little angrily.
With nonchalance, something that had become his trademark, Castor replied, “Since they can’t count all the coins I threw on the floor they will think those were theirs.”
Autbek decided he could not argue with that but needed to object anyway. “Bah! You’re stealing!”
“I’m entertaining!”
Haspeth was back now, he had left at first when Autbek’s fury became evident shortly after returning from the party. Leaning against the doorframe and eating an apple he refrained from any comments.
“With magic! You did magic … in public!”
“They didn’t know it was until you cast your spell … and master has never said we can’t do that.”
Though true Autbek was not letting it go. “You can’t do that … once it gets out we can do these things people are going to demand it and then we will be accused of doing awful things. They will cast us out, or worse!”
Haspeth then walked by with a baffled look on his face indicating he thought Autbek was wrong and perhaps daft. After no one said anything for a few moments Haspeth started counting the coins Autbek had laid out. “How much you get?”
“Sheesh!” Autbek said in annoyance.
“A lot more than that.” Castor said quietly.
“Really! Hey can you take me next time, I could help!”
“There is not going to be a next time!” Autbek barked a bit louder than he intended.
Haspeth was silent for a while then turning to Castor he asked, “Can we work as a team? I could learn that levitate spell I think.”
“Maybe.” Castor chirped.
“I could dress up too and then work the crowd for you. It would be great we would be like those street-performers you see only with magic we could make them look like sots!”
“Hmm.”
“How much do you think we would get?”
“You're not getting half.” Castor said, anticipating Haspeth’s line of thought.
“What! Why the hell not you little sneak-thief.” Haspeth demanded to know as he plopped down in his chair. “The freaking nerve.” He muttered.
Autbek was still miffed but was now thinking about the street-performers Haspeth had mentioned. It seemed to come together now. He had seen the performers, most of who seemed to be children on his few outings into the city, but he had not until now connected Castor with them. “Why do these kids perform in the streets anyway?”
Castor turned his head for a moment toward him with an annoyed look on his face. “‘Cause they’re poor!”
“Yes, I mean do they do it for fun while their parents work … or just because they enjoy it?”
Castor crossed his arms and replied, “They do it ‘cause their mom and da’ don’t work and so they can a give them all da ‘oney!” He finished using his best gutter accent.
Autbek could not help but think now that the subject was upsetting to Castor. Making him all the more convinced the boy had been a street-performer.
“Sheesh!” Haspeth spit back mockingly at Autbek. “You don’t get out much do ya?”
“Hmm.” Autbek grumbled as he went back to thinking about illusion spells. The kid was good and this certainly was going to be Castor’s specialty. He himself could not draw people or animals well and so could do nothing more than pathetic stick-figures with the magic chalk that walked awkwardly about the parchment.
“How about forty sixty?” Haspeth then asked of Castor.
“Stop, he has work to do!” Autbek announced as he came to his feet. “I’m going to find some illusion cantrips … it’s time he learned one.”
Castor turned his head ever so slightly as his eyes darted about. “Do you think I can now?” He asked earnestly.
“Yep, and we are going to sit here all night until you do.” He declared as he walked from the room. “You owe me that much!” He yelled back over his shoulder.
Haspeth studied the frown on the younger boy’s face for a moment. “You do it and I’ll give you forty sixty!”
“No.” Castor said softly.
“Ah … thirty-five sixty-five then?”
“I don’t know what that means.” Castor admitted as he turned his back to stare at the wall.
“Well … it means you get a HELL OF ALOT MORE THAN ME!” Haspeth said, ending in a loud voice.
A polite invitation arrived the next day. It was written on expensive parchment in a flowery flawless script and even smelled good. Autbek could tell all this even though it was addressed to the Lord Mage Counsel and his master was in fact the one holding it now right in front of him with a curious look on his face.
“Hmm, you did some spell casting at that engagement yesterday I presume?”
Autbek found himself in a quandary at the question. Not only the fact that Castor was involved but that they were currently among non-staff members. Tenric’s office had been transformed over the last few weeks, with many tables and su
ch added that were now piled with layouts of the construction site. Rarely now was there not a scribe, engineer or both busily working on some part or other.
“Do you think it wise?” Tenric added as he tossed the invitation down for Autbek to read.
“No master I don’t. It was a mistake on my part.” He replied as he read the invitation.
It was from the Baroness Imeldacy, who it seemed was very pleased at the Lord Vis Mage-Councilor’s presence at her party yesterday, but disappointed they did not get the opportunity to chat. She wanted him very much to visit her this week in her private residence near the palace. Basically she was asking Tenric to send him over.
“You will become the life of parties … and Autbek you will become a dandy and nothing more if you fall prey to these lords and ladies!” Tenric said sternly. “Aristocracy and mages have never mingled well and never shall.”
“Yes master, I agree. I don’t plan on taking part again in such a lapse of judgment.” He was about to apologize further when his master interrupted with a smile.
“However, you will attend the Baroness, Autbek. Everything you can do to entertain these people and show our worth has some merit. I expect it will keep them out of my hair as soon as they come to the realization that I am not an entertainer such as yourself.”
“Yes, master.” He said as he did his best to ignore the little insult. He figured though that he did deserve it. Also it looked like if he just stood here and took the lumps for his friend he could avoid bringing Castor into the conversation entirely.
“Keep up your efforts and build respect for your office Autbek and for the academy we build.”
“Yes, master.” Then lowering his voice he asked the question, “Master should we speak of such things now?” He motioned to the several other people in the room who appeared to be hard at work and so not listening in on the conversation. He truly wondered if Tenric realized they were there.
Tenric cast his eyes about to the other men for a moment then nodded his understanding. “That is all. Now take that invitation and send the appropriate reply.”
Autbek left feeling it was becoming a bit too easy to avoid his master now. This had both good and bad aspects he realized. The man had no time to instruct his apprentices it seemed and so was becoming less concerned with what they did, three of them anyway, not to mention the Dieknotkow.
As he turned a corner on his way back to his room he bumped into Fesmbol. Surprised Autbek could only frown for a second before Fesmbol offered his arm in greeting. Deciding he best grasp it and get this chance meeting over with he smiled politely and said, “Greetings, my lord.”
“Yes, greetings to you to my lord.” Fesmbol replied. “How about we drop the formalities, Autbek, we have met enough times I think.”
“As you wish, Fesmbol.” He replied as he wondered how the man had gotten through the door-to-hell. He figured it was likely he slipped in with some engineer or others working with Tenric.
“Good, I just popped in to make sure that letter there got delivered as a little favor to baroness Imeldacy.” Fesmbol said as he motioned toward the letter in Autbek’s hand. “Seems they often get dropped on this side … or bounce back like a stone.” He joked.
“Sorry … I mean sometimes we get a little busy over here.”
“Yessss … magic and all.” Fesmbol said with a smile as he rested his hands behind his back. “I’m hoping to meet you when you come see the baroness; we have lots to discuss you and I.”
“Do we?” Autbek said coldly. “I can’t imagine what, unless it’s another demonstration which is out of the question. Afraid my master has forbidden it.”
“Really? Should I have a word with him?” Fesmbol said as he motioned back toward Tenric’s office. “The baroness will be most unhappy and just when things looked like they might be going your way.”
“No, that won’t be necessary. I’ll see what I can do to have him reconsider.” Autbek quickly replied as he found himself wondering once again what part in things Fesmbol could possibly be involved in. He seemed to be suggesting that Tenric was getting favors from what he and Castor had done involving magecraft. If that were true he might just be looking at an unlikely ally.
As he walked back to his room he thought about the trip it looked like he was going to have to take outside the palace, which reminded him suddenly of the class he was teaching later that day. He had long since lost count of the number of classes the blue-girls had attended but he was not about to let up on their studies. They were up now to three classes a week, he was very proud of that, and always tried to have plenty for them to do on their own between sessions.
Tracking down Haspeth and Castor he had them gather up the usual course materials, which included sample spells, special parchment designed for arcane-script, and even a few reagent bottles. Though he never had the girls do anything more than handle the reagents a bit or at least sniff them, since the building where they met was not equipped in any way for magecraft. Still they needed the expose he felt.
Walking out the North Gate with arms filled the three of them nodded politely to the guards who strangely enough this time came to attention which he attributed to his new title. The short walk to the building was quiet as usual for this late in the day and there they found the three girls, each with a family escort or two.
“Ladies! Come on in.” Autbek said as they passed them by to enter the building through the usual side door. He tended to ignore the family members since they often gave him and his friends the cold shoulder. Apparently they still had not seen the value of having mages in the family though they did seem a little more comfortable with it.
The girls each said hello after giving him a quick curtsy and then he had them sit down while Haspeth did his best to shoe family members out into the adjoining room. Once the door was closed he asked to see their studies, which each of the three had ready for review by him with help from Haspeth and Castor.
“Good!” Autbek announced after a quick review of their arcane-script assignments. All were progressing well under the circumstances he felt, so deserved the reward he had in mind. “Now then, Castor has agreed to a little demonstration … which I think will renew your belief in the value of what we have been teaching you.” With that he turned the floor over to Castor who had come prepared with his enchanted chalk.
Walking to the front of the classroom Castor produced a piece of his colored chalk and drew a large complex rune on the wall in red. “Now … can you tell me what this is?” The girls stared at the rune for a few moments but said nothing.
“Is it arcane-script?” Resbeka asked tentatively.
Castor smiled and then told them, “Look again.” Just then the rune started to swirl slowly and seemed now to be protruding from the wall.
“It’s moving!” Pemmesa exclaimed as they all watched the rune’s pattern become more and more complex.
Haspeth looked away from it and then to Castor. “It’s not some mesmerist trick is it?” He was concerned Castor was trying to beguile him and so make him do or say something embarrassing. He looked at the rune now and saw that it appeared to be forming the shape of some figure, like a person’s head or that of an animal.
Autbek seated himself and smiled with glee at the show. The kid had come far in a relatively short time to be able to do something like this. When a face finally formed they realized it was Haspeth, which got some “ooohs” and “ahhhs” from the girls.
“Now what do you see?” Castor asked. Haspeth’s face had faded into something different but less distinct.
Resbeka was sure she knew what it was. “I know … it’s a man with some sheep or goats ...see!” She tried to point it out to the other two girls but they just shook their head in confusion.
“Come up and show us.” Castor said encouragingly. As Resbeka stood and walked around the table to get to the drawing she got a warning from Haspeth who had been tricked by the Castor before.
“I would not.” Haspeth said coldly a
s he folded his arms. Sure enough when Resbeka reached the wall and started closely pointing out the features of what she thought to be a man a huge lion like head appeared in its place with fierce eyes and massive teeth. Resbeka screamed in terror as the creature snapped at her.
“Eeeeeee!”
The other girls jumped with fright, and even Autbek was startled a bit. When the drawing returned to that of the original rune the girls sighed with relief and then began to laugh at themselves.
“Gods!” Resbeka exclaimed as she regained her seat. Her face was red and she was not at all happy with Castor, giving him a dirty look to make sure he knew it.
Castor just smiled and let the rune flow to that of a giant rose and then to that of a kitten followed by a puppy and finally a refreshing looking water fountain, though there was no sound to any of these. He had not yet figured out that dimension to his illusions though he could cast audible ones on their own, he could not combine the two.
They all forgave Castor as he cycled his illusion through various images, including one of Haspeth looking rather comical. Then he bowed and returned to sit cross legged on a table in the rear of the room.
Autbek gave everyone a minute to recover themselves before continuing his lecture. “Now … does anyone have any doubts that he is indeed an illusionist … one of the rarest specialties in magecraft I might add.” No one took the bait so he continued. “Since we have one specialist I would like to know if you think you or someone else here might be another. Anyone?”
Nobody answered but he could see all the girls were thinking hard about the question. They had expressed a little their aspirations with respect to magecraft, but also had little time to do so since they never saw Autbek or the other male apprentices outside of class.
“Hmm. Well I can say that I think I am not one … at least unless you count having a knack for crafting.” He did have that he knew as the Runeholden mages often commented on it. “I hope at least one of you finds a specialty … like elementalism … demonology … even healing!”
