by Guy Antibes
Where was Marino Bespa when you needed him? Ricky thought. He would make it through.
~~~
CHAPTER NINETEEN
~
T WO DAYS LATER, RICKY STOOD NEXT TO SIPPA, wearing a sling bound to his body and looking at the rest of the team practice. The coach never stopped talking to Ricky about broomball strategy. The discussion was enlightening. Sippa revealed a more complex game than he had taught the team. Ricky had always concentrated on lanes opening up on the field to pass or run through, but Sippa described more plays on both offense and defense.
Ricky had had a taste of everything, enough to know he had more to learn about the game. Sippa had said they would go over the aspects of technique. Ricky realized that he had just reacted to Sippa’s coaching for his play. Coaching was a lot more involved than he thought.
“Aren’t you going to get back on the field?” one of the players said, looking on.
Ricky shook his head. “The healer said no more broomball this season.”
“I hurt my shoulder once, so I understand,” the youth said.
Watching the others play made Ricky feel left out. The camaraderie that felt so good was diminished by his not participating on the same level. No one left him out or treated him any differently, at least on purpose, but he could tell the difference. The euphoria of their match in Applia had mostly evaporated for him, but not for the players. Participating through other’s eyes, bodies, and hands just wasn’t the same.
When practice ended, Jac and Benno called out to him. He walked towards his friends.
“Sippa will put you to good use, just like he’s always done,” Jac said. Ricky didn’t feel that his friend was merely placating him. “You give him a different perspective, and that will make us better. You’ll see.”
Ricky didn’t know about that, but he joined them for dinner. Off the field, he felt better and trudged back to his room, his shoulder starting to ache to distraction. The healer had given him some pain medicine. Ricky took it, and the book that he wanted to transcribe stayed where it was, since Ricky ended up sleeping the evening away.
The team played a few more schools and outplayed them in every way. Sippa called the boys around him.
“Our season is nearly over. I’ve arranged to play two more games. Both of these will be Tossan professional teams, so we will probably lose, but what we lose in points we will gain in experience. These are optional games, so I wanted to know if you all agree.”
The boys all voted to play. “Ricky?” Sippa said. “What about you?”
“I can’t play.”
“But you are my assistant coach. Your opinion is as important as the players.”
“Well, then. I say we give it our best,” Ricky said.
~
Dari Calasay asked to see Ricky in her office instead of their normal session. It had been two weeks since Ricky’s accident.
“You didn’t hurt your shoulder sparring with Effilia Asucco. I want a true answer.” She had her arms folded, and her face looked more serious than usual.
“I ran into a wall,” Ricky said. “I was what you might term ‘flying’ at the time.”
“Why might I only use the term?”
“I used the deflection spell. I wanted to see how strongly I could deflect something,” Ricky said. “I can reinforce the spell a few times to make it last longer. I thought if I could use the spell to lift Petrolo up, maybe I could lift myself into the air and deflect myself as a way to move forward. When you lighten yourself with a flying spell, you can only float forward. I didn’t realize how fast I would go.”
“So you damaged your shoulder and could have killed yourself.”
Ricky nodded. “I know you don’t like adventurous sorcery.”
Dari blinked a few times in disbelief. “I don’t? You damaged yourself because of me?”
“I wouldn’t put it that way,” Ricky said. “My injury was not intentional. I learned from it. I’m sure I can demonstrate the spell without bouncing against the opposite wall. Something similar happened to me when I learned to fly. Ceilings have a habit of being too low.”
Dari tried to restrain a smile. “It is a bad habit, isn’t it?”
Ricky didn’t respond.
“I’ll want a demonstration tomorrow in the lecture well before classes begin. You aren’t needed for early morning broomball practice in your condition. Professor Garini will not be present. You have the rest of the period free. Do something that won’t get you injured.”
He drifted over to the fencing studio and found Effie sanding down a few wooden swords.
“Can we do a little work now?”
“Dari let you go early?”
Ricky nodded. “We can use one of those swords if you don’t want me to try an edged weapon.”
“We think alike.” She found one she liked and led him to their private studio. Ricky hadn’t been in it since his accident. He looked up and saw the damaged wall. He could barely detect a dent, but it was there.
Effie held the sword out. “Let me know when the spell is working.”
Ricky sang and invoked his will. Effie began with light taps with the flat of the blade. Gradually she hit harder. None of the blows made it through; his mental hands had stopped everything.
“Now with an edge.”
At first, Ricky’s spell held up, but when it began to deteriorate, the sharp edge of the wooden sword penetrated his protection more deeply. On the third reinforcement, Effie’s blow sunk through Ricky’s defenses and hit his right upper arm.
“That was uncomfortable,” Ricky said, rubbing a blow that would be sure to bruise.
Effie grinned. “Aren’t you glad we didn’t use steel?”
Ricky smiled back. “I am, but I wonder if my injury is weakening the spell.”
“You won’t find out until after the term ends.”
“I guess not. I don’t see a reason to continue the spell work until then.” Ricky didn’t know if Effie had told Dari Calasay about his injury, but Ricky would need to focus on his studies. His injury and broomball had gotten him way behind in his other subjects.
“Take a week off our weapons work, as well. Any vigorous practice will certainly make you hurt.”
Ricky couldn’t object. He left the studio and found the ancient book he had left hidden since his accident and began to transcribe again. He worked through dinner and found he couldn’t muster the concentration for much more.
He drifted over to the commissary and had to plead with the kitchen staff for some morsels, since the dining room had closed.
The next morning, Ricky felt reluctant to face Professor Calasay. He found her reading a novel, of all things, when he entered the lecture well.
“I like a punctual man,” she said. “First of all, my demonstration. I want you to fly from here to there.” She pointed up to one of the doors leading to the hallway above.
Ricky sang his lift song and made sure he moved slower than he had before, but faster than flying would be. He took a deep breath and focused his will on the controlled flight. He rose and moved forward slowly, and as confidence in his control built, he increased his speed and was able to slow up when he reached the top.
“And back,” Dari said.
Ricky could have flown across the ceiling and dropped down, but that would show the professor less skill. He sang and imagined pushing himself along a taut rope line to a point at the professor’s right. Ricky smiled as he set down. He had learned his lesson. It seemed he always learned sorcery a lot more quickly than his other subjects.
“Are you ever tentative?” Dari asked.
“Tentative?” Ricky replied.
“You just do it without reservations. You damaged yourself, and yet you showed that you achieved control of flight or lift or whatever you call it. Do you feel depressed?”
Ricky shook his head. “This spell has no aftereffects like flying.”
Dari looked at his sling.
“I don’t mean that,” Ric
ky said.
“Sit,” the professor said. “Petrolo is leaving the school after the term ends. Sealio University offered him a position.”
“That’s great news. I would have expected you to be happier for your colleague,” Ricky said.
“I’m worried about you.”
“Why?” Ricky asked.
“He has expressed reservations about your power and your experimentation. I didn’t tell him your accident was caused by too much power and too much experimentation.”
Ricky furrowed his brow. “What can he do?”
“He can inadvertently keep you from attending Sealio University, at least the sorcery classes. University sorcerers are jealous of their powers. They would be alarmed by your talent, if forewarned. Not Petrolo, of course, but he isn’t the most discreet sorcerer and would be sure to brag about what you can do. We’ve told you enough times that you are ahead of anything we can teach you at Doubli.”
“So I can’t go to Sealio when I’m through with Doubli?”
“After careful consideration, I think it might not be the best place for you after the academy.” Dari smiled, but it wasn’t warm. “You might try getting an invitation to Duteria. Those who don’t want to teach or perform often try to go there. A few get in, like Marino Bespa and Baron Mansali.”
“Siria Lonsi, the battle sorcerer at the Home, went. She met Marino Bespa there.”
“Battle sorcery with its restricted rules might be the only occupation you will be able to find in Paranty if you don’t take up performance sorcery.”
“I don’t have to make a decision now, do I?”
Dari shook her head. “I can help you in my own way next year. I understand that I will have to be more flexible than I have been in the past, but who knows?”
“If I don’t go to the University of Sealio, will that damage a performance sorcery career?”
“With your talent? No.” She peered into Ricky’s eyes, making him uncomfortable. “I’ve never brought this up before, but your talent might may make your life unsafe.”
Ricky furrowed his eyebrows. “Why unsafe?”
“There is so much money at the top of performance sorcery that jealous sorcerers have been known to take drastic measures.”
“Like Mara’s aunt and uncle? A jealous sorcerer killed them.”
Dari nodded. “Your parents might have met the same fate, too.”
Ricky gasped. “I always thought Duke Noacci was responsible.”
His statement earned an inscrutable look from Dari. “That might be the case. It might not.”
Her revelation would demand a conversation with Saganet. “Are we stopping our sessions?”
“Broomball ends soon to give players time to catch up with their studies. I proposed to Professor Garini that we do the same. He agreed. He thinks your injury will interfere with your expression of will. You just showed that he was wrong about that. Let’s have him think that, shall we?”
Ricky nodded. “Is that all?”
Dari laughed. Now that their talk was over, she seemed relieved. “Isn’t it enough? Anytime you want to practice something, see me. I won’t be one to tattle. We still have secrets from last summer, you and I.”
Ricky smiled. “We do.”
~
The day after the broomball team suffered a drubbing at their first match with a professional team, Jac rushed in late to lunch and took Ubbo, Benno, and Ricky aside from the other players.
“I finally received word from my father. You are all invited to spend the summer break at my family’s estate in Dimani.” Jac grinned at Ubbo. “Not so big a thing for you, Ubbo. But you are invited to stay with us rather than visit from the capital.”
“Food, lodging, and transportation are on my father.”
“I can pay my way,” Ricky said, thinking of his wealth.
“My treat. I’ll be your host. Oh, I’ll be asking Mara to come, as well. Is that acceptable to you, Ricky?”
“Don’t ask me, ask her. I don’t think she will object as long as she is treated appropriately.”
“Oh, she will be,” Jac said. “I’ll be celebrating my seventeenth birthday while we are gone, and I can’t think of any three I’d rather spend it with.”
“I’m in,” Benno said. “Will we be going through Sealio?”
“A few days in the Parantian capital is generally the case while we wait for a suitable ship. Let’s just plan on it.”
“I’ve never been to Sealio,” Ricky said. “I have a few friends there.”
“You do?” Benno said.
“Warden Sarini, Nemo Mattia, and maybe even Mirano Bespa. I wouldn’t mind having him give my shoulder a treatment.”
Jac nodded his head vigorously. “So, we leave as soon as grades are posted. Benno and Ricky will have to get permission to go. Ubbo just has to move his sorry body along with us since he’ll be going home for free.”
Ubbo grinned. “My parents will thank you. They probably don’t want my sorry body getting in their way during the summer, either. They did send me all the way to Doubli for a reason.”
All four of them laughed, Ricky most of all. If Duke Bariani wanted Ricky to get close to nobility, he could see no better way. If Jac asked Mara, if something went disastrously wrong, he could always escort her back to Doubli. She had said that her parents didn’t care what she did once she left Fisttia for Paranty.
Ricky went to the fencing studio when he would have gone to his sorcery session and waited until Saganet’s class was over.
“What brings you here?” Saganet said. Effie drifted by.
“Jac Griama asked Benno, Ubbo, and me to spend summer break in Dimani. Can I get your permission?”
“I think it is a wonderful idea!” Effie said. “Are you going via Sealio?”
Ricky nodded. “I thought I might try to visit Nania Sarini, if she’ll meet with me.”
“I’ll write her,” Effie said. She looked at Saganet. “You don’t mind having me to yourself during the summer?”
Saganet lifted an eyebrow. “Why would I mind?”
“It’s all set. I’ll tell Jac. He’s paying for everything.”
“Make a visit to the Sealio bank in Tossa and have them set up a draft account in Sealio and Dimani. The capital and the country have the same name. I know it’s confusing,” Saganet said. “You’ll want to have funds available. We can both go tomorrow since you are out of school.”
“I can if we get it done before the last broomball match of the season. It will be at Tossa stadium,” Ricky said.
“We can do that,” Saganet said.
~
Ricky sat at dinner with his dejected teammates. They decided the professional team they played in Applia wasn’t as good as either of the two Tossan teams that soundly beat them.
“So what did you decide?” Jac said, sitting down next to Ricky.
“I knew I could go with you yesterday.” Ricky didn’t feel as morose as his teammates “I can’t wait. What are the details?”
“I have a man in town arranging things. My father sent him a few weeks ago. I think we can get to my father’s estate on Dimani Isle in less than ten days. That includes three days in Sealio!” He grinned. “Mara accepted as well. We will have a great time.”
Ricky couldn’t stop smiling. He looked forward to seeing two capital cities and a whole different country, even if the Dimanians had adopted Parantian as their language centuries ago. He noticed Loria Mansali looking at them. Ricky could see wheels turning in her head. He shook his head and turned away. Their eyes never really met, thank goodness, he thought.
After dinner, Ricky walked to the warehouse, taking in the pleasant late spring air. Mara had arrived earlier than he had as was usual.
“I hear you’ll be joining us in Dimani,” Ricky said.
Mara looked up from the scattered pages around her and smiled. “Jac told you?”
“He did. I wondered if you had any problem getting permission to go.”
She fr
owned. “I talked to Dean Doubli, and she had no objections. if you were there to protect me, I could go.”
“But I only told Jac tonight.”
Her frown changed into a smile. “She knew you’d say yes, and Professor Crabacci would encourage you.”
“I guess I didn’t provide anyone with any mystery about my decision,” Ricky said. “What will we do with all this?”
Mara waved her hand at the room. “The books have been around for centuries, so a few months of further neglect shouldn’t hurt.”
Ricky thought about it. “Then we should store our transcriptions in a different building. I’ll talk to Saganet about it. We don’t have to be totally neglectful. Why don’t we stop our work right now, then? I have a lot of work to do to get ready for a summer abroad.”
“That is a great idea,” Mara said. “Why don’t I talk to Dean Doubli about a suitable storage place for our work, and you can ask Saganet to inspect the library every week or so? I’ll talk to you tomorrow at the academy.”
All of Ricky’s transcriptions were already hidden in his dormitory room, so all he had to do was return the book he currently worked on, and his library tasks were done until the fall. He spent the rest of the night making another copy of the power-linking book so that he could take personal copies of all the books he transcribed to Dimani. In the morning, he gave his transcriptions to Mara. She said Merry would find a home for them.
~
Ricky had moved his things back to the cottage after he took the last examination. Saganet entered into Ricky’s room, littered with piles of clothing.
“I never thought I’d have so many clothes,” he said.
Saganet lifted a shirt up. “Most of these don’t fit anymore.”
Ricky laughed. “I know. I’ve been trying on my clothes. Maybe you can give some of these away after I’ve left for Dimani.”
“I can do that,” Saganet said. He sat on Ricky’s bed. “I wanted to have a few words with you before you leave.”
Ricky nodded and sat in the desk chair. “I expected a final talk.”
“You know you should be careful. Use your sorcery sparingly. Dimani is much looser about such things, but not so much that you should flaunt your talent. When you are invigorated with new surroundings and having a great time, there can be lapses of judgment.”
