“That would be good. Alyna kept to herself when she first came here, until Tiranya arrived. A friend does help, especially with the girls. They can be far crueler, in a quiet way, than the boys.”
“More often than the boys, but we’ve known some boys just as cruel.” Alastar couldn’t forget how Bettaur had plotted against Taurek.
“Alyna has mentioned that,” said Cyran. “Is there anything else you need from me?”
“Not at the moment. I’m still worried about the problems between the High Holders and the factors and merchanters, but there’s not much else we can do, not unless something happens.”
“Do you think that’s going to be an immediate problem?”
“It could flare up in days or simmer for years. That likely depends on how Cransyr handles matters, and how the factors react.” Alastar rose from behind the desk, waited for Cyran to stand, and then followed him out of the study, where he turned to Maercyl. “Any messages?”
“No, sir,” replied Maercyl.
“Have you any word from Dareyn?”
“I stopped by their cottage this morning, as you requested. He says he’ll be here tomorrow to help me out. Elmya says not before Vendrei.”
“I’d wager on Elmya.”
“So would I, sir.”
As Alastar returned to the study, he continued to worry, not only about poor Frydrek, but about the growing conflict between the High Holders and the factors, especially since it had been almost two days since he’d heard from Lorien. When Lorien delayed in doing anything, that was almost always a sign of either dithering or trouble, if not both.
A quint later, Alyna and Akoryt arrived in the study and seated themselves before Alastar’s table desk.
“Malyna’s waiting out in the anteroom,” Alyna said. “We need to talk freely.”
“That bad?”
Akoryt shook his head. “That would be far easier.”
“How good an imager is she?” Alastar asked.
“Right now,” replied Akoryt, “she’s effectively a third. There are some kinds of imaging she doesn’t know, but she’ll have those down in weeks, if not sooner, once she’s shown and instructed. With any amount of training at all, she’ll be a top third in a month. In another two years, if not sooner, she’ll have the ability to be a Maitre D’Aspect.”
Not that she should be at that age, reflected Alastar.
Akoryt waited several moments before continuing. “That won’t be the biggest problem.”
“Oh?”
“I’ve been working with Lystara, on and off, for the past few weeks. She’s not only better than Malyna in technique, but she’s stronger.”
“You’re sure?” Alastar didn’t want Akoryt exaggerating Lystara’s abilities, although he’d never felt the Maitre D’Structure was the type to do that.
“I went over concealments with her yesterday. She can do more with them than some Maitres D’Aspect.”
“She figured that out just last week. On Meredi.”
Akoryt frowned. “She figured it out … herself?”
“She heard Shaelyt talking about light to the thirds,” said Alyna. “That got her to thinking.”
“I don’t envy you two.” Akoryt ran his hand through his short-cut but unruly red and silver thatch, then cleared his throat. “As master of students, I really do believe Malyna should be fostered with you and Alyna … and Lystara. I realize there may be some charges of favoritism … but … I think I can defuse much of that.”
“By having them prove what they can do in instructionals?” asked Alyna.
“Would you suggest something else?” Akoryt’s voice was amused.
“No.”
“There is one other problem I can foresee,” Akoryt continued. “With that much ability, they’ll both need as much physical strength as we can give them … without straining them.”
“If you pick them out and do that…” began Alyna.
Akoryt shook his head. “It’s something I’ve been thinking about. I was going to suggest some additional training for a number of the student imagers, roughly ten and older.” He looked at Alyna. “You and Lystara run every morning. I’d like to have the girls over ten join you.” His eyes went to Alastar. “You and I could do the same for the boys over ten, since the older male students are already running with us. We could add an exercise session for each group after the run. We’d have to push back breakfast and instructionals a bit. Some of the boys, especially, are … heftier than they should be.”
“So am I, probably,” admitted Alastar.
“It wouldn’t hurt some of the other woman imagers, either,” added Alyna.
After another awkward pause, Akoryt spoke again. “Have you decided … about Malyna?”
“We’ve decided, but the final decision is up to her,” said Alyna. “You know that.”
“There’s another problem. If Malyna’s a third … and Lystara is only a second…”
“We’ll tutor Lystara as necessary,” declared Alastar. “She needs to spend some time as a second. There are some instructionals she could take with the thirds. That happens with a few others. We’ll explain that to her.” Somehow. He couldn’t help but think that parents of non-imagers didn’t have to make as many explanations, but then raising imagers necessitated a different approach in some areas. The trick was to know where, and Alastar still wasn’t certain he knew all he should, although he had been far more confident about that before Lystara began to image things.
“You two seem to have thought this out.”
“‘Seem’ is precisely the right word,” said Alastar ruefully. “Is there anything else?”
Akoryt shook his head.
“Then we’ll offer Malyna her choice and let you know.”
“If that’s all…?”
“Not quite. What about Charlina? Can she actually detect someone under concealment?”
“Yes. I even had Shaelyt and Cyran approach her. She could sense exactly where they were.”
“Now … if she’d work harder at other things…”
“She is. The fact that you told her that she had a valuable talent seems to have made an impression.”
“All the attention doesn’t hurt,” added Alyna. “I hope she’s working that hard in a month … and in a year.”
“Don’t we all? Thank you,” said Alastar, adding with a tone of cheery sardonicism, “You can escape now. Have Malyna come in.”
Akoryt smiled and stood.
Moments later, Malyna entered the study, wearing the grays of a student imager that she had donned for the first time that morning, her eyes on Alastar.
“If you’d sit down, Malyna,” Alastar said, “we need to talk over a few things before you head off to begin your studies.”
Malyna sat on the edge of the chair, if only for an instant, before easing herself into a position that was nearly identical to that of Alyna.
Alyna looked to Alastar, then to Malyna, before speaking. “Malyna, you know that your uncle is the Maitre of the Collegium, and that he has to approve who lives where?”
“Yes, Aunt … Maitre Alyna.”
Alyna smiled gently. “In private, I’ll always be your aunt. Promise me that.”
A glimmer of a smile appeared then vanished. “Yes, Aunt Alyna.”
Alastar felt awkward, but Alyna had insisted that he treat their niece as any other student imager of the same age. “You know … I hope you know … that Alyna and I want you to live with us and with Lystara. I cannot tell you how much that is our wish. But … you are now an imager. Our wishes are not sufficient … unless you also want to live with us. Many of the student imagers do not have the choice of where to live, but any who are over the age of twelve and living on Imagisle with parents or guardians have that choice of living at home or with other students. So you also have that choice.”
“I can choose?”
“You can,” affirmed Alastar.
“If I don’t choose to live with you, where would I live?”
>
“With other girls your age in one of the girls’ cottages.”
Alastar could see the tension in Alyna … and even apprehension.
Malyna smiled. “I like being an imager, even a very new one. How could I not choose Aunt Alyna … and you? I’d choose you even if I had to sleep on the floor in Lystara’s room. I know you wouldn’t do that … but your house feels … warm. I can’t imagine it any other way. I really can’t.”
“It won’t be easy, sometimes,” Alyna said. “Just like your father, we have rules. Some of them are not so strict as those you grew up with, and some are much stricter. There are reasons for those, and those rules apply to every student imager. That is because imaging can be so dangerous when it is misused that it can kill you … or others.”
“Father told me that. I think I understand.” Malyna turned to Alastar. “Thank you for giving me a real choice.”
“We’ve been looking forward to having you.” More than you may ever know.
“Now, Tertia Malyna,” said Alyna, “it’s time for you—”
“I’m really a third?”
“That’s what Maitre Akoryt determined from all those tests and exercises. You still have a lot to learn to be a high-level third.”
“But I am a third?”
“You are a third, and you need to join the other junior thirds at their morning instructionals.” Alyna stood.
After a moment, so did Malyna.
“I’m sure I’ll be back later,” said Alyna.
Alastar was afraid she would be … and that he knew why.
He was still thinking about what he could say to his daughter when Maercyl appeared once more at the study door. “Factor Hulet is here. He appears unhappy.”
“Have him come in.”
Alastar had barely stood and finished the invitation when the tall factor burst into the study like a winter wind. Despite his flushed face, his gray eyes were hard. “Another factor’s ward has been taken. That’s twice this week.”
“Taken?” asked Alastar, although he suspected he knew exactly what Hulet meant.
“Snatched, kidnapped, grabbed off the street.”
“When and how did this happen, and what does it have to do with the Collegium?”
“You know very well … or your senior imager does. Commander Murranyt told him about the first grabbing. No one’s yet found a trace of Youvyn.”
“I knew one young man had reportedly been forced into a coach, and that he was a factor’s son. The Collegium is not the Civic Patrol, Factorius. I am definitely concerned and worried about the growing tensions between the High Holders—”
“Tensions? Those spoiled bastards are killing our boys because…” Hulet’s entire body was shaking.
“Because your boys are better at gaming”—and perhaps cheating—“than their boys are?”
“They won’t pay their debts, and neither will their spoiled brats! And now those brats are resorting to killing.”
“We both suspect that might be true,” said Alastar calmly, “but what proof do we have?”
“Whose side are you on, Maitre?”
“Solidar’s side. That means looking to the laws.” First, anyway.
“Namer take the laws! Laws are useless unless they’re equal for everyone. They’re not.”
“That’s the issue before the rex.” Alastar paused momentarily. “Just what are you asking me to do?”
“Find a way to put the arrogant bastards and their arrogant sons under the same laws as the rest of us.”
“According to the Codex Legis, when it comes to high crimes, they already are.”
“Then get our high and mighty Rex Lorien to enforce the laws that way!”
Hulet’s hard and penetrating voice, his commanding height, and his intensity made it more than clear to Alastar that the factor was accustomed to using his presence to intimidate others and get his way—no matter what.
“I can only recommend … and I’ve been doing just that.”
“Recommend harder, or louder. Or image some sense into him.”
As if you haven’t been trying for years?
“If one of your relations…” Hulet shook his head. “Enrique was my sister’s boy, and the son of a good man who died too young, cheated out of his patrimony by those bastards. When he won … from that same family, that was fair, but … I’ve said enough. You know what to do.” With that, Hulet turned and strode out of the study, leaving the door wide open.
Alastar just stood there for several moments.
Should you request a meeting with Cransyr? Alastar shook his head. The disappearance of two factors’ sons was deeply disturbing, but there was still no evidence that the two were dead. And there likely never will be.
By the time the study door opened at just after fourth glass, and Alyna, followed by Lystara, entered, Alastar still had received no word about Frydrek and no messages from Lorien.
“I thought we three should talk before we return to the house.”
With one glance at Lystara’s face, Alastar had no doubts about the matter to be discussed. “I think we should.” He took one of the three chairs in front of the desk and sat down, waiting for Alyna and Lystara to do the same before he said to Lystara, “You look a bit upset.” And that’s an understatement.
“Father, it’s not fair!” Lystara stopped as she saw Alastar’s frown.
“What is it that you think is so unfair? You don’t have to shout so loudly that the whole Collegium can hear.”
Lystara clamped her mouth shut.
Alyna looked to Alastar and mouthed, “Give her time.”
Alastar waited … and waited.
Finally, Lystara said, her voice trembling—with anger, Alastar suspected—“I’m a much better imager than Malyna … and you made her a third.”
“How do you know that?” asked Alastar.
“I just do. She can’t do concealments. I asked her.”
“You’re absolutely right. Maitre Akoryt told us that you were a much better imager than Malyna. But I’d didn’t make her a third, although I could have. Maitre Akoryt made that judgment. He also said that you were more than good enough in terms of imaging to be a third. The three of us decided that, while we will all tutor you in imaging and other things, and you can take some instructionals with the thirds, it would be best for you to remain a second for a while. Would you like to tell me why you think that is so?”
“No.”
Alastar again waited.
“Lystara…” said Alyna gently.
“All right. I’m smaller than some of the seconds, and I’m smaller than almost all the thirds. But Malyna’s barely taller than I am.”
“Is she physically stronger than you? Not in imaging, but in carrying and lifting things?”
“I suppose so.”
“That’s another matter that Maitre Akoryt is concerned about. We’re going to add some things to your training, and that of the other student imagers over ten. That includes you. The others will join the morning run … and after that there will be an exercise class to build up physical strength.”
“You’re saying I need to be stronger. That doesn’t have anything to do with imaging.”
“It has a great deal to do with surviving imaging,” said Alastar.
“Dear…” said Alyna. “Do you remember what happened to your father when he used imaging to stop the rebellious troopers?”
“He almost died. You said.” Lystara’s voice was flat.
“If he hadn’t been as strong as he is, he would have died. You need to be physically stronger. Also … you need to see how the seconds and thirds act. You’ve already said that you don’t want the seconds to think you’re a baby.… How do you think the thirds will be? Do you want them saying that you’re only a third because you can image and your father is Maitre?”
Lystara pressed her lips together, but did not reply.
“We won’t stop you from learning imaging,” added Alastar, “but you’ll have to do i
t more carefully until you’re bigger and stronger.”
Abruptly, Lystara stiffened. “You think I’ll do something stupid, don’t you?”
“Not stupid,” replied Alastar. “Your mother and I worry about your doing something that you know how to do that is more than your body can take. Could you lift the big chest in our room … or hold it over your head? You know how to lift.”
“It’s not the same…” Lystara’s voice trailed off.
“Isn’t it?” asked Alyna.
After several moments, Lystara said, “It’s like that, but it’s not the same.”
Alastar managed not to smile. “You’re right, but it is a matter of strength.”
“How long do I have to stay with the seconds?”
“How long do you think it should be?” asked Alyna.
“Until spring … unless you think I could be a third sooner.”
“Won’t that depend on you?” Alyna’s voice was gentle.
“I suppose so. You think I’m not ready to act like a third. I could do that.”
“If you can, then perhaps you can join Malyna and the other thirds sooner.”
“I still don’t think it’s fair.”
“Sometimes what’s right doesn’t seem fair,” said Alastar, thinking again, as he had for years, about how many troopers had died in the senseless attacks on Imagisle … all because two men believed they’d been treated unfairly, and their acts had unfairly condemned thousands of troopers to an even more unfair death. “Sometimes, even, what’s right isn’t fair.”
“That doesn’t seem right.”
“Your mother and I struggle with that all the time. So does Rex Lorien.” Sometimes, anyway. “At times, doing what’s right creates unfairness, and at times, trying to be fair creates evil or wrongs someone else. Or even hurts the person you’re trying to be fair to.”
“That’s me, isn’t it.”
“Yes,” Alastar admitted.
“As long as you admit it’s not fair … but I don’t have to like it.”
Alastar wanted to take a deep breath and a sigh of relief. He didn’t. “That’s correct. You don’t have to like it.” We all just have to deal with it. He cleared his throat. “We should start for home.”
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