The Master's Chair (The Chronicles of Terah)

by Morgan, Mackenzie

  “Should we try to map out some kind of battle plan in advance?” Kevin asked.

  “The whole point of these mock battles is for you and your companions to learn how to defend against an attack. Your battle plan is simple: do whatever it takes to survive.” Glendymere paused for a minute and then said, “If this were real, your first step would be to take out the sorcerer, and by take out, I mean kill. All sorcerers are dangerous. Even the less skilled ones can get lucky, and any sorcerer involved in an unprovoked attack is willing to kill. It doesn’t matter how old or young the sorcerer is, or whether it’s a male or female, take the sorcerer out first. You may not get a second chance.”

  Kevin didn’t say anything for a bit. Once again he was trying to come to terms with the idea of having to kill someone.

  “Hesitation will get you killed, Kevin. If a sorcerer comes after you, only one of you will walk away. You have to see to it that it’s you. Period. That’s what this has all been about.”

  “I don’t know if I can do that,” Kevin answered quietly.

  “Unfortunately, there’s no way to practice that. You’ll just have to see when the time comes, and it will come. Not today, but it will come. Think it through; prepare yourself. Your survival is important. You’ll be good for Terah, but only if you’re alive.”

  Glendymere hoped that some of what he was saying would sink in, but it was time to change the subject. “Now, let’s run through your routine again. I think I saw a few places where we can spice it up a bit with a little more showmanship and a little more challenge. Start at the beginning.”

  ~ ~ ~ ~

  They spent the rest of the day practicing, and by the time Kevin and Chris left Willow Canyon, they were worn out. At dinner, Kevin told the others about the war games on Friday and asked if any of them would like to meet Jonquin Thursday afternoon.

  “I don’t want to meet him, but I guess I need to,” Darrell said.

  Chris grinned. “The second dragon’s a piece of cake. It isn’t anywhere near as frightening as the first. You know the old saying, if you’ve met one dragon, you’ve met them all.”

  “Right,” Darrell said, totally unconvinced by Chris’s banter.

  “I’d really like to see Jonquin again. I haven’t seen him in years,” Tyree said. “Do you think Glendymere would mind if I tagged along?”

  “No,” Kevin answered. “I’m sure that would be fine.”

  “The rest of us will probably be there, too,” Karl said.

  “Okay. I’ll let Glendymere know,” Kevin said.

  “I want to bring up something Tyree and I have been talking about,” Steve said. “Anyone who works at the castle now is there by choice, but they’re basically working for room and board, not for pay. Everything they need is provided out of the castle storerooms, but they don’t actually get to buy anything. They have no money or anything else to exchange for goods in town. They have no feeling of independence, of being self-supporting. Tyree said that most of the servants were women and children. Young men who have grown up in the castle work there for a while, but few stay past their seventeenth or eighteenth birthdays. We’ve been trying to come up with some way to set up something like the company towns that grew up around the mines.”

  “I thought they were basically abusive,” Joan said.

  “A lot were, but not all of them. The original idea was to give the people who worked for the company access to goods because there weren’t any other towns around,” Steve explained. “They built houses for the people and rented them out, with the rent coming directly out of their pay. The company operated a dry goods store, a farmer’s market, a tavern, maybe even a restaurant, things that would make life more attractive for the workers. The workers were usually paid in company script, and they could use the script to buy goods in any of the company stores. And, in the better company towns, there was a bank of sorts where the workers could exchange their script for legal tender. The abuse came when some of the companies started charging exorbitant prices for supplies and refused to exchange the script for currency. Some of the companies also refused to allow any businesses that weren’t company owned to set up in their ‘town’. If you avoid the abuses, the idea might be a workable one for us.”

  “You mean set up stores in the castle?” Kevin asked.

  “Sort of. We don’t have the coins you would need to pay a living wage to all the people who are needed to run a castle. That’s one reason why slavery is so attractive,” Tyree answered.

  “We haven’t worked it all out,” Steve said. “In fact, we have more questions than we have answers. As it is now, all of the regular staff lives at the castle and eats at the castle. If you built extra houses near the castle, how would you decide who was going to be able to live in them? And how much rent would you charge? Would both parents have to work at the castle to qualify? If the families lived in town, would they get their food from the castle? Also, if you have any young married women working for you, what do you do when they get pregnant? Stop paying them? Suppose a man works at the castle, but his wife stays home to take care of the children. What if he gets hurt or dies? Do you take on the responsibility of his family? There are a lot of details that need to be worked out, but it has possibilities.”

  Kevin looked at Tyree and asked, “If we decide to attempt something like that, would you be willing to help set it up?”

  “If you wish. I don’t know that I’d be much help, but I’ll be glad to offer whatever assistance I can,” Tyree answered.

  “I won’t even think about starting anything like this until we get settled and see if I can survive the first few months as Master Sorcerer, but if I’m still there, would you be able to join us, maybe next fall? I think that would be soon enough, don’t you?” Kevin asked and looked around to see if the others agreed.

  Steve nodded and said, “It would take a lot of planning. We’d have to decide the relative pay for the different positions, the cost of things in our ‘stores’, how much to charge for rent and food, and so on. And then we’d have to convince the staff to give it a try. It’s not going to be an overnight thing. It would probably take several years at least.”

  ~ ~ ~ ~

  Later, after everyone else had gone to bed, Chris asked Kevin if he had given any thought as to whom he was going to ask to be Governor of Camden.

  “I hadn’t really thought about it. I was sort of hoping that whoever is governor right now would be willing to continue for a little while after I get to Milhaven,” Kevin answered.

  “If he or she can,” Chris replied.

  “What do you mean?” Kevin asked.

  “From what you said, the first question Tyree asked you was whether or not you had chosen your governor. I got the feeling that he expected you to say yes. Maybe a new governor has to be installed as soon as you take over.”

  “You may be right,” Kevin said with a sigh. “We need to find out how much time we’ll have. Can you find a way to ask him how soon a new governor has to be in place? I’m not sure I want him to realize that I have no idea. He’s not too far from figuring out that we’re not from Terah, and I don’t want to add to his suspicions.”

  “And it would be more likely for me to have no idea? I’ll ask, but I don’t think it’ll make much difference. If he’s going to be around us in Camden, he’s going to figure it out, if Steve hasn’t already told him.”

  “I wonder when he’s leaving here,” Kevin said, more to himself than to Chris. “If he leaves when we do …”

  “I know where you’re headed. I asked Glendymere about it one day while you were fighting dragons,” Chris said. “Glendymere’s going to insist that he stay here until we’re in Milhaven. I think he’s doing that so we’ll know that if anyone does find us, it isn’t because Tyree talked. Glendymere trusts the man, and wants to be sure that you do, too. I think he thinks that Tyree might be a good advisor later on.”

  “I was thinking about asking him to travel with us so I could keep an eye on him.” Then
Kevin laughed and said, “Chris, I think your paranoia’s contagious. That sounded more like you than me.”

  “A little paranoia is a good thing,” Chris said. “Now, you want to know how long you have before you have to name a governor. Anything else while I’m at it?”

  “No, I think that’ll do for now. Oh, find out about this assistant thing. Is it an actual position, or does it just refer to an aide? Xantha said that I don’t have to name a second until I have a child. Find out if that’s right, too,” Kevin added.

  “And you want me to find out all of this without alerting him with my ignorance. Right!”

  “You’ll manage. You always come through,” Kevin remarked.

  Chris didn’t say anything. He didn’t know what to say. He could tell from the way Kevin said it that the comment wasn’t intended to flatter or persuade, it was just Kevin’s opinion, but it was the first time in his life anyone had ever seemed to rely on him. He found the idea a little intimidating.

  ~ ~ ~ ~

  The battle Friday would have ended quickly if it had been real, and not in the Tellurians’ favor. Kevin concentrated so hard on fighting Jonquin that he was not very effective in protecting the others. Glendymere became their primary shield instead of backup.

  After Glendymere called a halt to the day’s battle, Kevin and Chris joined him in his chambers while the others gathered their weapons and headed back to Rainbow Valley.

  “That was horrible! I thought I could handle it, but I can’t. There’s no way I can deal with the ground barrage and handle Jonquin’s attack at the same time. It’s just too much,” Kevin groaned in frustration.

  “Which is another good reason for you to always neutralize the sorcerer immediately. That would give you one less thing to worry about.”

  “I understand, I really do, but what am I supposed to do now? Against Jonquin? I can’t defeat him. He’s too strong,” Kevin moaned.

  “He’s a dragon! And he’s a lot stronger than any sorcerer you’ll ever face in battle. If you can manage to counter his attacks and still protect your friends, you can feel confident that as long as you’re awake, you can defend your little group against any type of human attack on the way to Camden, with or without sorcerer assistance.”

  “Well, I wouldn’t call today a rousing success.”

  “No, but neither was your first battle against the elves and dwarves, or your first battle against a dragon. You’ll get better, you always do.”

  “I hope you’re right, but right now I don’t have a lot of hope.”

  “We’ll work on it tomorrow morning. Our next battle won’t be until Monday. Chris, bring your bow and a lot of arrows. I’ll get Jonquin to join us. You can shoot at Kevin while he and Jonquin fight.”

  “And what are you going to be doing?” Chris asked. “Protecting me from magical fallout, or making sure that Kevin doesn’t end up looking like a pin cushion?”

  “With a little luck, we might just be able to manage both between us, right Kevin?” Glendymere chuckled.

  “If you say so,” Kevin mumbled. He felt like all of the self-confidence that he had gained over the last couple of months was more self-delusion than anything else.

  “Just stop it! Don’t start that again!” Glendymere roared.

  Kevin and Chris both jumped back, almost as if the force of Glendymere’s thoughts had physically assaulted them.

  “What do you mean?” Kevin stammered. “What did I do?”

  “Every time things get tough, you waste time complaining that you’re not good enough, that you can’t do it. You give up and decide that you’re a failure at the first sign of trouble. You’re constantly doubting your ability, whining that you’re not sure you can handle this, don’t know how to handle that, and I’m sick of it. I’m tired of propping you up! Instead of sitting on your backside feeling sorry for yourself, come up with a way to deal with it!” Glendymere snapped. “It might be beyond you, but how do you know? Have you given it any real thought? Have you tried to come up with a way to survive? Or are you just sitting around waiting for someone else to point the way? Well, I’ve got news for you! It’s time for you to grow up and act like the Master Sorcerer of Terah, the best of the best, because that’s what you are!” And with that, Glendymere turned away from them and stormed out of the chamber.

  For a few moments, they were both too stunned to speak. Then finally Chris said, “I think your apprenticeship just ended. School is out.”

  Kevin nodded slowly. “Let’s go home. I want something to eat. Then I’m going to figure out some way to defend us.”

  ~ ~ ~ ~

  The next morning, as Kevin and Chris were walking over to Willow Canyon, Chris asked Kevin if he had come up with a plan.

  “Yes and no,” Kevin said. “I think the object of the game this time is to protect us, not to try to ‘win’. If we were up against a human sorcerer, I might be able to take him out of action, but there’s no way I can take Jonquin out, so I’m going to quit trying. All I’m aiming for is survival.”

  “Okay. Sounds good to me, but what would we do if this were real?” Chris asked. “Would we have any hope of surviving?”

  “Not if a dragon joined the other side, but that’s not likely. And if it should happen, it happens. I’m not going to worry about that when we have so many other things to worry about that are a lot more likely to happen.”

  “Speaking of which, you might want to give some thought as to whom you are going to name Governor of Camden,” Chris said. “While you were in your room thinking about all of this last night, I talked to Tyree. You have to have a new governor in place by the time you go to the council meeting in April.”

  “I was hoping to have a little more time.”

  “Yeah, well, you don’t. And about the assistant thing, it’s an actual position. You’re supposed to name an assistant as soon as you become the Seated Sorcerer of Camden. Your assistant is like the Chief of Staff at the White House. He manages your schedule, meets with people for you when you don’t have time, brings you up-to-date on things, and so on. The assistant is the same thing as a second, only he isn’t called a second until there’s a child involved. I got the feeling that Tyree sort of expects that you’ll name someone from our little group for both positions.”

  “I’d prefer to,” Kevin said thoughtfully. “But none of us know much about Terah. It’ll be like the blind leading the blind.”

  “From what Tyree said, it always is at the beginning. You can ask the current governor to stay on as an advisor for a little while if you want to, and he said that he felt sure that Laryn wouldn’t just pack up and leave the castle as soon as you take over. She’ll be there for you to turn to, but you’ll have to name your own people,” Chris explained. “I asked him why. He said that he didn’t know, that that’s just the way it’s done.”

  “Probably to keep the people who hold the positions of power loyal to the current sorcerer. It would be really awkward if a new sorcerer defeated a seated sorcerer and then had to try to get along with the old staff.”

  “Oh, and one more thing, you have the final word on the positions that you appoint. If you want to replace anyone, it’s your prerogative. No one else is involved. And if any of your people want to resign or retire, it’s up to you to grant the request.”

  “How does that saying go? ‘I serve at the pleasure of the President’? Isn’t that what the people who work in the White House always say? I guess this is ‘I serve at the pleasure of the Sorcerer’,” Kevin replied.

  “Tyree didn’t mention the general’s post. I wonder if you’re going to have to name a new general, too.”

  “I have no idea.”

  “I guess that’s the next thing I need to find out, huh?”

  “Yes, but there’s no hurry. I’d just like to know before we leave here.”

  “In a little over two weeks.”

  “I know. It feels strange to think of leaving,” Kevin said. “This place has been home more than any place I’ve
ever lived. I hate to leave.”

  “Me, too. It’s like leaving my mother’s house all over again. Except that then I was excited about being out on my own. Now …”

  “I didn’t feel one way or the other about leaving my parents, but the thought of leaving Rainbow Valley makes me feel almost physically sick. I really like it here. And it isn’t just because we’re safe, tucked away inside our mountain. I don’t think the idea of danger is entering into the dread I feel.”

  “No, it’s the good-byes,” Chris agreed as they stepped out into the canyon. “Well, time to concentrate on the present. Looks like Glendymere and Jonquin are waiting for us.”

  “Here goes nothing,” Kevin mumbled.

  ~ ~ ~ ~

  For the rest of the day, Kevin fended off attacks of arrows and magical bolts. By the time Glendymere called a halt to the practice, Kevin felt a lot more confident about defending himself and his friends, even if he couldn’t manage attacking at the same time.

  “I see you figured out what’s most important,” Glendymere said after Jonquin had left.

  “I just decided that since there was no way that I could defeat Jonquin, maybe I should quit trying and concentrate on defense,” Kevin answered.

  “Wise decision. But keep in mind that the sorcerers you’re going to face are not that good, not like a dragon. You’ll have to attack them or the battle will go on indefinitely.”

  “Do two or more sorcerers ever gang up against one?”

  “It happens, but not in a power struggle for a chair. After all, which one would become the new seated sorcerer? Usually when two or more sorcerers join forces, it’s to fend off an invasion, whether it’s slavers, renegades or whatever.”

  “Would a band of slavers or bandits ever employ two sorcerers?” Chris asked.

  “The only way I can see that happening is if the sorcerer they hired had an apprentice,” Glendymere answered. “But if you happen to run across that situation, don’t hesitate to take them both out, Kevin. Even an apprentice can get in a lucky shot. Go for the kill. They certainly wouldn’t have any qualms about killing you or they never would have signed on with a band of cutthroats in the first place.”