by Guy Antibes
What will people think of her? She didn’t get beaten within an inch of her life like he did. Merra couldn’t be so dismissive of his injuries. No. He must have misunderstood her, and then he closed his eyes and let sleep blur his mind.
~~~
Chapter 4
Sovad Mustak looked across the dirt-paved street as Rennis Gavid, Panix’s father, sipped tea alone at an outdoor table in front of his inn. The white, plaster-faced inn fronted a large market square in White Water, a market village in northern Helvanna. Once a week, farmers filled the square selling produce and livestock. By now, Rennis would have received the message from the shepherd saying he would arrive in town within the week.
Sovad smiled at the foresight of engineering the shepherd’s fall. Polla boasted that Rennis wouldn’t leave until he had the finest wool in Helvanna under contract.
There was no magic in Murgontia, one of the three countries on the continent of Dornna that totally missed the Awakening. Pent, Bentonnia and Murgontia. Each had reacted in different ways, with Pent became indifferent to magic, Bentonnia encouraging magician immigration and successfully mixing the population with magician blood, and Murgontia shunning magic. Murgontia strove to push Helvanna, a country that didn’t have a preonderance of magicians, and succeeded in drawing it closer into its sphere of influence. Sovad thought that soon Rennis Gavid would no longer be welcome to Helvanna’s wool, even if he lived.
Rennis drained the last of his tea, and in the waning light of evening, disappeared into the inn to retire.
Sovad waited until darkness fell and watched Gavid’s room until he saw an airlight wink out. Waiting another half an hour, he crept up the stairs. He knew the routine after four days of observation. Earlier, he’d oiled the lock to Rennis’ room to minimize the sound of a key. He heard the regular breathing of his target.
Murgontia’s society despised magic, since they weren’t part of the Awakening. However, the country still used some magic and housed imported magicians in compounds. His mother had fallen in love with a magician and Sovad had been the result of the union. He used his very modest level of talent to determine if Rennis slept He put out his palm and created a tiny airlight.
He crept closer into the room and could see Rennis sleeping in his bed. Sovad pulled out the weapon he invented while at the Assassins Guild—a glass-encrusted garrote. He had a much more powerful magician bind glass particles to a silken cord and the magic kept the glass from shearing through the silk. Through his exploits, he made it into the signature weapon of the Assassin Guild and now all assassins trained in the use of the garrote.
Slipping it through the gently raised neck of his victim, all it took to end Rennis’ life was a quick jerk and a fine line of skin erupted with blood, staining the pillow. Rennis died within a few seconds and likely didn’t even wake from his sleep.
Sovad needed nothing in the way of intelligence from the man but the prime threat to a premature war with his country had just ended.
Sovad would prefer the means of Rennis Gavid’s death be kept a secret. He concocted the story that Gavid had contracted an exotic disease and had to be buried as soon as possible. The proper bribes were made and Sovad left White Water to return to Mella and break the news to a soon-to-be-grieving widow. He’d be there to cushion her from the shock. He smiled at the prospect.
~
A warm dry wind blew across the practice field, kicking up dust and impeding the work of eight pairs of combatants all armed with wooden swords. A short man with brown hair going gray called a halt to the action.
“That’s enough for today. I think we’ve all eaten enough dirt. We’ll meet again in two days in the gymnasium for hand-to-hand work,” Moshin Trent yelled out through the swirling dust.
Panix stood, sheltered by a wall, getting up the motivation to introduce himself to the instructor. He didn’t need to, as the man turned and walked right up to him.
“Panix Gavid? Your sister mentioned you might show up. You sure look like her. Let’s go to the gym and talk.”
The two men were silent as they followed the other young men and women into the calmer confines of the gymnasium, a large wooden outbuilding on the Academy grounds.
Moshin motioned for Panix to sit on a bench against a wall. Even without training, Panix could feel all of the magic expended on the building. The wood would never rot or warp. Magic strengthened the glass windows and even magically enhanced caulking bonded the slate tiles to the roof.
“You can notice how they made the building, can’t you?” Moshin looked up himself and smiled.
“How did you know? Magic?” Panix stopped looking at the gym and turned to face Moshin.
“No. Observation, I saw it in your face as you looked at different areas of the gymnasium. People have lived on Dornna for thousands of years. It’s not as if mankind learned nothing prior to the Awakening.”
“I know that. I spent three years at the Korvannan Military College.” Where was this conversation headed? Panix furrowed his brow.
“I’m sorry. It’s the instructor in me. Your sister talked about you and all the issues you’re facing at the Academy. I think you need to learn two things while you’re here. First, you need to know how to defend yourself without a weapon. I know you had sword drills at the College, but edged weapons, both magical and non-magical, aren’t allowed on the Academy grounds, as you know. Second, I want you to develop an understanding of observation. I can see you can perceive more than most people, but observation is more than seeing. It’s being able to put what you see into a context—make it part of a whole. Sometimes you can’t see the whole. But if you have enough pieces you can know if your observations make sense.”
“What good will that do?” Panix doubted he’d be spending much time with this man.
“Let’s just say it will help with hand to hand combat and everything else you will do.” Moshin smiled. “I can see disbelief play across your face. Give me two weeks.”
Panix thought it worth two weeks to see if he could learn enough to avoid being beaten to death by jealous magicians. He had a thought. “Would observation include noticing that my assailants knew something about beating up people? One of them hit me in the back followed by another slamming his fist into my stomach.”
Moshin patted Panix on his shoulder. “This is going to be fun. Yes, indeed. We will discuss the observation and what we can learn from it. But first an assessment, and not a magical one.” Moshin got up and walked to the center of the gymnasium, pulling Panix with him.
“Throw a punch at me.”
Panix threw a punch, knowing that Moshin would deflect it somehow. He was surprised to make contact with the man’s face, knocking him down to the wooden floor.
Moshin rose rubbing his jaw. “Nothing wrong with your strength. Now, I wanted you to make sure you would know how it felt to connect with a blow, because you’ll never get the opportunity again.”
“But you let me.”
“Try again.” Moshin stood with his hands on his hips.
Panix gave it another try and missed. Then he missed again and again. The little man was too quick. “But there were at least five of them punching me.”
Panix gave him another punch, this time Moshin took his arm and twisted. Before Panix could figure out what was happening, Moshin had stepped to the other side of him. “Do you know what you would do now?”
Panix shook his head.
“You run as fast as you can.”
~
Sovad rose at the sound of a knock at the door to his rooms. He paused for a minute looking at the sunlight streaming through the shuttered windows, adding texture to the well-furnished room. The man would be leaving these sumptuous living quarters very soon. Sovad sighed, knowing his next assignment couldn’t be as pleasurable as this one. He twisted the latch to open the door.
He smiled at Polla Gavid as she swept into the room. They embraced with a long kiss.
“You’ll have to sit down, I have some bad new
s for you.” Sovad led her to a couch and remained standing. “Your husband was murdered while I was traveling in Helvanna.”
Polla put her hand to her mouth. “How did he die?”
Sovad ignored the question. “I understand it was very quick and he probably didn’t even know it was happening. The question is how do we handle it?” Sovad paced a couple of times and then, looking concerned, he continued. “If he is found to be murdered, there might be an investigation and it won’t look good for you if our relationship was discovered. It might hurt your son Aston’s political career.”
Her hand went back up to her lips in shock. “No. Not that. What can we do?” She moved to sit on the edge of the cushion, anxious to hear what advice her lover could give.
“I’ve already taken care of it. The only problem is his casket can never be opened.”
Sovad could see her mind working. This was going to be easier than he thought. Her reaction to Aston’s career confirmed everything he thought. As much as he really liked Polla, it wouldn’t take her long to figure out he was going to be a liability. With reluctance, he’d have to end the relationship.
“Why?” Polla said, her hand now over the tops of her breasts.
“Because, you see, the story must be that he acquired Baldan’s disease. It is a hemorrhagic fever with death by bleeding through a myriad of pores. The disease does not fade. Bodies are contagious for years. He has already been buried and I’ve got a copy of his death certificate.” Polla looked at Sovad in shocked silence as he walked around the couch to the desk beyond. He shuffled through a few papers on top of the desk and found the certificate. “Ah, here it is.” He lifted it up and stripes of light from the shutters lit the document from behind.
“What will I tell his two children at the Academy?” Polla took the document from Sovad’s hand and set it on her lap without reading it.
“Just what I told you. Your healer-daughter should know how Baldan’s disease works. It will make sense to her.” Sovad smiled with what he felt was a solicitous look on his face as he helped Polla rise from the couch.
“What do I do?” It looked to Sovad that she was just now realizing her widowhood.
“A copy of that certificate is coming by post and should arrive in a day or two. Wait for it to come and act as naturally as possible. He’s already been buried in the village of White Water. It would be better if no one ever opens his coffin. They will be able to tell instantly he was murdered and your son’s career will be in jeopardy. I have some influence in the town and had his body replaced with that of another who died of natural causes and had Rennis Gavid buried in another plot. No one will ever know where Rennis is actually buried. I expect you don’t want to visit the grave?”
She nodded absently. “I wonder how much I’ll inherit? Rennis never let Aston or I know.” Her eyes looked at the death certificate without seeing the words, wonder where she would spend her inheritance.
“Do I need to call for a coach?” Sovad asked.
She shook her head and muttered, “I’d like to walk for awhile.”
Sovad kissed her on the cheek. He opened the door for her as she gave him one last look, laying her hand on his cheek and giving him a sad smile.
He shut the door and leaned against it. For him it would be the last time he would ever see her and he regretted that. Not Gavid’s killing, that was business, but his relationship with Polla had become a bit closer than it should have.
~
The frame of Corlee’s door shook from a magical blast and the door popped from its hinges. Panix stood in front of the door, his own letter crumpled into a little ball in one hand and the picture of his father in the other. Tears ran down his face as he uttered, “Father. He’s gone.” Merra ran up behind him, finally catching up as she had followed him all the way from their apartment. He turned and cried on his sister’s shoulder.
A few minutes later, the two couples sat with the door propped against its frame. Jin and Merra comforted their spouses.
“Use the centering technique I taught you Panix. It’s time for me to, as well.” Corlee said, her face wet. She looked down at the picture of Rennis Gavid. “He looked so happy, so alive, here. You can almost see his excitement about the wool he’s going to buy.”
Panix nodded. He looked sorrowfully at Merra and closed his eyes. He pictured a little ball of bright yellow light in the center of his brain and concentrated on it. He could feel the tension release, but he could tell his emotions didn’t want to let go. He concentrated more and finally felt the calm come to him.
He opened his eyes. The loss was still deep within him, but the tears and anguish were gone. He looked at his sister while she finally opened her eyes. A few lingering tears joined the many that had already coursed their way down her face.
“I still feel a hole in me,” Panix said. He clutched Merra’s hand and could feel her returning squeeze.
“I do too. Beldan’s disease is a quick, but horrible death. I just wish Polla hadn’t buried him in Helvanna. One can take precautions…” She looked out the window across the room.
“Not even a memorial service,” Panix said. He took back the picture and touched his father’s small image.
“You know Father wouldn’t have wanted one.”
“So we just sit here and cry and that’s it?” Panix emotions were creeping up on him again.
“No. We can get the priest of the two gods to say a prayer. If we invite a few of our friends, we can have our own service,” Corlee said standing up and then the siblings hugged each other.
~
The day after the memorial service, Panix showed up for his third practice with Moshin.
“I met your father a few times, Panix. He was a true patriot and the most honest merchant I’ve ever met.” Moshin clapped Panix on the shoulder.
“Thanks, Moshin. Just don’t forget him. I don’t think I’m up to anything physical. Why don’t we talk about the observation part of things?” Panix took a seat on bench.
Moshin perused the floor for a minute or two. “Let’s take a look at your father’s death. Does it strike you as odd that he would contract a lowland disease while he waited in an upland town for a shepherd to bring in prized sheep?”
“But anybody could have been exposed and gotten my father infected.”
“I don’t think so, Panix. This has the feel of a manufactured death and someone is definitely hiding something, but dying in Helvanna precludes any kind of a formal investigation.”
“Just leave it,” Panix said. “I guess I’m not in the mood to talk about my father. But you should write a book about your observations.”
“Actually, since I’ve been retired from the KII for the past few years, I’ve made some notes. I do believe there is a book on spycraft in me.”
“You should document your career.” Panix generated the ghost of a smile. “By all means, write it. Who do you think will read it?”
“Other spies. But I can have it printed and bound here at the Academy. When I’m done I’ll even send you a copy.”
“Why don’t you tell me a spy story instead?”
Moshin put his hand to his chin. “I’ll do both. Do you know how Murgontia treats its magicians?”
“Not really. I didn’t study a lot about politics at the military college.”
“You should have, you know. It will help you with your observations. The more knowledge you have the better your mental context and the more things sort of stick out and poke you in the nose. Or sometimes you see a hole in the fabric of the context that doesn’t make sense. If you understand the politics, it’s easier to see both. Anyway, Murgontia—
“They have magicians, although most people don’t realize that. Most of them come from Helvanna and they put them up in enclaves. They’re like little towns complete with shops and taverns. The magicians live in houses split up into flats, but it isn’t like they’re slaves, they’re just not allowed to live among the Murgontians.
“The normal ci
tizens won’t have anything to do with them. The Murgontians will do just about anything to keep from using magicians, but for some things, like manufacturing gas for lights, they make exceptions.
“Well, once I disguised myself as a Helvannan magician for an assignment. The KII wanted to know if the enclaves were still the way our records described them. Part of spying is just keeping up on how things change around the world.”
“I didn’t know you were a magician.”
“You never asked. I’m actually quite a bit less than mediocre. But Helvannan magicians aren’t trained very well and I am, so it evened things up.”
“Were the enclaves better or worse?” Curiosity grabbed Panix’s attention.
“Better.” Moshin smiled.
“Why would the Murgontians want to treat the magicians better? They seem more like slaves to me.”
“As I told you, they are kept apart, but kept well. Except for the women. There’s a certain kind of Murgontian woman who just loves magicians. Rumors abound that magicians can make love much better than Murgontian men.” Moshin gave Panix a sly look.
“That’s not true!” Panix caught on.
“Well you know that and I know that, but there are damned few Murgontian lasses who do. Needless to say, the assignment had its side benefits.” They both laughed. “There are a lot more Murgontians with a bit of magical ability than the government will admit.”
Panix realized he felt significantly better than when he walked in. “Perhaps we can do a little hand-to-hand today, after all.”
~
“Why have you started reading all of these boring books?” Merra asked, putting her hands on her hips. “We hardly go out and have fun anymore.”
Panix closed the history book in his hands. “Evenings are the only time I can read these. It’s homework from Moshin.”
“It’s Moshin this and Moshin that. Maybe you should have married him instead of me.” She crossed her arms as she looked down at him with a pouting face.
“Is it something at work?” Panix said. A month had passed since Merra started working in the Horticultural department as a magician and he knew she wasn’t thrilled with her work.
