Black Magician-02 The Novice

by Trudi Canavan

  "After class, let's go to the library and study."

  Poril nodded. "If you want."

  Walking quickly, they hurried out of the gardens and into the University. The rest of the novices were already seated in the classroom. As Sonea took her seat, Lord Skoran entered the room.

  Putting down a small pile of books, the magician cleared his throat and faced the novices. Then a movement in the doorway drew his attention away. All of the class turned to watch as three figures stepped into the room. Seeing Regin among them, Sonea felt a chill of foreboding.

  University Director Jerrik looked around the room. His eyes skipped over the other novices' faces. As they met hers he frowned, then he glanced at the novice at his side.

  "Regin has succeeded in completing the half-year tests." Jerrik's usually stern voice held a hint of reluctance. "I have moved him to your class."

  Sonea's stomach turned over. The magicians were still talking, but she could not bring herself to focus on the words. She felt her chest tighten, as if an invisible hand had wrapped itself around her and was squeezing. Her heartbeat grew louder until it roared in her ears.

  Then she remembered to breathe.

  Suddenly dizzy, she closed her eyes. When she opened them again, Regin was wearing his most charming smile. His gaze moved from the other novices to her. Though his mouth remained fixed in the same wide smile, and not a muscle of his face appeared to move, somehow his expression changed completely.

  She tore her eyes away. This is impossible. How could he have caught up? He must have cheated.

  Yet she couldn't see how he could deceive the teachers and still pass their tests. That left only one possibility. He must have started extra studies not long after she had— probably as soon as he had learned what she intended to do. And he had done it in secret, most likely with the help of his guardian.

  But why? All his friends were in the other class. Perhaps he thought he would gather another gang of admirers here. She felt a trickle of hope. It was unlikely that even he could break up the pairing that this class was firmly set into. Unless ...

  Knowing Regin, once he had decided to go to the effort of rising to the next class he would have made friendly overtures to all the novices in it. He would have made sure he was welcome.

  Looking around the class, Sonea was surprised to see Narron regarding Regin with a frown. The boy looked displeased. Then she remembered how she had been told firmly that this class had no time for "playing around."

  So perhaps Regin hadn't befriended her new classmates. Yet he had gone to a lot of effort to rise a level.

  Maybe he just couldn't stand seeing a slum girl do better than him. Fergun had been willing to take great risks to have her expelled from the Guild because he didn't want lower-class entrants joining. Her success or failure to learn and be accepted would be taken into account if the Guild ever considered taking in members from outside the Houses again. What if Regin was trying to hamper her learning, to ensure she failed and lower-class entrants were never welccomed again?

  Then I had better make sure he doesn't succeed!

  She had escaped him once, she could do it again by studying harder and reaching the next class.

  Even as the idea occurred to her, she knew it wasn't possible. It had taken her every night and Freeday to finish a half year's learning three months early, and she still had to catch up on what this class had covered already in the months before she had joined it. She didn't have any time left to learn what the Second Years had studied as well.

  Perhaps it would be better to let him think he'd won. He'd leave her alone if he thought she wasn't doing as well as him. She didn't have to be the best novice in her class to prove that entrants from outside the Houses could succeed as magicians.

  If she fell back to the first class she was sure Regin's pride wouldn't allow him to follow her. She dismissed that idea faster than the first. The summer class was still under Regin's sway, even if he had left it. At least her current class wasn't united against her ...

  She blinked, suddenly realizing that Lord Skoran's thin, wavering voice had been the only sound in the room for some time.

  ". . . and in continuing our assessment of the Sachakan War, I want you to find out all you can about the five Higher Magicians who joined the battle at the second stage. They were from countries outside Kyralia, and their aid was gathered by a certain young magician named Genfel. Choose one of these magicians and write a four-thousand-word description of his life before he became involved in the war."

  Picking up her pen, Sonea began writing. Regin may have reached the higher class, but he still had much work to do before he caught up with them. For a few weeks he would be too busy to harass her, and by then she would know if he was going to have any influence over the rest of the class. Without them to support him, it would not be so easy for him to make her the target of his pranks.

  "Jebem, halai!"

  At the cry, Dannyl looked up eagerly.

  "What is it?" Tayend asked.

  Dannyl set aside his plate with a grimace. Though dried marin paste was a delicacy, nothing could make stale ship bread appetizing.

  "Jebem has been sighted," he said, rising. Hunching over so he did not knock his head on the roof, Dannyl moved toward the door. As he stepped outside, light dazzled him. The sun hung low over the sea, setting the waves glittering brightly. The heat of the day lingered in the air and radiated from the deck.

  Looking to the north, Dannyl caught his breath, then ducked inside the doorway and beckoned to Tayend.

  Straightening, he moved down the deck to the bow, and gazed at the distant city.

  Low houses built of flat, gray stones spread endlessly along the coast. From among them rose thousands of obelisks.

  Tayend had appeared at his side. "Big, isn't it?" the scholar breathed.

  Dannyl nodded. The small coastal villages they had passed in the last few days had been made up of houses in the same simple style, with a handful of obelisks rising above them. The houses of Jebem were no grander, but the sheer size of the city was astounding. The obelisks among them were like a forest of needles, and the low sun painted all with a vivid red-orange light.

  They watched silently as the ship continued along the coast. A row of rocky outcrops appeared, running parallel to the city like guards. The ship sailed into the gap between. When they drew level to the part of the city where the obelisks were thickest, the ship slowed and turned into a narrow channel. On either side, dark-skinned men hurried to the stone banks. They tossed ropes to the sailors, which were then looped around stout posts on the ship. The other ends were already fastened to teams of gorin. The large beasts began hauling the ship down the channel.

  For the next hour the Lonmar wharf-laborers guided the ship along the channel until it reached an artificial marina. Several other ships, some twice the size of their own, rocked gently in the water. As the ship was lashed to posts along the wharf, Dannyl and Tayend returned to their rooms to gather their belongings.

  After a brief and formal exchange with the captain, they walked down the gangplank to dry land. Their trunks were handed to four men. A fifth stepped forward and bowed.

  "Greetings, Ambassador Dannyl, young Tremmelin. I am Loryk, your translator. I will take you to the Guild House. Please follow me."

  He made a quick, imperious gesture at the carriers and started into the city. Following, Dannyl and Tayend walked along several wharves and onto a wide street.

  Dust filled the air, muting the colors around them. The sea breeze was replaced by a stifling heat and a mixture of perfume, spice and dust. Men filled the streets, all well covered in simple Lonmar clothing. Voices surrounded them, but the liquid-sounding words were incomprehensible. Those men they passed stared at Dannyl openly, then at Tayend, their gaze neither welcoming nor disapproving. Occasionally one narrowed his eyes at Tayend, who had put on his fanciest court costume and looked very out of place.

  The scholar was unusually quiet. Looking at
his companion, Dannyl recognized the now-familiar signs of unease: a small crease had appeared between Tayend's brows and he walked a half-step behind. As the scholar met his gaze, Dannyl gave him a reassuring smile.

  "Don't worry. It's unsettling at first, being in a strange city."

  Tayend's frown disappeared, and he drew level with Dannyl as they followed the translator through a narrow alley. Emerging in a large square, Dannyl checked his stride and looked around in dismay.

  Wooden stages had been built all around. On the closest a woman stood, hands bound. Beside her was a man dressed in white, his head shaved and covered with tattoos and holding a whip in his left hand. Another man was striding among the crowd that had gathered around the stage, reciting something from a piece of paper.

  Dannyl lengthened his stride to catch up with the translator.

  "What is he saying?"

  Loryk listened. "The woman has shamed her husband and family by inviting another man into her bedroom." He waved a hand. "This is Judgment Square."

  Shouts rang out, drowning out the rest of the proclamation. A crowd had gathered around several of the stages. As Dannyl followed the carriers away from the woman, he noticed a young man standing nearby, watching her. The man's dark eyes glittered with moisture, but his face was set and rigid.

  Husband or lover? Dannyl wondered.

  The center of the square was less crowded. The carriers crossed and made their way between two stages. The whitedressed men standing on the stages held swords. Dannyl kept his eyes on the translator's back, but a voice rose above the jeering of the crowd and Loryk slowed.

  "Ah ... he says: this man has shamed his family with his unnatural... what is your word? Lusts? He has earned the ultimate punishment for corrupting the souls and bodies of men. Just as the sun sets and darkness purges the world of sin, only his death may cleanse those souls he has soiled."

  Despite the heat, Dannyl felt cold spread through his body. The condemned man was slumped against a pole, his expression resigned. The crowd began to shout, their faces twisted in hatred. Dannyl looked away, struggling to hold back a tide of horror and anger. The man was going to be executed for a crime that in Kyralia earned only dishonor and shame, and in Elyne—according to Tayend—was no crime at all.

  Dannyl could not help thinking back to the scandal and rumor that had caused him so much trouble as a novice. He had been accused of the same "crime" as this man. Proof hadn't mattered; once the rumor had started, he had been treated as an outcast by both novices and teachers. He shivered as the crowd roared again behind them. If I'd been unlucky enough to be born in Lonmar, this might have been how the matter ended.

  Loryk entered another alley and the jeering faded behind them. Dannyl glanced at Tayend. The scholar's face was white.

  "It's one thing to hear or read of the strict laws of another land, quite another to see them being enacted," the scholar murmured. "I swear that I will never complain about the excesses of the Elyne court again."

  The translator continued along another street, then stopped as the carriers entered a low building.

  "The Guild House in Jebem," he announced as they reached the door. "I will leave you here."

  The man bowed and walked away. Examining the building, Dannyl noted a plaque bearing the Guild symbol set into the wall. Otherwise, the building was the same as any other they had seen. Stepping through the open door, they entered a room with a low ceiling. An Elyne magician stood nearby.

  "Greetings," he said. "I am Vaulen, First Guild Ambassador for Lonmar."

  The man was gray-haired and thin. Dannyl inclined his head. "Second Guild Ambassador for Elyne, Dannyl." He gestured to Tayend, who bowed gracefully. "Tayend of Tremmelin, scholar of the Great Library and my assistant."

  Vaulen nodded to Tayend politely. His eyes dropped to Tayend's violet shirt. "Welcome to Jebem. I feel I must warn you, Tayend of Tremmelin, that the Lonmar people value humility and simplicity and disapprove of bright clothing, no matter how fashionable. I can recommend a good tailor who can provide you with quality attire in a simpler style for your stay."

  Dannyl expected to see a glint of rebellion in the scholar's eyes, but Tayend bowed his head graciously. "Thank you for the warning, my lord. I will see this tailor tomorrow if he is available."

  "I have had rooms prepared for you," Vaulen continued. "I'm sure you want to rest after your journey. We have separate baths here—the servants will show you where. Afterward, you are welcome to join me for the evening meal."

  They followed a servant down a short corridor. The man gestured to two open doors, bowed, then strode away. Tayend stepped inside one of the rooms, then stopped and gazed around, looking lost.

  Dannyl hesitated, then stepped inside. "Are you all right?"

  Tayend shuddered. "They're going to execute him, aren't they? They probably already have."

  Realizing Tayend was talking about the condemned man in Judgment Square, he nodded. "Probably."

  "Nothing we could do. Another country, different laws, and all that."

  "Unfortunately."

  Tayend sighed and sat down on a chair. "I don't want to spoil the adventure for you, Dannyl, but I already dislike Lonmar."

  Dannyl nodded. "Judgment Square wasn't exactly an encouraging introduction to the country," he agreed. "But I don't want to judge Lonmar too quickly. There must be more to this place. If you saw the slums of Imardin first, you mignt not trunk much ot Kyralia. Hopetully we've seen the worst, and the rest can only be better."

  Tayend sighed, then moved to bis trunk and opened it. "You're probably right. I'll try to find some plainer clothes."

  Dannyl smiled tiredly. "Sometimes this uniform has advantages," he said, tugging the sleeve of his robe. "Same old purple robes every day, but at least I can wear them anywhere throughout the Allied Lands." He moved to the doorway. "If I don't see you in the baths, then I'll meet you at dinner."

  Without looking up, Tayend lifted a hand to wave. Dannyl left the scholar to rifle through the bright clothes in his trunk and entered the other room.

  He sobered as he considered the next few weeks. After he had dealt with his ambassadorial duties in the city, they would visit the Splendid Temple as part of their research. It was said to be a serenely beautiful place, yet it was the center of the strict Mahga religion that set out the punishments that he had encountered today. Suddenly he wasn't looking forward to the visit.

  Yet they might find information about ancient magic there. After a month stuck in the confines of a ship, he was looking forward to stretching his legs and mind again. Hopefully he was right that the rest of Lonmar could only be more welcoming than Judgment Square.

  It was late when Lorlen returned to his office. Taking Dannyl's latest report from his secure box, he sat down at the desk and read it through again. As he finished he leaned back in his chair and sighed.

  He had been thinking about Akkarin's diary for weeks now. If it existed, it would be in the High Lord's Residence somewhere. Considering what the diary might contain, Lorlen doubted it was kept in Akkarin's library with ordinary books. It was probably stowed in the cellar beneath the building, and Lorlen was sure that place was securely locked.

  A chill breeze touched his skin. He shivered, then cursed under his breath. His office had always been drafty, something that the previous Administrator had complained of constantly. Rising, he hunted for the source of the breeze as he had often done in the past but, as always, the chill disappeared as suddenly as it had come.

  Shaking his head, he started pacing. Dannyl and his scholar companion should arrive in Lonmar soon and they would visit the Splendid Temple. Lorlen hoped they would find nothing—the idea that information about black magic might exist in such a place was appalling to consider.

  He stopped pacing at a knock on the door. Striding over, he pulled it open, expecting to receive a gentle lecture about getting enough sleep from Lord Osen. Instead, a dark silhouette filled the doorway.

  "Good evening, Lorle
n," Akkarin said, smiling.

  Lorlen stared at the High Lord in surprise.

  "Are you going to let me in?"

  "Of course!" Shaking his head as if to clear it, Lorlen stepped back. Akkarin strolled inside and folded himself into one of the large cushioned chairs. The High Lord's gaze strayed to Lorlen's desk.

  Following his friend's gaze, Lorlen caught his breath as he saw Dannyl's letter lying open. It took all his will to stop himself rushing over and stuffing the pages back into the box. Instead, he crossed the room casually, stopping to straighten a chair, then dropped into his seat with a sigh.

  "As always, you find me in a mess," he muttered. Picking up Dannyl's letter, he dropped it back in the secure box. After tidying a few more items on the desk, he slipped the box into a drawer. "What brings you here at this late hour?"

  Akkarin shrugged. "Nothing in particular. You're always visiting me, so I thought it was time I dropped in to see you. I knew better than to try your rooms first, though this is a late hour even for you."

  "It is." Lorlen nodded. "I was just reading some mail, then I was going to finish for the night."

  "Anything interesting? How is Lord Dannyl?"

  Lorlen's heart skipped. Had Akkarin been able to see Dannyl's signature, or had he recognized the writing? He frowned as he tried to remember what had been written on the exposed page.

  "He's on his way to Lonmar to settle the council's argument about Greater Clan Koyhmar. I asked Errend to see to it, since he now has a Second Ambassador to deal with Elyne matters while he's away, but Errend decided to send Dannyl in his place."

  Akkarin smiled. "Lonmar. A place that will either whet the appetite for travel, or kill it."

  Lorlen leaned forward. "What did it do for you?"

  "Hmmm," Akkarin considered the question carefully. "It did give me a hunger to see more of the world, but it also hardened me as a traveller. Lonmars may be the most civilized people of the Allied Lands, but there is much that is harsh and cruel about them. You learn to tolerate their sense of justice, perhaps understand it as well, but by doing so your own beliefs and ideals are strengthened. The same could be said of Elyne frivolity, or the Vindo obsession with trade. There is more to life than fashion and money."