by C. M. Lance
Sig didn′t want to turn his back on him. Only after the man disappeared down the stairwell did Sig pivot and hurry to the Professor′s office.
He knocked on the door, and entered when he heard a terse "It′s open."
A thunderous look on the Professor′s face awaited him inside.
Sig hesitated and then stammered, "Professor Herman, if this isn′t a good time, I′ll be glad to reschedule."
"No, no, come in have a seat. I just had a meeting with that, that… Heathcoat. It would seem that he wants to cancel all our progress and eliminate magic from the curriculum."
"Is that what he said?"
"Not in so many words, but the effect is the same. Cut, cut, cut, that′s all he wants to do to our budget."
"Can I do anything? I′ve got some inheritance money if that will help."
"No, no, it′s not that bad, yet. However, I appreciate the generous offer. You looked nonplussed when you entered. Is everything all right with you?"
"I passed someone in the hall on the way here. I sensed evil."
"Here in this building? Tell me about it. Even if you don′t perform magic reliably, I′ve come to depend upon your sensitivity to dark workings."
Sig curled his lip. "Evil smells like nothing else. Smells and emotions combined. The smell of burning metal overlaid with hatred, garbage mixed with unkind thoughts, rotten eggs scrambled with terror."
He glanced at the closed door and turned back to the Professor. "I passed an elegant looking man in the hallway and felt that disgusting odor, if that makes any sense."
"Hmmm. Describe the man."
"About my height, but slim, an expensive looking medium gray suit, black patterned tie, and a matching pocket kerchief. He had a distinctive silver streak running through his thick black hair."
Professor Herman gave Sig an incredulous look. "That′s Dean Heathcoat, the head of the Physics department. He′s the most non-magical person I know. He finds no value in our work and again and again attempts to cut our budget."
"That′s Dean Heathcoat? The bastard?"
"I′ve never said that."
"Rick is less delicate than you are."
"Ah, yes, Rick. His expressiveness serves a purpose, on occasion."
"If Dean Heathcoat feels that way, how did the study of magic get started here in the Physics department at Northwestern?"
"We have a financial angel, Bernadette Henson. She is a witch and possesses a large measure of magical skill. We′ve worked together in years past. We are part of a group that formulated the idea of applying academic rigor to magic. For many years, we pursued it in a small way. When the world changed, and magic came out of the closet, she endowed this University to establish a school of Magical Studies. Fortunately, Bernadette inherited her timber baron grandfather′s fortune."
"What made you elect to combine its study with physics?"
"I′ll answer that with a question; where else would it go?"
"I think it would fit into neuroscience, biology, or psychology."
"All excellent suggestions and they were considered; as were engineering, mathematics, and even computer science. We chose Physics because, at its core, it analyzes nature, to understand how the universe behaves. It measures phenomena, formulates theories, and attempts to disprove those same theories.′
"But magic involves people making things happen; even medicine seems like a good choice."
"As I said, we wanted to apply rigor to our study. Medicine is an art. You always hear of physicians 'practicing′ medicine. The discipline of physics studies matter, energy, force, and motion through space-time, all of which are components of magic. We desire to understand how magic works. Meanwhile, those in medical fields attempt to identify the human characteristics that cause magic to happen. That′s why we work in conjunction with the medical school."
"Wouldn′t you want to get all the doctors involved? After all, aren′t physicians some of the smartest people?" Sig asked.
The Professor contemplated Sig′s question before responding. "It depends upon how you measure 'smart′. Physicians as a group have excellent memories. They spend years in school remembering bones, blood vessels, diseases and their symptoms, and many other things. Give them a list of symptoms and they have a good chance of remembering the associated disease and then, hopefully, they will remember the correct treatment. They aren′t selected for their field because they are good at discovering how things work."
"But medical cures are discovered all the time."
"By researchers, not physicians. After researchers perform the innovative work, then they develop rules – symptoms and treatments – that the physicians can memorize."
"But don′t orthopedists understand how things work so they can perform surgery to fix them?
"Have you ever thought about orthopedic tools of the trade? They use hammers, chisels, saws, screws – all carpenters tools. They′re just carpenters with good memories and ambition, not to mention nice homes and cars. Orthopedists usually rank near the bottom of their medical school class."
"Now I′m worried about Grampa in the hospital."
"Everything has its place. Hospitals have the tools to keep your Great-grandfather alive until research can find a cure. Besides, the nurses will care for him." Professor Herman said with a smile. "And medical researchers certainly have a place in our work."
"So the fields work together; physics, medicine, neuroscience, and engineering?"
"Yes we all traditionally worked together to formulate the grand theory of the universe. Only now, magic is included as part of that study."
"Why does Dean Heathcoat want to stop that?"
"I suspect that he wants to use Bernadette′s endowment to shore up the overall physics department budget. Fortunately, she defined her bequest quite narrowly. Dean Heathcoat can′t strip our funding, but it doesn′t prevent him from trying. So, the battle rages."
"And you say he has no magic?"
"Until this moment I would have vehemently denied it. Perhaps your special sensitivity compensates for incomplete development in other areas, but I′ve come to rely upon it. However, you sensed something about him. Could you have felt something coincidentally emanating from nearby, which you attributed to the Dean?"
Sig contemplated the Professor′s words against his recollection for almost a minute. Finally, he shook his head. "Like the zombies, I could tell where they were without seeing them. At the barn, I could feel the spiders before they crawled. I sensed evil with Dmitri. I knew it wasn′t him but he had it on his person. That′s why I shook him down."
Professor Herman′s face almost twitched into a smile.
Sig continued, "When I felt it from the Dean, I stopped and watched him walk. It moved with him. It could have been something on his person, as with Dmitri. Whatever, it was the most evil I have felt and it seemed familiar."
The Professor′s eyes widened. "Goodness. Worse than Andras?"
Sig nodded. "I felt evil gestating in a womb of hatred, ready to spring out and… I know it sounds weird, it sounds weird when I say it out loud, but that′s how it felt."
"Interesting. Have you ever felt anything like it before?"
"No… Kind of… It′s similar to what I felt from the summoning circle in the burnt barn. The way it felt before the Basilisk and spiders crawled out of the wreckage."
Professor Herman tapped his index finger against his lips. "You are giving me endless things to consider. I will add this to my list."
"Is there a possibility that the Dean is the dark wizard that opened the summoning ring or commanded Andras?"
The Professor considered that for a few seconds, "He couldn′t have summoned Andras. We were attending a budget meeting together at the time Rick saw Andras patrolling the property line. If he summoned Andras, he would have to be in a circle of protection at that time."
"Well enough about that, I′m here for my college of Physics entry counseling session."
Professor Herman waved a
hand. "Oh, that′s a mere formality. I′ve already signed your paperwork. I wanted to use this time to apprise you regarding my findings on your magical limitations."
"Have you found a solution?" Sig felt his heart speed up. He rose from the chair and took a step toward the Professor.
"No, I′ve merely identified several most likely scenarios." He patted a stack of books and documents. "My research material." A large bound tome buttressed the bottom of the stack. Its leather, wrinkled and darkened with age, showed beneath the unkempt stack. Uneven, rippled pages retained a hint of gilding along the edges that he could see.
Sig′s enthusiasm dissipated. "Several scenarios?"
The Professor seemed oblivious to Sig′s disappointment. "The first, you have not yet come into your powers. As they say, 'Time heals all′."
"If I′m just too young, would I still be able to change forms?"
The Professor smiled at him. "Well done. That is the most telling argument against that scenario."
"What′s scenario number two?"
"A possible genetic anomaly introduced by an ancestor."
Sig scrunched his eyes and nose. "Could you be a little more specific?"
"You may have more than one type of magic warring within you. The talents may interfere, preventing either one from fully expressing."
"Do you think that my great-grandmother being an Amazon could be a factor?"
Dr. Herman gave him a puzzled look. "I didn′t realize you were aware of that."
"I found out this week… from Grampa Thor."
"From Thorval? How…?"
Sig explained the vision he had while visiting his great-grandfather in the hospital.
When Sig finished, the Professor smiled broadly and shook his head. "I′ve seen no signs that Thorval is aware of his surroundings. Excellent news. He′s not gone from us yet."
"So you think the vision is real?"
"Yes, mind-to-mind communication is a chronicled aspect of Battle Wizard magic. Rare, but it has occurred between Battle Wizards under stress.
"Additionally, the facts are accurate. The description and her name, Giselle, confirm it. He hasn′t spoken her name since she left after your grandfather Edward displayed no evidence of magic."
The Professor stopped to consider before continuing. "A mix of Amazon blood could be a possibility, although not at the top of my list. Unions between Battle Wizards and Amazons are not unheard of. Even less frequent are any magical problems introduced into either line. I′m researching your grandmother Eloise, Edward′s wife, as well as your father."
"My father? But he didn′t have any magic, did he?"
"I have obtained information that makes me believe that it′s possible. There are two distant cousins who… Well, let me explore more before I conjecture.
Because of the changes to the world and its affect on Magic, research has revealed that the ability to perform Magic is genetic. Those most likely to display unexpected powers are likely to have magical ancestors. Without training, the powers will often exhibit as enhanced senses such as the ability to find lost objects."
"Like Tony and his dad. So what kind of powers did Dad have?"
"Anything expressed today would be a guess. I must gather more information."
"Couldn′t you share your guess?" Sig asked eagerly.
Dr. Herman smiled faintly. "No, not at this time. It is premature."
Sig′s mind swirled around implications that his father might have had magic. Both Dad and Mom with magic and he never had any idea. They never had any idea.
"Any other scenarios under consideration?"
"Yes, one other. This avenue of investigation arises from Thorval′s condition. There may be a demon preventing the exercise of magical power."
Sig clutched his chest. "A demon inside me, like Grampa?" He felt numb. "How… When?" He′d been sitting on the edge of the Professor′s desk. He stepped over and collapsed into a chair. The idea of ending up like Grampa Thor sent chills through him. Lying in bed, possibly for hundreds of years, sustained through a tube in his arm. Unaware of his surroundings.
Consternation radiated from Professor Herman′s face. He rose from behind his desk when Sig collapsed into the chair and sagged forward, head in his hands. The Professor placed a hand gently on Sig′s shoulder. "It′s just a scenario I′ve been exploring. Relax and breathe. No one says that has happened."
Sig looked up at the Professor and took a deep breath. "I′m OK. I just pictured spending life like Grampa. It′s a horrifying image." He took a deep breath. "I understand; it′s just a scenario and not probable."
The Professor stood up, nodded, and smiled. He turned back to his desk and said, "It′s most likely, but still it′s just a scenario."
Sig rolled his eyes in frustration and glanced again at the large leather book anchoring the stack. He considered pulling it out and hurling it at the Professor. It would be a waste if the Professor blasted such a lovely old book with one of his fireballs.
He forced himself to ask calmly, "Why do you feel it′s the most likely scenario?"
The Professor warmed to his subject. He began ticking off on his fingers. "It matches the modus operandi, if one formulates the theory that the same wizard is responsible."
He reached out and patted the massive volume anchoring the stack on his desk. "This work is by Basil Lotheridge, a Cistercian monk. He documented phenomena performed by his Abbot who succumbed to the temptation of dark practices."
"Men of the cloth practiced black magic?"
"Those who have magical powers still have the weaknesses of men. The promise of great power becomes a siren song that transfixes even the strong. The church is guilty of many excesses, particularly in the Middle Ages when it battled for dominance with the rulers of those days. Luckily, Friar Lotheridge clung to his faith and documented his Abbot′s unrestrained behavior at great risk to himself."
"At least he finished his masterwork."
"Well, no, he didn′t. The final page is incomplete, stopping mid-description of the victims of a particularly nasty demon." The Professor sighed. "At least we have what he passed on to us." Professor Herman′s gaze grew distant.
Time to draw him back to the subject at hand. "What does Friar Basil′s book have to do with the modus operandi that you mentioned?"
The Professor looked startled. "Yes… In the book he describes how the Abbot enlisted the services of various demons." He pulled the book from the stack and flipped it open. The pages crackled.
He squinted as he flipped through. "Ah, here it states that demons are extremely literal." He looked up at Sig with a smile.
Sig responded with a quizzical expression.
The Professor poked a finger at the page. "According to Friar Basil, the Abbot warred with another wizard. The Abbot commanded a demon to prevent the wizard from 'expelling any magic.′" He looked up with smile. "The key to resolving the conundrum is in examining the words. Consider that it disallowed the expulsion of magic. When the wizard discovered he could only internalize magic; he transformed into a tiger, and killed the Abbot by tearing his throat out. You see?" Professor Herman smiled, quite pleased with the revelation.
Sig thought for a moment. "So, if I had the same demon, I can change, but can′t perform magic outside of my body. What happened to the wizard after the Abbot died?"
The Professor turned back to the book, "Friar Basil said that, after the Abbots death, the wizard regained his powers, changed back from tiger form, and escaped by blasting the door of the dungeon."
Sig contemplated this silently for a few moments. He looked up at the Professor. "You said the modus operandi fit. I don′t see how."
"Ahhh, the grimoire that the Abbot used, also had a spell which invokes a demon to weaken a wizard by eating his magic."
"Like Grampa. What happened to the wizard who had a demon eating his magic?"
Professor Herman grimaced. "Friar Basil′s recordings don′t actually record that spell being used." He looked up at
Sig with a weak smile. "However, toward the end of his writings, the friar conjectured that if it were used, the demon would be released upon the Abbot′s death, as happened with the tiger wizard."
"What happened to the friar?
"It doesn′t say. The friar wrote that the Dark Abbot assigned a demon to kill his followers if he died. Apparently in the process of enumerating those that died, the book ends… in mid-sentence."
"Why have two different spells that are similar?"
"Similar, but diabolically different. With one spell, magic, the wizard′s own weapon magic, turns on him. He can use it but using it slowly kills the wizard. With the other, magic is stolen leaving him defenseless, or so the thought process went until the tiger roared."
"And, the only way to stop the demons is to kill the wizard who invoked them?"
"It appears that is the solution."
"Now all I have to do is find the dark wizard who invoked Grampa′s and my demons and kill him. Piece of cake. Maybe it would help if I could change into a tiger. And do it before he kills us."
Dmitri walked into The Room. He dreaded its stygian darkness. He peered about and didn′t detect anyone, but in the dark, who knew? He sat and fiddled with the snaps on his coat. Snap, snap, snap, snap.
"Stop that!"
Dmitri froze. Where did the voice come from? He stood.
"Sit down."
He sat. His hands trembled. He stuck them in his coat pockets.
The voice hissed again. "What have you found? Will the child be clear of magical wards to hide behind when I release Andras?"
"His friend, the Were, has a competition. They will be together at the Game Room."
The wizard shrieked. "Where will his mentor be?"
"I don′t know, but I′ve never seen him there."
He shrieked again. "I will be trapped in the circle. When I come out, the boy better be dead."
Dmitri′s voice shook. "I can only provide the location. You and Andras must do the rest."
The Dark mage hissed. "Make sure he is there. We′ll take care of the rest."
