“I worry about Cathai, too,” Ardhuin said. “They also have great distrust of Aeropan magic—which, sadly, left them vulnerable to unscrupulous mages such as Denais. I fear that could happen again.”
“There is no call for you to go there yourself,” Dominic said quickly, worry spiking. The farther Ardhuin stayed away from Kungam or anyone who could report to him, the happier he would be. He was not entirely convinced the bandit king was satisfied with his deal.
Gutrune stirred. “I would advise approaching Mother Long for advice. We know she can be both observant and very discreet.”
Ardhuin nodded. “Yes, and I think she would be willing to help, if for no other reason than to keep Kiantan safe. Besides the agents, I hope to encourage…an expanded set of Mage Guardians. Not just the representatives of the original Mage War allies, but every modern nation. Atlantea should have one too.”
Dominic perked up. “I would like to visit Atlantea.” Markus grinned at him but thankfully refrained from commenting.
“So, we are agreed? I believe we can count on the full support of Bretagne and Preusa, and at least the tolerance of the Low Countries for this scheme.”
“I suspect Ruska will also wish to join, when they hear of it,” Gutrune said. “But we should be cautious. They will wish to use it for their own political ends, to spy on those they believe their enemies, even in their own country.”
“As long as we are aware, we can use that motivation for our own purposes,” Markus pointed out. “Now there is one crucial point that remains to be settled. I am surprised at the lot of you for neglecting it.”
Dominic raised an eyebrow. “What, dashing uniforms?”
Markus laughed, lifting a hand in acknowledgment. “It is kind of you to think of me, but I already have one. No, I was thinking we need a name for this organization. You have to have a name, if only for the paperwork.”
Dominic thought for a moment. Well, what could they call it? “Secret Organization #23” lacked style and distinction. He supposed they shouldn’t draw attention to the fact they were looking for magical troublemakers either.
Dorje was perched on the railing again, looking slightly plumper and carefully cleaning its colorful scales after its meal. A little dragon—and hadn’t MacCrimmon gone to the Tian Shan to look for dragons in the first place?
“How about the Dragonhunters?” he asked.
Epilogue
To Oberleiter Schutzmagus M. Asgaya, Imperial Palace, Baerlen
Asgaya, you chuckling clown. I hope you’ve learned how to wear shirts again; you can’t act like you’re in the middle of the Taklamakan Desert anymore. The newspapers do not report any uprisings or volcanic eruptions in your country, so I presume you are still in the good graces of your lady. I would have thought she would have come to her senses by now.
Which brings me to the matter I wish to address—draw whatever conclusions you please, but I wish to warn you that you have less than six months to bring your section of the Dragonhunters to full strength, since Ardhuin will not be traveling for some time past that date. I would prefer she not travel at all even now, although she assures me she is in excellent health. I can’t help but worry, you know…
I have enclosed some of Dorje’s shed scales, as I promised. The magical residue is faint, but Ardhuin claims an exposure to a cantorial resonance will attune them quite nicely for use as badges that cannot be forged. I am working on a verifier that nonmagicians can use. Dorje sheds a handful every month or so, so we should have a reasonable supply for future use. You inquire about the moving imager—I have a working prototype, and it is even better than the first. With the exception of the size, the image is amazingly lifelike. I suppose you may come and see it, and the other devices, if you like. As long as you don’t stay too long, that is. A day should suffice.
Oh, and congratulations on the promotion. I make no doubt it gave von Koller a spasm to hear of it, so on that account alone it pleases us both.
Your co–conspirator and, I suppose, friend,
Dominic
To Monsieur D. Kermarec, Peran, in Morbihan
My dear Dominic—I am greatly relieved to learn that all your party are safely home again. I will confess to some sleepless nights on your behalf, and for your charming wife as well. And now you send me word that makes me even more curious what you were up to when we parted company.
You ask if I have ever seen anything like the amulet and the symbols you sketched in your last letter. I must confess that while I have heard of something similar, it was in the context of what I believed at the time to be a complete myth. Yet you assure me you walked in an ancient abandoned city that appears to match the particulars of that myth, and I am forced to surmise the rest may also prove true as well. If so, I beg of you to guard the artifacts you discovered very well, with all the means at your disposal. I would say more, but I do not trust the medium of the post.
Please inform me when I may pay you a visit, when I will be delighted to tell you all I know in return for being allowed to see the artifacts in person. I would also strongly advise keeping all information about the city’s location in strict confidence. The risk of robbers in that region is always to be guarded against, but in this case there could be other dangers associated with the city.
Yours,
Emil Bové
Also By Sabrina Chase
The Last Mage Guardian
Firehearted
The Sequoyah Trilogy
The Long Way Home
Raven’s Children
Queen of Chaos
The Scent of Metal
The Bureau of Substandards Annual Report
Short Stories
The Correct Way to Fill Out Form PCR–103–u
Coyote and the Amazing Herbal Formula
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Dragonhunters Page 31
