would have to study the books closely; somewhere nearby, somewhere convenient so he could test his discoveries. The best place for this would be there-in the High Tower with the Argum Stone itself. Somewhere in that chamber, or very near it, Samuel was sure that Ash would be hoarding all the books that had disappeared from the Great Library.
Samuel smiled and darted between two carts. His night had been a failure, but at least, with the dawn, he had found a fragment of hope.
Goodfellow was awake when Samuel returned, and he was looking out the window at the morning crowds.
‘Master Glim came,’ he said, throwing a glance back at Samuel.
‘Oh? And what news?’ Samuel asked with interest.
‘They said they have been scouring the Great Library from top to bottom, but without any success. Also, he says he has heard nothing from Grand Master Anthem.’
‘Perhaps he will not return, after all.’
‘The Grand Master has to be very careful not to be seen, so I’m sure it’s taking him longer. So how was your search? Did you find anything the others could not?’
‘No,’ Samuel said, pulling off his boots. ‘You were right-but I have a new idea.’
‘Oh? What’s that?’
‘I’ll tell you later. I’m too tired to speak. I need some sleep.’ With that he lay down on the makeshift cot by the wall and pulled the blankets around him. ‘Wake me for lunch,’ he added.
A few moments later, Goodfellow said something in return, but Samuel was already too far gone into a deep and dreamless sleep.
Samuel awoke to the sounds of heavy footsteps stomping up the narrow stairs outside. He vaguely heard Goodfellow push back his chair and approach the door.
‘Is he awake yet?’ Master Glim asked, stepping into the room past Eric.
‘Not yet,’ Goodfellow replied in quieter tones.
Samuel groaned and rolled over, opening his eyes for the first time. The room was dull. The light coming in the window showed it to be either dawn or dusk-his senses were muddled and he could not tell which.
‘So you live to tell the tale of your foolhardy expedition, I see,’ Master Glim stated quite loudly.
‘I’m awake,’ Samuel moaned as he threw back the hot blankets. He sucked at his dry lips and sat up, back against the wall. ‘There’s no need to shout. Why didn’t you wake me earlier?’ he asked of Goodfellow.
‘I tried,’ the spectacled magician replied. ‘You grumbled and threw a cup at me. Then you just rolled over again and went back to sleep.’
‘Oh,’ Samuel said, accepting the matter, before returning his attention to his grey-haired teacher. ‘What news?’
‘No news,’ Master Glim confessed. ‘Master Goodfellow here told me about your roaming about all last night. I don’t have to tell you how foolish that was. Eric and I are more than capable of looking for a few books on our own.’
Samuel held up his hands in defence. His head was still groggy and his eyelids heavy as anvils. ‘I thought perhaps I could find something you could not-besides, I was going crazy being locked in here day after day, night after night.’
‘Well, if you’re caught you’ll be more than crazy-you’ll be imprisoned or dead or worse,’ Master Glim said with genuine concern. He sighed and shook his head once more. ‘You seem to have a problem following intelligent suggestions. So, I don’t suppose you did manage to find anything useful?’
Samuel gained his feet and stretched himself out as he made for one of the chairs by the ramshackle table. ‘No.’
‘Then I don’t think we will be able to follow our original plan,’ Master Glim announced. ‘After speaking to Lord Goodwin and Lomar, it does seem as if we are running out of time. There is no point meddling with the Council any more as the existence of this relic makes them redundant, as far as the war is concerned. I can’t see that we have any other choice. We must find a way to destroy this newfound relic: the Argum Stone.’
‘I’m not sure such a thing
‘Its chamber is nearly atop the inside of the High Tower,’ Master Glim said. ‘We could push it out the window and let it crash down. Such a fall should break anything.’
‘Do you think the Staff of Elders could be destroyed so easily?’ Samuel asked, leaving Master Glim to nod thoughtfully. ‘I have another idea.’
‘Perhaps you’re right. I’m listening.’
‘We make our way into the High Tower and find all the books that Ash has been hoarding and steal them back. Without the knowledge of how to awaken the Argum Stone, they will never be able to use it.’
‘That will be incredibly dangerous,’ Goodfellow stated. ‘If we are caught, there will be no doubt we are acting as traitors-we could be executed.’
Samuel nodded. ‘I realise that, but we have come to the time where we must begin taking risks. If we can steal away whatever notes they are using to research the Argum Stone, it may actually avert the war and countless lives will be saved. At the very least, their efforts will be delayed and we can go back to original plan via the Council.’
Master Glim mulled over the idea for a few moments. ‘I see what you are saying, Samuel. If they have not learned to use the thing by now, then they are surely having some difficulty. If we can steal their resources away, they may
‘Exactly, but such an important thing will surely be well guarded,’ Samuel said, ‘and there are only the four of us-five, if we include Eric.’
‘We don’t need a lot of people,’ Master Glim said. ‘Quite the opposite, in fact. We want to sneak in there and be out again before anyone notices. If we draw the palace guards’ attention upon ourselves, we are probably done for. We should ask Lord Goodwin to assist. If he can organise a distraction for Master Ash to get him out of that chamber, then all the better. You can kill him another time. At present, we do not need any complications.’
Samuel nodded. ‘Yes, I realise that. I’m sure I can hold my vengeance a little longer, but you will need to contact Lord Goodwin yourself.’
‘I will try to speak with him now, and then I will return. Haste is of all importance.’ With that, Master Glim stood. ‘Take care, both of you, and don’t forget-stay here!’
Goodfellow and Samuel said farewell and their teacher disappeared out the door and down into the street.
‘Are you hungry?’ Samuel asked Goodfellow after a few moments.
Goodfellow nodded. He had begun tidying up the squalid room again, folding Samuel’s blankets into neat squares and forming them into a pile beside his own.
‘Good,’ Samuel said, standing and stretching his arms out wide to get the blood flowing through his limbs. ‘I’ll make breakfast.’
‘It’s dinner,’ Goodfellow corrected, as Samuel began cutting them some bread with a guilty smile.
Master Glim returned after only a couple of hours had passed, looking over his shoulder as he slipped through the doorway in his plain commoner’s clothes. The night market was in full swing outside with coloured lamps strung high back and forth across the streets. The crowd was thick and creating a great hubbub as they argued over bargains and shouted for their dinners.
‘I thought I was being followed,’ he said with a sigh of relief as he sat back at the table.
‘So, what news?’ Samuel asked.
‘Lord Goodwin has uncovered a remarkable amount of information for us. It is true that the thing is, in its current state, useless. The Archmage has been arguing with the Emperor over the matter and, luckily for us, both of them have a tendency to shout when they get upset. The Emperor has given them only a few days more, but the Archmage seems confident it is time enough-which means they are nearly ready. Lord Jarrod has been in charge of the whole project of finding and recovering the Argum Stone, but Master Ash seems to be doing most of the groundwork. There is also a small surprise: it seems Master Dividian has also been seen frequenting the relic’s
