The Young Magician

‘What is it that brings you out here, Samuel? You’re obviously well-spoken and educated, but Father says you help Mr and Mrs Down for no pay at all.’

‘I’m really not interested in money.’

‘That’s what people say,’ she said. ‘They also say you are a magician, but I don’t like to listen to such common talk.’

‘It’s true,’ Samuel told her. He was surprised that everyone seemed to know so much about him.

‘And you can do magic?’ she asked expectantly.

‘Aye.’

‘Can you do some magic for me?’

‘I thought people were distrustful of magic in these parts?’ Samuel suggested.

‘Oh, that’s only the ignorant ones and the old-fashioned,’ she explained. ‘Who wouldn’t be fascinated by the chance to see some real magic?’

‘What would you like?’ Samuel asked.

‘A blue puppy!’ she burst out with excitement.

Samuel erupted into laughter, attracting a few glances. ‘I can do magic, not miracles. I think blue puppies are the fairies’ speciality. I’ll ask them to make one the next time I see one.’

‘You’re mocking me,’ she said, still smiling, still holding his arm.

‘Yes,’ he admitted. ‘I’m afraid my magic isn’t quite as spectacular as that. I cannot make a blue puppy for you, but if you find me a puppy, I could make it blue, although it probably wouldn’t enjoy it.’

‘Leila!’ came a stern voice, cutting through the music.

It was Manfred Sallow, pushing through the crowd. He stopped before Samuel and Leila, clearly furious. ‘Come back to the house at once!’ he commanded with a barely restrained temper.

Leila’s face fell as she released Samuel’s arm. She walked wordlessly past her father and through the watching crowd, not giving Samuel as much as a ‘goodbye’.

Manfred Sallow faced Samuel and spoke to him with a pointed finger. He lowered his voice, but there was still no doubt that he was straining to remain composed. ‘I’ll say this only once. Do not speak with my daughter. Do you understand?’

Samuel nodded calmly, for he was not angry. He had met many such difficult people before within the Order and he knew a planned and logical approach would solve more than attempting to meet force with force. As Manfred turned and started off after his daughter, Samuel had already begun to think of ways to overcome this new problem.

‘Don’t worry.’ It was Mrs Luke at his side. ‘No one takes any notice of him any more. It will be his fault when his daughter dies a lonely old spinster, the poor dear.’

Samuel put his planning aside and took a few moments to talk with the old couple. From their discussion, it seemed they knew the Downs quite well, but had not been to visit for some time.

‘Mrs Down, the poor woman, lost her only child when it was just a babe,’ Mrs Luke explained, ‘and they tried for years to have another without success. They both took it very hard.’

Samuel nodded in understanding. ‘I felt there was something troubling them.’

‘Families are very important in these parts,’ Mr Luke revealed. ‘I don’t know how things work where you are from, but here life revolves around the family bond. All of us in the village tried for years to console them, but we just couldn’t make up for the death of their little one.’

‘My family were all killed when I was young,’ Samuel told them in all sincerity, ‘so I know what losing loved ones can feel like.’

‘Oh, that’s a shame, Samuel,’ Mrs Luke said sincerely. ‘But let me tell you-there’s no feeling as terrible as a parent losing a child, believe me. You would never wish such a tragedy upon anyone. Now, if you ever feel lonely, you’re welcome to just drop by for a nice cup of tanabil tea. We generally have some on the boil for most of the day.’

‘Thank you,’ Samuel told them.

He rode home while the night was still early. There was little to do once Leila had gone and he found that the other people of the village, apart from the kindly old Lukes, were not very enthusiastic to converse with him. When he stepped back into the cottage, he found Simpson and his wife were still awake.

‘This is an early hour to be home, Samuel,’ Mrs Down said with concern.

‘Aye,’ Samuel returned sadly. ‘I think it may take a bit longer for some of the village folk to get used to me.’

‘Oh, dear,’ she said, shaking her head.

‘You’d think they’d have more to concern them than you,’ Simpson declared. ‘With their farms and families to worry over, they would do well to welcome you into their arms, especially with all this talk of thieves about at the moment.’

Samuel looked up. ‘Thieves?’

‘So I hear. They have been chased up by the Count’s men and have been hiding in the woods to the east. No one goes in there except the odd woodsman and trapper, but they’ve been seen lurking around at night-up to no good.’

‘Well, we shouldn’t need to worry,’ Samuel said. ‘By the way, Mr and Mrs Luke said to pass you their fond greetings and asked for us all to drop by some time.’

‘Oh, that’s lovely,’ Mrs Down said. ‘It’s been so long since we had time to go visiting.’

Simpson nodded his assent and tapped his pipe out onto the table edge. ‘That would be a fine idea,’ he said.

Samuel went to bed early that night with the face of the captivating girl, Leila, in his mind.

Samuel had formulated a plan to meet with Leila that next morning. He rode into town and tied Jess up in the square before walking the short distance to the Sallow house. He knocked on the front door, heart in his throat, and was relieved when a surprised Leila opened it.

‘What are you doing?’ she whispered fearfully, looking back over her shoulder. ‘Father is here. He’ll be furious if he sees you.’

‘Where is he?’ Samuel whispered.

‘In his study.’

‘Show me,’ Samuel instructed.

Leila said no with her eyes, but Samuel squeezed his way past her. She darted ahead and pointed to a closed door beside some stairs at the end of the hall.

‘Who is it, Leila?’ came Manfred’s voice from within.

Samuel closed his eyes and concentrated, at once feeling the energy of her father in the next room. He quickly entered the man’s consciousness and set a spell. When he was done, Samuel opened his eyes and smiled at Leila. She looked terribly anxious.

‘He’s asleep,’ Samuel explained.

‘What did you do?’ she asked with some concern.

‘Don’t fret. He was tired anyway. I suggested your father take a short nap and he seemed to find the idea attractive.’

Leila pushed open the door, peeked in, and then went over to her sleeping father.

‘You can wake him if you want,’ Samuel expressed. ‘He’s only sleeping.’

Samuel was worried that she would be horrified. Instead, Leila giggled and waved her hand before her father’s face.

‘You are a magician,’ she laughed.

‘Yes. I told you so,’ Samuel said.

She grabbed Samuel’s hand and led him into the reading room where they sat down together.

‘You can’t imagine how I’ve dreamed of someone to come and take me away from Father.’

‘I’m not about to do that,’ Samuel protested.

‘We could,’ she implored.

‘I have work to do here for the time being. Don’t you think it would be best to reason with your father?’