turn to jelly.’
‘I must admit I was surprised by what you said about the Council, Grand Master,’ said Goodfellow. ‘I can’t imagine some of them giving up their old ways. They are awfully fond of their meetings and deliberations and so forth. They never seem to do anything
‘How true, young Master Goodfellow. The nature of these Turians cannot be changed, but the Empress is a useful ally. We will need her if we are to put Donovan and the likes back in their places. This could be a dangerous situation for the Order. And what a woeful time for it! Now, if we can get that old bull Ruardin onside we will have nothing to worry about. The last thing we want at a time like this is more trouble for the Order. And if we are going to win this war and repel the Paatin, we cannot afford such shenanigans. Once things return to calm, we will be the only ones advising the Empress and the balance of power will rest with us.’
Samuel was about to object, but thought betterof itand kept his mouth shut. It seemed a strange turn of eventsatsuch a calamitous time.
The royal advisers had locked themselves indoors for an evening of deliberation, to which the Order-much to Anthem’s chagrin-wasnot invited. Samuel decided to visit Master Glim and set outthroughthe palace gates as dusk was just falling across the city.
He made his way across the bustling streets and pushed through the din of the markets, following the zigzagging routes he had learned over his many years in the city. He half-expected that the city would have become as quiet as the palace, perhaps beset by fear of the impending invasion, but it seemed not. It still thrummed with life and was as vibrant as ever. The only notable absence was that of all the dark-skinned desert traders, but it seemed others had quickly taken advantage of the situation and set up their own stalls in place.
Magical lanterns were set about the School of Magic, hanging from the doorways and along the curving stone paths, creating little pools of clarity in the dim. As Samuel neared, each one was supposed to grow brighter and then fade away again after he had passed, but the lanterns sat idly. The spells tied to each could not detect him. At times, his innate lack of
He came to Master Glim’s little cottage and rapped on the door.
‘Come in, Samuel,’ the voice of Master Glim beckoned from inside.
‘Remarkable! How did you know it was me?’ Samuel asked, stepping into the room. His old teacher was studying at his desk, as expected, with his eyeglasses dipping from the end of his nose.
‘Rather, I can presume it’s you, young Lord Samuel, when knocks sound on my door and no one seems to be there to make them. It’s not such a great leap of reason, is it?’
Samuel shut the door and came to sit opposite the aging teacher. ‘It’s good to see you, Master Glim.’
‘I can return the sentiment.’ He set his notes down and pushed his emptied dinner plate to one side. He seemed frailer than Samuel remembered and a sliver of shadow lingered in his features, where the light should have prevailed. ‘When Anthem returned and brought news of what had happened, I certainly feared the worst. However, I could not believe that you would be killed so easily. Surely, it would take more than an army to defeat you, Samuel. You are the Saviour of Cintar, after all.’
Samuel screwed up his face in feigned distaste while Master Glim chuckled softly to himself.
‘It seems we find ourselves deeper and deeperinhot water, Samuel,’ the teacher mused. ‘While we thought we were striding into a newAge ofReason, it seems we have only stumbled into a renewed time of anarchy. If the Empire crumbles, the people of Amandia will suffer even more thanthey didunder the Emperor’s totalitarian rule and, with the way things are going, the Order just does not seem strong enough to prevent it.’
‘So it seems. But I never thought you were fond of the Empire, Master Glim.’
‘Of course not. You know I have never cared for the Empire, but it had just reached the stage where it
‘How go things in the School?’
‘Bah! We may as well give up now. I have a handful of students and barely the teachers to teach them. This war has taken its toll on us all. It will take us years to recover-decades.’
‘I’m sure we can get through this difficult time eventually. One day, I’m sure the Order will become the bastion of reason that we have long sought. It may just take longer than expected. We have been through much worse in recent times.’
‘I wish I could share your enthusiasm, Samuel, but I have started to feel a weariness in my bones. I am really quite tired and find myself just wishing to shut the gates of the school and keep the woes of the world outside, if only I could. Actually, while I think of it, Master Pot came seeking my advice today on a similar theme. It seems you two are at odds at the moment.’
‘It’s true.’
‘And you can’t see your way to giving him some respite? This has been a difficult time for him, also.’
‘Not as difficult as ours,’ Samuel stated. ‘While it took us a week to make our way back to Cintar on foot, he saw himself back here in a jiffy. I’m not surprised he didn’t mention it. We were rushing back in a panic to spread the news of the Paatin invasion and he was sitting in a local tavern with his feet up the whole time. It is an abuse of power, if you ask me.’
‘So he can use his Great Spell,after all,’ Glim said with interest. It seemed to attract the curiosity of magicians at any hint of its mention.
‘Whenever he chooses, so it seems.’
‘Then that is interesting. He chose wisely to conceal the fact.’
Samuel was surprised by this. ‘Do you mean you agree with him?’
‘Not wholly, no, but it is fortunate in many ways that he has concealed the spell for so long. Such a Great Spell has many connotations. I need to think about this.’ Master Glim looked quite concerned by the revelation. ‘Have you had your dinner yet?’
‘No, not yet.’
‘Then go fetch yourself something from the larder before your stomach devours the rest of you. I’m sure we have at least a few more hours before the Paatin come shouting at our gates. Get some decent sleep in one of the vacant cottages and we can discuss this more in the morning, unless of course you’d rather get back to the palace? You look as if you haven’t had a decent night’s sleep in some time.’
‘Even when I do sleep, my dreams keep me awake most of the night.’
‘Oh? Then we have that to talk about as well. Go on now.’
Samuel acceded and left Master Glim’s room. As he left, he heard music begin behind him as his old teacher began strumming his lute-like instrument. He had seen the man play it often, but had never bothered to ask of its origin, for it was the only one of its kind he had ever seen. The noise that came from it was lilting and harmonious, with each note melding into the others. Glim had asked his students to take the time to master any instrument of their choice, for he told them that such practice would benefit their studies but,between his troubles and his various adventures, Samuel had just never found the time.
Old Master Sanctus was fossicking merrily in the larder and had himself a platter of grapes balanced in one hand and was fiercely protecting a long,crusty loaf in the other.
‘Young Samuel!’ he declared with a crackled voice. ‘I thought you were long dead, my boy. You always seem to be proving me wrong, lad and-at least sometimes-pleasantly so.’
‘Thank you, Master Sanctus,’ Samuel replied as politely as he could, for he was not sure whether he had just received a compliment or an insult.
‘Well, don’t just stand there with your mouth hung open like a blowfish in a bucket. Get some food into you.’
Samuel needed no further prompting and took a wide,ceramic plate from the shelving and began looking for whatever couldtempt his palate. Despite the grim situation the Empire now found itself in, the Order’s shelves remained as excessively stocked as ever.
Master Sanctus finished gathering what he needed and tottered off into the night with his armful of food, chewing ravenously on a length of sausage. Samuel took his time loading his plate, savouring the thought of his dinner, tossing the occasional morsel into his mouth as he gleaned the room of whatever caught his fancy. Once
