Imager

why he continued to press me on so many matters.

“Tomorrow, we’ll go over the next section in the science book and sections nine and ten in the History and Politics of Solidar.”

I nodded politely.

“We’re almost done here, but there’s one last thing.” Master Dichartyn stood.

“Yes, sir?” I also rose, wondering what else he could say.

“You can tell the other seconds that there was a strange fire at the Collegium at Westisle. That’s the Collegium outside the harbor of Liantiago. That was what we were meeting about. We’ve decided on a course of action, but that is all you are to know or should know at this point.” He smiled. “Good day, Rhenn, and pace yourself at the workshop.”

“Good day, sir. Yes, sir.”

I had thought about sitting outside and reading some of the history and politics, but it was misty and cold, not that it was actually raining, and so I took everything back to my room and started in on section nine-the one dealing with the administrative districts of Solidar.

That reading was dull, so dull that I was one of the first at the dining hall for lunch, but Johanyr, Shannyr, and Diazt were right behind me, and we sat together at the long second table.

“Did Master Dichartyn say anything to you?” asked Johanyr.

“He said that I could tell you the masters were meeting over a strange fire at the Collegium at Westisle, and that they’ve decided what to do, and that was all I needed to know.”

“He said that?” asked Diazt.

“Close to word for word.”

“What did you ask him?” inquired Johanyr.

I shook my head. “I never had a chance to say anything. He wasn’t happy with my work in the workrooms, and he wasn’t happy with my logical proofs, and he didn’t like the way I handled some of the imaging exercises. I wasn’t about to ask him anything.”

Diazt and Johanyr exchanged glances.

“Not good,” said Diazt.

“That he knew what we were talking about?” I asked.

There was a pause, enough to show that my concern wasn’t all of what bothered them.

“They must have listening tubes in the common room, or someone told him,” Diazt said.

“Or both,” added Shannyr.

“He was delivering a message,” I suggested blandly, trying to get more of a reaction. “But why would he care what we talk about? We can’t have been the only ones who noticed that the masters were worried and meeting.”

“It’s not that,” said Johanyr in a lower voice.

“What, then? Warning us to keep our speculations to ourselves.”

The other three all nodded.

I didn’t think that was all, but I only said, “There aren’t enough of them to listen all the time.”

Johanyr shook his head sadly, as if to suggest I didn’t know what I was talking about.

I shrugged helplessly.

Diazt did grin, but only briefly.

27

Preparation is always an act of faith.

On Meredi and Jeudi, in addition to my studies and half-improving my ability to image the aluminum bars without exhausting myself, I worked on trying to develop stronger but invisible shields against imaging. I didn’t meet with Master Dichartyn at all, but Gherard gave me reading assignments. All he said was that Master Dichartyn was away. The common room was deserted both nights, and I didn’t see Johanyr and the others anywhere. Even though everyone was pleasant and cheerful at meals, that worried me, because it suggested that they thought I’d been the one to report what they’d said. At the very least, it didn’t show much trust.

On Vendrei, I waited half a glass before Master Dichartyn summoned me into his study.

“What is the difference between aqua fortis and aqua regia?”

“Aqua regia is the stronger, and it can dissolve even gold. Aqua fortis will dissolve silver, but not gold . . .” From there I managed to recall most of what was in the science text.

After that, he had question after question, all about aspects of science.

Abruptly, he stopped. “You know what’s in the books. After we finish here, go over to the laboratories and find Maitre Chassendri or one of her assistants. Tell her or them that you need to be shown and to learn the preparation of both aqua regia and aqua fortis.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Why is there but one imager on the Council?” asked Master Dichartyn.

“Isn’t it part of the reason why no more than three councilors can be from L’Excelsis?”

“Yes and no. He represents all the imagers in Solidar. Also, for administrative purposes, Imagisle is not part of L’Excelsis. It’s in the book, but even if you didn’t catch that, you should have known better, Rhennthyl.”

Reprimanded twice in one sentence. I hated feeling stupid. “Oh . . . because there are no patrollers on the isle, and because the Collegium has its own justicing system?”

Master Dichartyn nodded and asked again, “Why only one imager?”

“I don’t know, sir. I don’t recall anything in the book about that.”

“There isn’t anything in the book. I’m asking you to think about it. Is that so very hard, Rhennthyl?”

I was definitely not impressing Master Dichartyn. So I gambled and said what I thought.

“That’s all that is necessary. No one can make the Collegium do what it will not.”

“You give us too much credit.” But he smiled. “It’s more accurate to say that the Council has great respect for the Collegium and would prefer to work with the Collegium. If the Council’s imager opposes something, the Council reconsiders the matter.”

“Who is the imager on the Council now, sir?”

“Master Rholyn. He’s very good with words and thinks well on his feet.”

After a moment I recalled Rholyn had been the advocate for the Collegium at Floryn’s hearing.

“I’d like to test your shields. Are you maintaining imaging shields?”

“I think so.”

Abruptly I could feel myself pressed back in the chair.

Master Dichartyn shook his head. “You can detect someone, but you need a second level behind them.”

“How do I do that?” I wasn’t certain what he meant.

“You need to train your mind, just as you trained your hands and fingers as an artist, to react to situations. The moment your shields feel any imaging pressure, those second-level shields need to spring forward.”

I didn’t even have the faintest idea of where to begin.

“I’ll press at your shields gently, and you erect a stronger set . . .”

Once more, I was sweating and exhausted when he finally said, “Enough. You need to work on them more. Now that you’re a secondus and free to travel off Imagisle, you need the ability to protect yourself.”

“Sir, I don’t want to sound presumptuous or like a troublemaker, but what happens if . . . well . . . if I’m in a position where shields aren’t enough?”

“I’d say that you’d probably acted unwisely.” Dichartyn laughed genially, but the laugh died away quickly. “Still . . . there are times when ruffians will attack a single imager, particularly a younger one. We do lose some who are not careful. The rules for defense are simple. You must have exhausted every practical way to avoid attacking, and it’s preferable that you leave no traces of what you have done.”