example, but any circular opening would work. Whenever that end was opened and took its full shape, the enchantment would be activated, forming an open link between two spaces. A simple design would be a bag or suitcase, that when opened would create a perpetual portal, between the bag and a permanent storage space somewhere else.
Now that I understood what it was for I could see a lot of immediate uses. I reached down and felt the small leather pouch at my waist. Inside it I carried a collection of small iron spheres, each loaded with energy and ready to explode when activated. I had found them so useful during the recent war that I had made sure to keep a supply of them ready at all times, yet the danger of carrying them still worried me. Using something like this enchantment I could store them in a safely remote location, yet still access them easily when I needed them.
I thought about the implications for a few minutes. A portable storage container that could hold heavy or dangerous items was only one possibility. Another would be connecting the portable ‘mouth’ to a place other than box or closet. If the immobile end were underwater, say positioned on a river bottom then the other end could be opened to provide a seemingly endless stream of fresh water. I was no expert on agriculture but I could immediately see that it might easily solve many of the difficulties involved in digging canals for irrigating crops.
The enchantment could also be easily modified to create something more like a permanent portal, or gateway between two places. Then my magically disadvantaged friends could travel between locations without needing me to activate a circle for them. My imagination ran rampant as I thought about the possibilities. I dreamed of building a house in which each room was in a different place. I could look out of a window in the kitchen and see the beach, or walk into the bedroom and gaze out upon a sylvan forest scene. My mind was whirling with ideas.
I spent hours studying the design before I finally began working on my own ‘portable storage device’. I had Harold send one of the guards out to buy a durable leather pouch and a heavy duty strongbox for me and once I had them I spent the evening connecting them via enchantment. I found the process much easier using the stylus that I had discovered. It made creating precision runes a snap and allowed me to work much more quickly than usual.
Even so it was late that night before I finished my first project. Looking at the plain leather pouch on the table I felt a sense of pride. It didn’t look like much, but I knew what skill had gone into it. I immediately wished Penny were around for me to show it to her. “No matter,” I said to myself, “I’ll see her in another day or two and she’ll be just as excited then.”
I imagined her in my mind’s eye, smiling with her hand resting upon her swollen belly. That thought got me to thinking about our baby and that eventually led me to yet another use for my new favorite toy.
“Waste disposal!” I said out loud. That idea made me laugh and then I realized I was getting a bit silly with sleep deprivation. It was probably past midnight already. I decided to put myself to bed but I was still chuckling as I walked down the hallway to my room.
The guard Harold had stationed outside my room gave me an odd look, for I was still chuckling as I wished him good night and shut the bedroom door.
Chapter 24
The next day I tackled the ‘self-locking door’ schemata, which turned out to be a lot simpler than I had imagined. It was also about as exciting as it sounded. Essentially it was a method for making sure a door or similar closure would close itself and automatically lock after being left unattended for a period of time.
What I did find fascinating was the method for creating a delay before the action of closing the door occurred. It could be adjusted, so while the standard door would close within seconds of being used, I could use the same technique to create a delay of minute, hours, or even longer. Although I might never want a door that waited that long to close itself, I could imagine any number of other enchants that might be useful if I could set them to activate after a delay.
A trap for example, or perhaps a timed event that should happen on a regular basis… my mind was full of possibilities. The more I learned the more ways I could imagine recombining the various elements to achieve different effects.
I spent most of the day working on ideas and jotting down notes. I didn’t want to forget anything. Rose and Marc were both gone on their individual tasks for most of that time so I suffered few interruptions.
That evening I made a half-hearted attempt at understanding the schemata that detailed how to create the effect that shielded the secret room from my mage-sight. I soon realized that a half-hearted effort would not be successful and decided to save it for another day. I had already used up my quota of ‘clever’ for the day it seemed.
After dinner with Rose, Marc, and Harold, I retired early. I was looking forward to returning home the next morning. I had considered extending my stay another two days, to make it a full week but I missed Penny. I could still work on things back in Castle Cameron anyway; there would just be more distractions.
I went to sleep while thinking about whether I should make our doors ‘self-locking’. It made me laugh to think of people’s reactions when the doors closed without aid behind them. What can I say? I’m a man of small amusements.
The next morning I rose early, anticipating the return home. The night before Rose had told me she was still searching for a suitable smith so I would be going back without her. I told her I’d check back in a week and see if she was ready to return.
Harold had his men ready shortly after breakfast and I could see that I wasn’t the only one glad to be returning. Certainly many of them had families they wanted to get back to just as I did. I made my goodbyes with Marc and Rose and soon enough I had Harold and the guards back in Castle Cameron.
A guard was posted, as usual, in the building where the teleport circles were housed. He got my attention as soon as I brought the first group of guardsmen across. “Excuse me your Lordship!” he said nervously.
“Just a minute,” I told him. “Let me get the rest of these men home.” It took a couple of minutes to finish that and dismiss the men and then I turned back to him. “Alright, you look like you have something to tell me…”
“Yes your Excellency, Joe McDaniel wanted me to tell you to see him as soon as you returned, before doing anything else,” the man answered, dutifully reciting his message.
“Tell Joe I’ll see him as soon as I get back from Lancaster. I have a lady waiting on me there,” I gave him one of my disarming smiles.
“Your pardon sir, but Joe said I should tell you he needs to see you first. He said it was very important,” he replied. I could tell he felt uncomfortable telling me that.
“Well Joe shouldn’t really be expecting me for another day or two, so I doubt a few minutes will make a difference. I’ll see him as soon as I return…,” and so saying I ducked into the room holding the circle that led to Lancaster. Before the poor fellow could muster the courage to restate his message I had transported myself.
I hastily unlocked the door that protected the circle in Lancaster and stepped outside. Today there were no fewer than three men guarding the building, something I knew to be unusual. As soon as I stepped out two of them snapped to attention while the third drew his horn to his lips and blew a loud note.
“There’s no need for that!” I said immediately.
The man with the horn finished and put it down. “Your pardon sir, the duke’s orders were that we sound the horn the moment you appeared.”
I frowned, “What’s going on?” The tension in these men had already set my hackles to rising.
“The duke will explain sir,” he replied apologetically.
“Fine,” I said and began walking toward the main door of the keep. Before I could reach it the door flew open and Ariadne darted out, running as quickly as a young woman can in full skirts, which was surprisingly fast. Before I could utter a greeting she flung herself into my chest, and buried her face against my shoulder.
“I’m so sorry Mordecai!” she cried into my tunic. My apprehensiveness went up several notches and transformed into true anxiety. I hadn’t seen Ariadne cry like this since she was a child, and that had been over a dead puppy. Something told me this had nothing to do with furry animals.
“Where is Penny?” I asked suddenly. A cold feeling was running down my spine now. Ariadne said something
