And how long would the effect last?
And what had caused it?
A thought struck Hanner. Alris seemed not only certain that she wasn’t a warlock, but that she didn’t want to be one. “I thought youwanted to be a magician,” he said. “Didn’t you beg Uncle Faran to apprentice you to a magician, any sort of magician?”
“That was months ago,” Alris said, “and I meant areal magician, not a warlock!”
“Being a warlock is so terrible?”
“Yes! After what I heard at the Palace,.. well, I guess the ones here are all right, but warlocks sound horrible!”
“Oh? So what else did you hear at the Palace?” Hanner asked.
“Oh, lots of stories-warlocks hurt and killed people last night, and smashed and stole things. There were a dozen fires, at least, and bodies and wreckage in the streets, and that’s not counting all those hundreds of people who just disappeared. Everyone’s scared and upset-a lot of people were calling for the overlord to have all the warlocks hunted down and killed.”
Hanner frowned. That did not sound good atall. “But most of them didn’t do anything wrong,” he said. “The ones I brought here didn’t.”
Except, he remembered, the four prisoners still locked in a room upstairs.
Alris turned up a palm. “I don’t think anyone cares,” she said. “Warlocks did a lot of damage last night, and the people I heard talking weren’t interested in sorting out the good ones from the bad ones. Or the ones who haven’t done anythingyet from the ones who already went wild. What if tonight they all start screaming again and go berserk?”
Hanner had not thought of that, and did not like the suggestion. “But how would anyone hunt them down?”
“Magic, of course,” Alris said. “Don’t be stupid. The wizards and demonologists could do it.”
“Maybe,” Hanner admitted. He sighed. “Did you ask what we should do with the prisoners?”
“They aren’t getting into the Palace,” Alris said. “Even if they start letting other people in, I don’t think the overlord’sever going to let any warlocks in. The guard suggested we take them to one of the local magistrates.”
“I suppose that would be easiest,” Hanner said. The possibility had occurred to him earlier, but he had wanted to be sure first that no one at the Palace wanted them. And besides, he had captured them while acting in the overlord’s name, which meant that they were supposed to be the overlord’s responsibility.
Obviously, though, Azrad didn’twant that particular responsibility.
Hanner sighed again, and got to his feet. “I think the closest magistrate would be in the Old Merchants’ Quarter; I don’t want to try to figure out whose district we caught them in. I’ll need to find the others to help me...”
“I’m right here,” Rudhira said from the doorway. Hanner turned, startled, then smiled at her. She was wearing a different outfit-a white silk tunic embroidered with green and a long green skirt-and had removed the remains of her makeup and brushed her hair. The clothes fit her well, and nothing marked her as anything but a respectable woman. Hanner had not looked forward to confronting a magistrate with the sorry crew he had on hand, and this transformation on Ru-dhira’s part was a welcome improvement.
It wasn’t really a surprise that Uncle Faran kept extra women’s clothes on hand, given his probable use for this second home of his. Hanner supposed he ought to protest what amounted to theft, but he was too pleased by the results.
“Good,” he said, meaning both her presence and her appearance. “Let’s find the others and get those four out of here.”
The sooner the prisoners were gone, Hanner told himself, the sooner he could concentrate on other matters...
Such as his own unwanted magic.
Chapter Sixteen
The Lord Magistrate of the Old Merchants’ Quarter leaned on his desk and looked unhappily at Hanner.
“Vandalism, theft, assault, and unruly behavior,” he said. “Disobeying the orders of a representative of the overlord.”
“That’s right,” Hanner answered.
“You aren’t mentioning the use of forbidden magic.”
Hanner frowned and glanced at Rudhira. She was keeping both feet firmly on the plank floor. Beside her, Zarek and Othisen were standing silently, listening and watching carefully. The four prisoners were arrayed on the bench, their wrists and ankles chained. Hanner had not asked Bern why Uncle Faran had had chains and cuffs in his house; he didn’t want to know.
“I’m not aware that the magic they used is forbidden by any statute or edict,” Hanner said.
“But they do have this new magic that was running wild last night.”
“Yes,” Hanner conceded. “Then if they’re magicians, why haven’t they resisted imprisonment? How did you bring them here?”
“By hiring other magic, of course,” Hanner said. “These other three assisted me in capturing and holding the prisoners.” He gestured at his remaining aides.
“They’re magicians, too?”
Hanner nodded.
The magistrate sighed. “To the best of my knowledge the overlord has not yet issued instructions as to whether this new magic is criminal in nature.”
“Then it isn’t,” Hanner said. “And you need only rule on the actual crimes involved-theft, vandalism, assault, unruly behavior, and the refusal of orders from the overlord’s representative.”
“That would be you?”
“Yes.”
“Lord Hanner, to the best of my knowledge you hold no official position in the overlord’s service, as yet.”
“That’s true.”
“Then I can’t rule on that-only the overlord can say whether you were correct in acting in his name.” He brightened up suddenly. “Which means that I must, regrettably, refer this case to a higher authority...”
“But you can’t!” Hanner said. “The overlord won’t allow anyone into the Palace, and I don’t think Lord Karannin is going to come out and rule on this case.”
“To be blunt, my lord, that’s not my problem.”
Hanner glowered at the magistrate. “Fine, then! I hereby drop that charge. Deal with the others.”
“I do not see the aggrieved parties-the owners of the stolen and vandalized property-here...”
That was the pebble that sank the barge.
“By all the gods and demons!” Hanner roared, startling everyone, including himself. He stepped forward to the desk and only at the last instant refrained from leaning across and grabbing the magistrate by the throat. “You’re one of Lord Azrad’s magistrates! Will you stop making excuses and do your accursedjob, sir? I have brought you three men and a young woman caught in the act of wantonly stealing anything they pleased and smashing anything in their way, I have brought you three eyewitnesses in addition to myself, and Idemand that you deal with the matter!”
“Ican’t!” the magistrate insisted. “The overlord might outlaw this new magic at any moment and order them all to be hanged!”
“Well, he hasn’t done ityet!” Hanner bellowed, leaning forward until his nose almost met the magistrate’s own. “I’ve been holding these four prisoner in my uncle’s house, and I can’t hold them forever! I have no idea when Azrad will finally make up his mind, and neither do you, and the entire city can’t just wait around doing nothing until
