completely, so when he adopted me he gave me a new name. Actually, it's a very old name-there are two legendary Wulfstons celebrated in song: Wulfston the Red, a non-Adept warrior king who ruled his people well despite his lack of powers, and Wulfston of Caperna, who subdued the ghost-king.'
'The ghost-king?'
The young Adept grinned. 'A fairy tale, to be sure. He's also the Wulfston of the famous wedding-right. I think I told you there were legends of Adepts who survived death and continued to rule their people. You will have many things to learn this side of the pale, Lenardo.'
'Legends are interesting but not my highest priority. Two things I must learn soon, Wulfston: how to read your alphabet, and the code the watchers use to transmit messages.'
'Better take them one at a time, or you'll mix them up,' said Wulfston.
'No-if you will show them to me, I can commit both to memory overnight.'
'Really?' Wulfston was clearly impressed. 'Now there's a Reader's trick I'd like to learn!'
'I wonder…' said Lenardo. 'It's not exactly Reading. There's no harm in trying to teach you-but first you teach me!'
As Lenardo absorbed the new knowledge, he pondered Wulfston's statement, 'You won't go back.' How could he not go back? He couldn't live here, cut off from other Readers.
Strange… now that he thought about it, he was not experiencing the deprivation he had expected from being separated from other Readers. He had expected to feel isolated, but ever since he had begun working with Aradia and Wulfston to heal Nerius, he had become so involved in their problems that he hadn't thought about his own, other than the immediate problem of Galen and Drakonius, which he shared with the Adepts.
Of course-that was why he felt so comfortable here now: they shared a common enemy. When Drakonius was defeated and Galen rescued, Lenardo would have to take Galen home. Deliberately, he shut out the fear that Galen could not be taken from Drakonius alive, and considered the problem of getting the boy back within the empire's walls. How much influence did Portia have with the senate? She was the one who insisted that the Readers take rare of their own. But once Galen was stopped from working with the enemy, what would become of him?
He should be given over to the physicians at Gaeta. Can Portia and Clement arrange that? Or will Galen be imprisoned? Or executed?
Suddenly the idea of returning to the empire with Nerius' strength to back him took on new appeal. Nerius wanted Lenardo's help in negotiating a treaty,.and in return Lenardo could ask him to protect Galen. An elegant solution -provided Lenardo could get back alive.
In the morning Aradia sought Lenardo out. 'I do not think my father will be pleased that Wulfston taught you the watcher's code.'
'You forget, Aradia-I can pick up my message directly from the minds of the watchers. I wanted to know the code in case I need to send a message.'
She laughed. 'Of course. Watchers never use the heliograph in sight of the Aventine walls for that very reason. And once we have made peace, we will have relays of Readers, and the heliograph will become obsolete.'
'You expect that kind of cooperation?'
'It has to come. If it does not, one day the whole world will be in the hands of men like Drakonius. What can you tell me of him this morning? As you did not come seeking me, I fear there is no news.'
'I could wish for those relays of Readers now,' Lenardo replied. 'Last night, all except the guards in Drakonius' stronghold were sleeping. This morning Drakonius was fishing again. But who knows what might have happened while / was sleeping? Or might be happening right now, while we talk? Your watchers report troop movements; I don't know where to look for them. To do a proper job of watching Drakonius' preparations, we should have at least ten Readers, strategically placed. Someone ought to be Reading Drakonius every moment, so we don't miss a message, a command,.any clue to his intentions.'
'We,' Aradia said thoughtfully.
'Hmmm?'
'You keep saying 'we,' not 'you' anymore. Lenardo, why has the empire not kept such watch on Drakonius aU along? How could his attack on Adigia have surprised a whole academy of Readers?'
'An academy is a school, not a spy system. To do what you suggest, Readers would have to be sent out into the savage lands…' Suddenly the words of Portia, the Master Reader, came back to him. We must not make our own people mistrust us. But they already mistrusted Readers- so much so that they feared using them as their best line of defense!
'Lenardo?' Aradia was looking up at him in concern.
He shook his head. 'The strategy seems so obvious to me now. Yet…' He shuddered. 'Look what Drakonius has done to Galen, and now he's looking for me, thinking he can use any Reader thus. Readers are human-you Adepts could break some and use them, and kill those you could not conquer. No, the empire dares not risk having their own weapon turned against them.'
Aradia sighed. 'Your loyalty does you credit, but your stupidity does not. Father is right: the Aventine people fear the Readers' powers, but the government fears most of all, knowing that they hold the positions you should have by right of nature. Never mind-you will come to it. We don't have ten Readers, only you, so tell me how we can best use your abilities.'
'If I continue to keep watch on Drakonius himself, I can tell you when he leaves to join the assembled armies. I take it he will have to come close to you to attack?'
'Yes. Our powers decrease with distance, so even if Galen could Read my castle as you can read Drakonius', he could not attack from there.',
'Is that why you have not suggested that I direct you in an attack on Drakonius from here?'
'That is one reason. However, I have obligations to my allies. We know perfectly well that we are Drakonius' target-yet there has been no declaration of war and no attack. Unless Lilith and I agree, neither of us would attack Drakonius, as that would bring him down on the other.'
'Unless you succeeded in killing him.'
'My powers have never been tested against Drakonius. He may be the more powerful. What he does not know as he goes fishing is that all the time he waits he is giving my father time to recover. Drakonius made one mistake in his climb to power: instead of testing himself against Nerius, he gave him these lands and made him his.ally.'
'That seems a wise move to me,' said Lenardo.
'For Nerius to make, or Lilith, or me. But Drakonius rules through power and fear-and it is often said that he feared my father, that Nerius was the stronger Adept. Now Drakonius thinks Nerius no longer a threat-but I am. I am just approaching the height of my powers. He dare not wait much longer lest my strength be equal to his… or beyond it. I have been expecting his attack ever since Nerius went blind-hence my alliances.'
'Drakonius also has allies.'
'True, but not in the sense of sworn loyalty among equals. Not one of those Adepts is his equal. They're all at the height of their powers, and none is as good as Wulfston is already. Or Lilith. Four strong Adepts, maybe an apprentice or two, and a Reader. They are counting on having the advantage over Lilith and me. I suspect they under-. ' estimate Wulfston, and you are an unknown quantity.'
'I don't think Galen would assume I was working for you freely. But then, I cannot predict Galen's thinking these days.'
'What they do not know is that Nerius lives and is regaining his strength. If they give us but three more days, my father and I together will be invincible!' She smiled. 'My father and I… and you, Lenardo. We have the better Reader, and he is working with us, unconstrained.'
The next morning, Drakonius was gone. Lenardo Read his stronghold, all the soldiers still there, everything seeming exactly the same as yesterday… except that there was no sign of Drakonius, Galen, or the young woman he had decided was Drakonius' apprentice.
Aradia was in Nerius' room. Lenardo took the treacherous stairs two at a time and then at the top composed himself. Nerius was standing at the window, fully dressed, staring down into the courtyard.
Lenardo said softly, 'Aradia, I have important news.'
'If it is about Drakonius,' she said, 'you may tell my father. I have just told him all that is happening.'
Nerius turned to greet Lenardo. He was almost as tall as the Reader, still too thin and too pale, but otherwise in apparent health. 'Good morning, Master Reader. What news of Drakonius?' His voice was vibrant, robust,
