Master Reader before. He wore a white ankle-length tunic, banded and belted in black, and over it a floor-length robe of scarlet, the sleeves bias-cut and so wide that they almost touched the ground. When he lifted his hands, the wide sleeves fell from his wrists like wings. It was the first time he had ever worn the robes.
Never in his life had he made so many decisions. The matter of clothing was trivial; his other decision for this occasion was not, and he had really made up his mind only last night, when he had carried Julia to bed. She had cuddled against him when he picked her up, and at home, when he laid her on her couch, she gave a small cry of pain. Wondering if she had made herself sick with excitement and rich food, he Read her and found her in the midst of a nightmare.
She found her mother, but it was as if the woman could not see or hear her. Then Lenardo appeared. She saw him through the crowd, lost him, found him at the end of a long, narrow passage and tried to run to him. He walked on, out of sight. Again she found him, ran to him, tried to throw her arms around him, but he thrust her away, saying, 'No, child. I am not your father.'
'But I love you,' she sobbed.
'Don't touch me,' said Lenardo.
Julia's dream brought back a memory. For many months after he had come to the Academy, Torio had had nightmares in which he lost the power to Read and was plunged back into darkness. Both Lenardo and Master Clement had often had to hold the boy in the night until his fear subsided.
Now Lenardo sat down on Julia's couch and took her in his arms, telling her, //It's all right. I'm here.//
She didn't wake, but her dream turned to bliss. Safe at last, she clung to him as he reassured her. //Sleep now. If you need me, call. I'll be here for you.//
Since he had made the commitment personally, he might as well make it publicly. A search through the treasure chests yielded the token he needed.
Now, before his people gathered in the forum, he called, 'Julia. Come here, child.'
//???// But she came quickly, excitement stirring her blood.
Lenardo turned her to face the crowd, his hands on her shoulders. 'As most of you know, this is Julia, a Reader like myself. She is progressing well in the use of her gift and is learning the Readers' Honor.'
Julia glowed with happiness as the crowd cheered. Making public speeches, Lenardo was learning, was not very different from lecturing in a classroom and certainly got a more enthusiastic response.
'So on this day of celebration and recognition, I want to make formal something that has been growing in my heart ever since this child came into my life. Here, before my people, before my allies and dearest friends, I ask you all to bear witness as I declare this child, Julia, to be my adopted daughter-'
In the wild applause drowning out his words, Lenardo fastened the gold fillet he had found in the treasure chest across Julia's brow. She reached up to touch it in disbelief, all thought suspended as the cheering died down and Lenardo finished triumphantly, '-hereafter to be known as Julia, daughter of Lenardo.'
Turning Julia to face him, he knelt, feeling her restrain her longing to throw her arms about him, merely letting him kiss her formally on either cheek. Her warmth came instead in a joyous rush into his mind. //You do want me! You do love m'e!//
//Yes, child, and now I am your father.//
After that, the wedding was almost an anticlimax, although not, of course, for the principals. Josa was so happy, she looked positively beautiful, but Lenardo Read that Arkus, proudly paying the bride-price to Josa's father, who had come in Aradia's train for the occasion, had long since looked beyond Josa's exterior to the spirit beneath. If he could not Read them, he might have thought the quiet, steadfast young woman and the boisterous soldier an unlikely match.
The couple pledged to live, work, and rear children together, with their families as witness to the pledge. As Arkus had no family, Lenardo witnessed for him. Then, his official duties over, he joined his guests.
Tomorrow morning Lilith would leave, as would most of the people who had piled into the city for the festival. Wulfston and Aradia planned to stay a few extra days, and after that Wulfston wanted Lenardo to come with him, 'just for a couple of weeks, so I can start mining before bad weather sets in.'
'I understand,' said Lenardo, 'but there's still so much to do here. Julia is a tremendous help, but-'
'You said Julia can locate metal, didn't you?' Aradia asked.
'Yes, she's good at that-one of the first skills she learned.'
'Well, that's all Wulfston needs. Why don't you lend him your daughter?'
'Aradia-' Wulfston protested, but she went right on.
'You do trust Wulfston with Julia, don't you?'
'Of course I do. The worst he could do is spoil her to death. Actually, she could locate your iron ore as well as I could, Wulfston, but she's had so little training-'
'I understand,' said Wulfston. 'You don't want to go away from Julia, or send her away, either one-and I can't blame you.'
'However,' said Aradia, 'you have made Wulfston a promise, Lenardo. If Julia can do the job and cannot do your work here in Zendi-'
'I'll talk to her,' said Lenardo. 'You must remember that she's only eight years old.'
Julia immediately hated the idea, but she did not say so. He could feel her trying to Read what he wanted her to say, and he kept his own thoughts neutral.
'It would be only for two weeks,' he said, 'and you like Lord Wulfston. I must tell you, Julia, that with only two Readers, the time will quickly come when we must divide our skills.'
'We already do,' she replied, 'but I know you're here in the city. I can't Read even from here to Northgate. If I go into another land-'
'I can Read that far, Julia. We'll set a time, every day, when I will contact you. You can't miss your lessons for two weeks, you know, whether you go or I do.'
'You mean you'll go if I don't? Then what difference does it make?' She remained silent for a moment and then added, 'One day I shall rule a land of my own. I must think of what is best for our people. I shall go and repay your debt to Lord Wulfston.' The grand lady disappeared, and the little girl was back. 'Besides, he holds me on his lap, and he told me if I ever visit his land, he'll take me to the sea. Have you ever seen the sea, Father?'
'Yes, I have. I know you'll have a good time, Julia, and I know you will Read accurately for Lord Wulfston. I'm proud of you.' He let the warmth of his feelings flow to her, and she responded in kind from across the room.
Still, it was hard for Lenardo to watch Julia ride away with Wulfston a few days later.
Aradia had not yet set her departure date and made no mention of one now. The white pavilion stood alone in the forum.
'Poor Julia,' Lenardo said to her as they walked back to his house. 'When I adopted her, I didn't realize she would immediately inherit my debts.'
'You did find yourself an heir rather quickly.'
'Afy heir, perhaps,' he said as they entered his room, ' 'but I did not name her heir to my lands because I cannot know how good a Reader she will become-and I'm not altogether certain a Reader ought to try to hold power this way.'
'But you are doing beautifully,' Aradia protested. 'Look at all you have done for your people in a single summer.'
'In a totally artificial situation. Suppose you had given me land with different Lords Adept as neighbors? How long before they discovered that I am no Adept and that the most fearsome thing any of my people can do is start a few fires? How long do you think I would hold such lands?'
'If your Adept opponent has no Reader, he becomes a bear on a tether. You tell your minor Adepts where he is, and he goes up in flames, or his heart is stopped-and his lands are yours for the taking. Besides, you have powerful allies. No one would dare attack the alliance that defeated Drakonius. In fact, I have already received tentative overtures from two other lords to join our alliance.'
'That's wonderful, Aradia. You may yet achieve peace through all the lands of the Adepts.'
'It's not that simple. Remember Hron. He was my ally only until he thought Drakonius could defeat me.'
'Unfortunately, nature does not always bestow the gifts of great power on those with great strength of will.'
'You are thinking of Galen as well as Hron,' said Aradia. 'Such people must be guided. Lenardo, my father always said that the greatest strength lay with those who; were right. Conversely, right lies with the strongest, and
