'But why?' asked Lenardo.
Master Clement looked around at the other people lining the long table. 'You may speak freely,' said Lenardo. 'If anyone here were spying for the empire, I think I would have discovered it by now.'
'I'm sure you would,' the old man replied. 'However, will your allies not think that / might be here to spy?'
'No, Master Clement,' Aradia replied for them all. 'Please tell us why you have made this long, hard journey.'
'Because I have the information you need-and no longer a place in the empire.'
'What happened?' Lenardo asked.
'Portia has been suspicious of me since you escaped,' Master Clement replied. 'When the Adigia Academy was moved to Tiberium, I naturally took my place on the Council of Masters. But I am not part of Portia's inner circle. I have never been interested in politics-a mistake a good number of us have made over the years, Lenardo, leaving Portia and her cronies to concoct whatever schemes they pleased. Now she has gone too far, and is, trying to prevent the Emperor from taking away her power. Rumors were already spreading throughout the empire, before this latest fiasco, that Readers were turning traitor. As to your blowing the fleet away, and then sinking the army on dry land-'
'It wasn't dry,' Torio put in.
The old man smiled. 'You're right, son. It's funny-to you. But sometimes it is better to kill someone than to make a fool of him-and you made fools of the entire Aventine army. Thereby, you made a fool of the Emperor. He is not pleased. Nor are the people, who have been told you defeated the army in battle. They are terrified, and crying out for the Emperor to protect them.'
'Master Clement,' Lord Wulfston put in, 'we did not want to kill people who were doing nothing more than their duty to their homeland.'
'And now they must do it again,' said Master Clement. 'The Emperor has declared all-out war, by land, with the army marching northward in full force along the border.'
'But that's futile!' said Torio.
'The people expect the Emperor to attack before their enemies recoup the losses the empire claims. You did not help matters by taking two master Readers hostage.'
'That was a mistake,' said Wulfston. 'I thought if they saw what we are trying to do here-'
'Those two? Amicus is one of Portia's cronies and Corus will move any way the wind blows. What have you done with them? Killed them?'
'Of course not!' Lilith answered. 'They are safely locked up in my castle far to the north, under heavy guard. Despite their unsavory personalities, we may be able to trade them for concessions in a peace treaty.'
'There will be no treaty now,' said Master Clement. 'Portia could not prove that I have been in contact with you. She dared not create factions in the Council of Masters by accusing me of spying. So suddenly there was a villa available, three days' ride to the south, for the Adigia Academy-and we were told one evening to move out of Tiberium in the morning. I was Read every moment we were packing, and until we were well outside the walls in the morning-I had no opportunity to contact you, Lenardo.'
'But if Portia suspects you-'
'If she had known for certain that you and I were in contact, she would have called other Masters to witness- and had me executed for treason. But she and her inner circle have become so corrupt that I doubt they can Read beyond the ends of their noses. Portia simply wanted to be rid of me-and she wouldn't send me north, where I might be tempted either to join you or report to you. So I calmly rode one day to the south with the rest of the Academy-and on one of the mountain passes Decius and I fell over a cliff.'
'What?!' exclaimed Aradia.
'Oh, a dozen Readers Read it happen-or think they did,' Master Clement replied. 'Lenardo, I have observed that trick of yours often enough, to make Readers Read something that is not really happening. Decius and I were bringing up the rear. Actually, we never entered the treacherous pass-but those ahead Read us start out onto the trail, my horse slip, and Decius' go over, too, as he attempted to rescue me. I did not like to do such a thing to the boys who loved us… but I could not ask them to lie, and I could not take a whole Academy of children across the border. Since Torio left, Decius was our best young Reader-and therefore most susceptible to Portia's wrath.' He pressed his fingers to his closed eyes as he said, 'I hope we can somehow create a safe place for the other boys by the time they are grown up enough to be in danger from jealous Readers.'
'We will,' Lenardo said softly. 'You are tired, Master. After you have rested we will talk-'
'No-there's not enough time. The reason I had to come is that I have Read the whole length of the earthquake fault. We must get all the people you will use to disarm it into the empire before the Emperor masses the army at the borders. I don't know how to prevent them from being trapped, though-there is so little time. Men are being conscripted throughout the land. In only fifteen days, the march will begin, from Tiberium. There will be a grand parade, with the Emperor reviewing the troops in the forum as they set out on the glorious campaign-'
'Fifteen days!' exclaimed Lenardo. 'The Emperor on a reviewing stand in the forum?'
'No!' gasped Torio. 'We thought we had over a month yet!'
'What?' asked Master Clement as he and Decius looked around at the faces staring in surprise and horror.
'I thought it was the Summer Festival,' exclaimed Lenardo, 'but it could be the day the Emperor reviews the troops. The earthquake! In only fifteen days!'
Chapter Eight
Torio sat in the early morning sunshine in Lenardo's courtyard, the calm eye in the storm of activity going on within the household and throughout the city of Zendi. Despite the hour, Torio was by no means the first one up; Cook's crew had already been cleaning up after other early risers when he had eaten breakfast almost an hour ago. Now he was studying the map of the earthquake fault.
The map was not in the courtyard, but drawn across a series of wax tablets laid end to end down the middle of the table in the dining hall. Torio had no need to be in the room to Read it. Besides, he had it memorized.
The dining hall was becoming crowded now, people who had already eaten staying to study the map while new people arrived, hungry and eager to join the activity. Cook's assistants shooed the newcomers to trestle tables along the edges of the hall. Torio frowned at his break in concentration, and returned to studying the map.
A familiar mind touched gently at the edge of Torio's consciousness, not intruding. //I am in the courtyard, Master Clement.//
The old man hardly appeared the same person as yesterday. It was not merely that he was rested, and dressed in the imposing scarlet robes of a Master
Reader. He moved differently, freely. It was the first time in Torio's memory that he had Read his teacher without the chronic ache of rheumatism.
Master Clement said, 'I brought no Master's robes, but these were laid out in my room when I woke.'
'They're Lenardo's,' Torio explained. 'He had his seamstress hem them up for you.'
'My clothes may have a mundane explanation, but I don't. I am not surprised that I overslept-I was on the road for five days, with very little rest. Yet not only am I not stiff and sore today-I feel twenty years younger! Where is your sword, Torio? I think I'll get back into practice. Did you know I was once accounted as fine a swordsman as you are?'
Although the old man was teasing now, Torio knew that in a few days he might actually be capable of wielding a sword again. So he replied, 'I know Master. I would be honored to practice with you… until the day we no longer need swords.'
'As long as people are people, that day will never-Oh. You mean until all Readers master Adept powers, Torio?'
'It is obviously possible,' replied Torio, 'although I have made no progress whatsoever.'
'Aye-it is a frightening prospect. Yet think of being able to heal people as you were healed.' He touched Torio's shoulder. 'Even as simple a thing as easing my rheumatism is a blessing. I did not realize how much pain I had grown used to, until I found it gone.'
'We'll heal more than the pain,' said Torio. 'Each night our healers will set your body to healing again until the swollen joints are back to normal, all restrictions gone. It will take several more nights-but we need you awake in the daytime to help with our plans.'
The old Reader stared at his twisted hands. 'Is it possible-?'
'Any of the Lords Adept can do it.'
