Sheila did not pry further, as it was considered impolite.
“We found him wandering around the golf course,” Dalton said. “More or less took him under our wing. Made an excellent caddy.” He winked at Jeremy.
“We were just talking about you, Osmirik,” Linda said.
“In a kindly way, I trust,” the librarian said as he loaded his plate with flapjacks and sausages. Of late he had acquired a taste for what, to him, were some rather strange foods.
“We were tossing around the possibility of locating Gene by using a spell. Anything like that in the books?”
Osmirik seated himself. “My dear, there are spells for every purpose imaginable.”
“Then we could do it?”
“Perhaps.” Osmirik took a sip of coffee. “And perhaps not.”
Linda shrugged. “Well, that covers the whole spectrum of possible outcomes.”
Sheila said, “Could we find him if he’s off through some portal or another?”
Osmirik thought it over. “It is quite likely …” He chewed thoughtfully.
Sheila nodded expectantly, smiling.
Osmirik swallowed. “ … that this is a possibility.”
Sheila slumped a little. “Well, are you willing to help us?”
“Of course, it is you who must undertake the effectuation of any such spell. As you know, I myself am not an adept thaumaturgist.”
“Thauma — yeah, we know. But you’ll help us with the research?”
“It would be my pleasure, Sheila.”
“Good. When can we start?”
“Might I break my fast before we begin?”
“Oh, sure. I’m sorry. It’s just that we’re a little worried about Gene.”
“And I share your concern. Before we start, however, I might warn you that such a project could be weeks in the making.”
“Weeks?”
“If not months. Were he in the castle, ’twould be a simple matter. But locating him among a hundred thousand worlds?” Osmirik shook his head woefully. “A staggering task, and one not to be undertaken lightly.”
“But he’s on Earth, we know that,” Linda said. “So forget about the hundred thousand worlds.”
“Ah, Earth magic.” Osmirik let out a long sigh. “That, I’m afraid, is a different story altogether.”
“Right,” Linda said. “You’re the only magician around here who can handle that, Sheila.”
Sheila looked deflated. “We’re going to have to ask for Prince Trent’s help. Earth magic is the hardest of all. I’m nowhere near being good at it.”
“Then by all means we should ask Prince Trent to help. I’ll go over to Halfway and phone him. Or maybe you should.”
“I will,” Sheila said. “But you’re coming back to Earth with me, Linda.”
“I should stay here and keep and eye out.”
“You’re right, you should.”
“Sheila, I’m coming with you,” Snowclaw stated.
“Don’t be silly. You can’t go running around Earth looking the way you do.”
“So change me.”
“Huh?”
“Do your witchy stuff on me and make me look different.”
“Gee, I never thought of that. I don’t know if I can.”
“Give it a shot.”
Osmirik said, “Appearance spells are not very difficult, even within the scope of Earth magic.”
Sheila shrugged. “I’ll give it a try. It’d be nice to have someone along with me. Especially you, Snowy.”
“I want to find Gene just as much as anyone. After all, we’re buddies.”
“However, there may still be a problem concerning the locator spell,” Osmirik said. “Might I inquire, what is the approximate human population of your world?”
Linda said, “Last time I heard it was five billion.”
Osmirik was stunned. “Five …
“Is that a lot?”
“Well, I should say so. I had no idea. The task of locating Gene out of that mass of humanity …”
“Looks like we’re getting nowhere fast,” Sheila said glumly. “Maybe we should concentrate on looking elsewhere.”
“But Gene never passed through the portal,” Linda objected. “You keep bringing up the possibility that he might be off in another aspect somewhere. Why?”
“Because of that darn portal wandering,” Sheila said. “It’s just possible there’s been some foul play here, somebody fiddling with the portal’s placement. Maybe Gene did it himself.”
“But Gene’s no magician.”
“Someone he was with? Maybe Trent … though I can’t bring myself to believe that. Or maybe what’s-her- name is back. Princess Ferne.”
A troubled silence fell.
Dalton broke it by directing an aside to Jeremy. “Castle politics, son. Palace intrigue.”
“There’s a lot going on here that I don’t understand,” Jeremy said.
“Well, look,” Sheila said. “I’ll go to Earth and work on the problem at that end. Linda, you stay here and help Osmirik at this end. Search the castle first, then start looking for some way of finding out if he went through another portal.”
“Easier said than done,” Osmirik said. “The task of processing endless data through the spell is the real problem.”
“Processing data?” Linda said. “Too bad you can’t mix computers and magic.”
“Who says you can’t?” Sheila wanted to know.
“Well, we don’t have a computer, anyway.”
“Here’s one,” Jeremy said, and everyone looked at him. He brought the Toshiba up from the floor and set it on the table. He flipped up the screen.
Osmirik jumped up and went over to him. “May I see that, please?”
“Sure.” Jeremy turned on the power supply. “Works on batteries.” He jiggled the switch. “Funny thing. You know, the first time I tried to turn it on in the castle, it didn’t work. I didn’t know what was going on, ’cause I know I recharged the batteries the other day, and I haven’t used it since. But I fiddled with it, and now it works fine.”
“Boy, that’s a first,” Linda said.
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“Electricity isn’t supposed to work in the castle.”
“Yeah? How come?”
“Only magic works here.”
Sheila said, “That may be his talent.”
“Everyone gets a magical talent in this place,” Linda told him. “Yours might be being able to work a computer without electricity.”
Jeremy chuckled. “C’mon, you gotta be kidding.”
Osmirik was watching numbers and symbols dance across the screen.
“Very interesting,” he said.
Eight
Cenotaphs
