Thread Slivers (Golden Threads Trilogy) (11 page)

“Whoa, stop. Calm down, Ditani.” Looking at the tray, Lebuin selected a glass of juice and carefully floated it over to Ditani, who just looked at it apprehensively. “Here, drink this slowly and relax a little. I need to get dressed and then we’ll go through all of that again, except slower, and with more detail.”

Nodding, Ditani plucked the glass out of the air with a small grateful smile and a slightly shaking hand. He sipped some of the juice and sat quietly, tensely watching as Lebuin stood up and stretched.
He is spinning faster than a top.
Looking at Ditani, he smiled widely.
Just give him a few minutes to calm down. He must have been thinking he’d get murdered for sneaking in here.
Stretching again, he moved to the two armoires and opened them wide. Grabbing his brushes, he stepped to the basin and poured some water into it. He didn’t bother warming it up, letting the fresh cold water help rinse the remaining cobwebs from his mind. Glancing at Ditani, he thought,
I’d better do a rush job, but not too fast; he looks like he is starting to unwind a little.
Tilting the shaving mirror, he cleaned his teeth, brushed his hair, trimmed his beard, and corrected his bangs. He examined his various outfits.
I need to look
dignified, but not too formal. I have to go shopping.
His eyes selected a beautiful pair of grey trousers. Slipping into them, he pulled out a comfortable maroon silk shirt with silver embroidery, loose sleeves, and long stiff cuffs. Over that he slipped on a sleeveless doublet of brushed suede, dyed a forest green with gold and silver geometric patterns embroidered tastefully along the center line. To this he added a belt, into which he slipped his utility knife and small pouch before securing it in a looped fashion.

Selecting complementary tall riding boots, he slipped into them and arranged his trousers artfully for best effect. Finally he put everything away exactly where it belonged and took the light gray samite and ermine cloak from the hanger. Putting on the cloak and fastening it with the artifact from his trial, he watched as the incantations began their work on his clothing. He smiled as he watched small bits of dust falling to the floor in the sunlight. Turning, he admired the results in the mirror.
I still look like a well-dressed skeleton. But at least a good night sleep has removed the haunted look from my eyes.

Feeling completely comfortable and clean, he closed the armoires, stepping over and looking at Ditani. Ditani was still tense but had shifted to a more comfortable position and had drunk most of the juice.
Good, at least he looks a little more relaxed now. But he needs some sleep. He’s about to drop.
Not sure why he cared so much, he sat down on the edge of his bed. “You look a little better. Why don’t you eat…” Realizing belatedly that it would make Ditani nervous to eat in front of a mage, he decided to adjust course. “I mean, please join me in finishing off these biscuits and fruit you were kind enough to bring.” To emphasize the point, he flexed his always-active telekinetic incantation to bring the side table with the tray to sit between them. Reaching out, he took an apple from the top and bit into it. Ditani took another apple but instead of biting it he held it in his slightly shaking hands for a few minutes, looking a little out of place. Lebuin shifted to a more comfortable pose. “You mentioned someone was missing. Who exactly is missing?”

Ditani looked at him as if he had missed some vital clue. Then he sighed, “Magus Vestul is missing. We came here to meet with a Duke. I am not sure which one. Magus Vestul only called him ‘Duke’ when he talked about him or sent him messages.”

Nodding to encourage Ditani to keep going, he took another bite. Ditani bit into the apple and chewed slowly. He swallowed. “Magus Vestul sent me out to get a special gift for this Duke. Apparently he has a taste for very old sharre.”

Interesting and expensive. Aged sharre is difficult to find.
“Did you get the sharre?” he encouraged.

Ditani nodded. “Yes, we had ordered it weeks ago, before coming here. He was supposed to meet me at the inn but he never came. I went up to our room, but without the key I can’t open the door. I knocked and knocked with no answer. When the time for the meeting came I went, expecting to find Magus Vestul there.” Taking another bite, Ditani chewed and swallowed. “At the Duke’s residence I wasn’t allowed to meet the Duke. I offered my apologies on behalf of Magus Vestul and delivered the gift. I was fed an excellent early dinner, alone. When Magus Vestul still had not come, I was escorted out and asked to help try to find him. So I went everywhere I could think of, but no one had any knowledge of where he could be. No one had seen him since the day before.”

Nodding, he took a few nuts from the plate and popped them in his mouth, savoring the flavor a little. “Then you came here to see if any Magi had seen him?”

Ditani nodded. “Magus Vestul missing the meeting has me very worried for him, and a little worried that he was doing something dangerous. I felt I should try to be nondescript. So I went and got one of my old uniforms to blend in a little. When I got here I found out Varni was dead. Vestul had asked me to help Gezu and Varni for a time, but when Gezu died Varni stopped their work and sent me back to Magus Vestul with their notes. Vestul had planned on stopping to see Varni while back in Llino, so he didn’t know she was dead. To discover Varni dead was too much. Then I got pulled into your ceremony.”

“
Magus,
” he emphasized the word, “Gezu died of a heart failure in his sleep, and
Magus
Varni died a little later, also of heart failure. There was nothing anyone could do by the time either was found. They were both very old and their deaths were not suspicious.”

“I would accept that if Magus Vestul wasn’t missing.” Ditani straightened slightly and looked pleadingly at him.

If I help him I might be able to coax him into my service. He obviously knows how to dress well, he is experienced with mages, and I bet he knows things that will be helpful.
“Well, I can do anything I want now, and Magus Vestul would certainly have some good ideas for my Journeyman quest. I need to speak with the councilor first, then I will help you look.”

Ditani practically leapt over the table to clasp Lebuin’s arms. Tears were showing in the corners of his eyes. “Thank you, Master Lebuin, thank you. I really need your help. I don’t know what to do.”

Standing up awkwardly, Lebuin grasped Ditani’s arms in his hands too. Giving his best warm smile, he said, “You’re welcome. I’ll be back. In the meantime you can stay here and rest.” He pointed at his bed. “In fact, why don’t you lie down and take a nap while I attend to my meeting. Then we’ll go out and see if we can’t find Magus Vestul together.”
He really is scared. Is it that dangerous outside these walls?

Locking the door behind him, Lebuin moved through the halls towards the main offices. When he arrived a secretary nodded to him from behind a neat and tidy desk. His shirt, however, was a little crumpled around the neck and the elbows were wearing thin.
You really shouldn’t wear the same shirt so frequently. Heavens, you look like a poor person, and I know you get paid well.

Indicating the open doorway beyond his desk, he said, “Journeyman Lebuin, thank you for coming. Magus Nillo asked me to send you in as soon as you came by.”

Stepping around the desk, he smiled at the secretary. “Thank you.”

He stopped in the doorway and peeked in. The office was lined with shelves, every one filled to brimming with folders, books, and assorted collectables. A table with three old beaten-up chairs sat by the doorway next to a chalkboard that was so clean it might never have been used. Opposite the doorway sat a rather large desk in the shape of a large ‘L’. The desk was as tidy as the secretary’s, with a number of stacks of papers each held down with a collectable statue or split geode.

On one corner of the desk near the tip of the ‘L’ there was an unusual hollow device made of gold, silver, and numerous gems. It was shaped like an oversized egg and made entirely of a loose weave of gold and silver. It had an organic feel and the gems cut as the leaves of the twisted vines. The center of it was an area in the shape of a perfect sphere. It rested on a simple wooden base.
Every time I ask about that, he avoids the question. Maybe now I can find out what it is.

Seated in an oversized stuffed leather chair behind the desk was the bear of a man who ran the entire Guild from this office. Councilor Nillo stood at least six inches taller than anyone else Lebuin had ever seen. Although bald on top, he had nearly a lion’s mane of silver hair, which he kept a medium length and which stood straight out from his head, almost giving him a halo. His beard was a dark black, in complete contrast to his hair, and he kept it in a sharp, perfect goatee. Today he was wearing a tired grey robe over a new white linen shirt. Looking up from the papers he was reading, he smiled, and his deep voice was surprisingly soft and melodic. “Ah, Journeyman Lebuin. You are up earlier than I expected.” Smiling wide and showing a set of sharp, white teeth, he pointed at a chair. “Please, sit down.”

Lebuin moved to the chair and sat down. At the same time, Councilor Nillo stood up and pulled something from a high shelf. Sitting back down, the councilor produced two crystal glasses. In his hand the bottle of sharre looked like a toy. He poured two half-glasses and then resealed the bottle, putting it aside on his desk. Handing a glass to Lebuin, he held his up. “To the rather impressive end of one life and the beginning of a new one. May you serve Argos well.”

Lebuin smiled. “Thank you, Councilor.” He took his glass up, clinked it with the Councilor’s and took a mouthful. The strongest, warmest sensation he had ever experienced nearly caused him to sputter. Warmth spread through his whole body faster than he thought possible. All the minor aches from the week’s trials vanished at the same time and he completely stopped caring that the highest Councilor the Guild was dressed like a sheep herder.

Shaking his head, he looked at the Councilor, who was smiling the happy smile of a trickster. “How old is this?”

Councilor Nillo examined the bottle for a time. “I recall that this particular bottle was in my predecessor’s storage. I would imagine it is likely at least a hundred years old. It doesn’t yet have the feel of the good two-hundred-and-fifty bottle I shared with Prince Mory.”

Even with the calming effects of the sharre Lebuin gasped. “One hundred year-old sharre — that has to be worth ten crowns!”

Without flinching, he said, “More likely twelve or thirteen.” His smile widened dramatically. “Per glass. Nice, isn’t it?”

“Nice doesn’t begin to describe it.” In spite of himself he took another drink. His tired channels filled with energy, and he felt as if he had just finished a week in a health retreat eating good food, resting, bathing, and being massaged until every ache was gone and all tiredness removed. “If this is what one hundred year-old sharre is like I can see why it is so expensive and hard to find.”

“It has been said that five hundred year-old sharre can restore youth.” A little twinkle in his eye showed he didn’t believe it himself. “Keeping it that long in the right conditions would be tricky, if not impossible.”

Another mouthful of the amazing liquor brought more feelings of well-being and confidence. “Councilor, I never thought I’d have to leave this place. I knew journeymen were to do research into various magics — in fact I was looking forward to spending my time in the labs and library doing just that. Why do I have to leave?”

He leaned back in his chair, and the door behind Lebuin closed softly. “Lebuin, I know you never once came to a Journeyman ceremony. I also know you labored under the idea of staying within these walls your whole career. You had to be kept here through your youth because of what you are. However, that also cut you off from your peers, and sadly it seems most of the world. You might make an amazing scholar someday. However, Argos himself insists that all his Magi spend a significant amount of time in the field. It is important to know the world and people whom we live to protect. This is why the rank of Journeyman is required and it is not just a name,” the Magus leveled a finger at him, “it is a description of the requirements of the rank which you agreed to last night. You are to be the eyes and ears of the Guild and Argos in the world.”

“So I am just kicked out until I find something new?”

“Oh no, you are not kicked out, you are only required to journey most of the time. Your research must be out there,” he said, waving at the window. “It takes years of work as a Journeyman to achieve enough experiences to advance to the rank of Magus. Contribution to the Guild in the form of new knowledge, be it magical or mundane, is just a side effect of your own experience.” Looking sternly at Lebuin, he continued, “Lebuin, you now directly work for Lord Argos. He is not so heavy a taskmaster as some other Gods, but he does have goals for all his mages. For now your task is to go out, experience the real world, learn about the people, and find some new magic or a new way to apply magic. When you have done that you will be ready for the next task already set out for you. Do not believe you are so unique; all mages have done this, since the founding of the Guild.”

Another swallow kept the warmth flowing through his veins. “What if I am killed in this work?”

“This is not the end of our adventures. Death has its own… paths. You may come back to research what you have learned in the libraries and with the Magi present to determine if you have found something new. Once it is agreed, you may then stay here and assist in preparing a manuscript, or an update to an existing manuscript, with your new knowledge. But you cannot stay here longer than absolutely necessary to make such determinations and updates. You will know when it is time for your next task.”

Thinking of Ditani, he asked, “Can I have help outside of the Guild? Assistants, other journeymen?”

“Of course; you can even spend your family’s small fortune trying to speed it up if you desire. There are no limitations on how you go about your work. Just remember, you are bound by the Laws of Magic far more now then yesterday, and Lord Argos is not forgiving of violations by his mages. The Gods long ago declared that ignorance is not an acceptable defense for any violation of their laws. Many countries have adopted this into their own legal systems. So beware of local laws, as ignorance is not likely to be forgiven, especially from a Journeyman. Don’t worry, we will know where you are and if you are still alive. Should the need arise we will be able to find you quickly, no matter where you may find yourself traveling.”

“That was the incantation at the ceremony, wasn’t it? All those channels, they are links so I can be traced. Or so I can trace others.”

The Councilor sat up straighter. “You detected the threads? You recognized their purposes?”

“Of course, why shouldn’t I? I have even activated the channel within me imprinted by the ceremony.”

The Councilor stood up and came around the desk, placing his hands on Lebuin’s head. Seeing no reason to resist he just relaxed and waited. “You have done that. But how did you know to do this?”