A Scholar of Magics (34 page)
Read A Scholar of Magics Online
Authors: Caroline Stevermer
“The same thing I would do, I suppose,” Jane replied.
“Apply it selectively until the world ran according to my instructions.”
“Apply it selectively until the world ran according to my instructions.”
“Is that really what you'd do?” Lambert asked. “Rule the world?”
“I prefer to think of it as refining the world,” said Jane, “but I admit I can think of far more effective ways of doing it. It's not much of an ultimate weapon, is it?”
Fell looked up from his work. “The initial idea the committee had for the Agincourt Project was to create a large-scale device with enough range to deliver an indiscriminate transformation spell at a distance. None of this turning one man into a dog and another into a horse. A whole battalion turned to pigs, that was the original aim.”
Jane said, “I thought you weren't involved in the project. How do you know all that?”
“I was invited to participate and I attended more meetings than I care to think about before I succeeded in getting myself removed from the committee,” Fell replied. “I wish I had sixpence for every committee meeting I've had to attend in my time. Repetitious nonsense. Hours of my life wasted. Hours that will never come again.”
Lambert paced from the door to the window. “Wait. Voysey altered the weapon to make it less effective?”
“More accurate. I don't know about less effective.” As Fell spoke, the air pressure in the room changed. Although the window was closed and the door locked, although there was no breeze, the papers spread out before Fell stirred as if a wind caught them. The atmosphere seemed to prickle with energy.
“What the dickensâ” Jane began, just as Fell said, “By Jove!”
“What the hell is that?” Lambert raced to the grille and strained to see out into the corridor.
From near and far came the sound of many dogs barking, accompanied by the sounds of other animals disturbed. The restlessness in the air built, as if a storm were about to break, but there was no change in light, inside or out, to account for the sense of gathering darkness.
“Is this Voysey's doing?” Jane asked. Her words were lost in the roll of thunder that followed. While to all appearances the world was unchanged, the deep growl of thunder heightened the prickling unease in the air. The barking turned to howling, both distant and near by. Though there had never been a breeze, as the roll of thunder faded, something stirred in the room and Fell's papers went drifting to the floor.
“That's their defensive spell broken,” said Fell. He rose and stretched luxuriously. “It seems to have broken the spell on me as well. I gather your pair of truants escaped to summon help after all, Lambert. Well done.”
From an indeterminate distance, it might have been from half a mile away or it might have been from just downstairs, came a shoutâa multitude of voices ringing out as one. The shout held one note and no more, one sound and no more. Yet the note rang and reverberated, fed on itself, doubled and redoubled, until the very stones of the place sang an answer.
The shout and its echoes ended sharply, as though cut off, but the restlessness ended with it. Silence hung in the still air. So profound was the quiet, Lambert wondered for a moment if he'd lost his ability to hear.
“Quick, Lambert, try the door,” ordered Jane. “That was
the Yell Magna. If it was properly done, it could open every lock for a mile.”
the Yell Magna. If it was properly done, it could open every lock for a mile.”
Lambert did his best, but the door was still locked. “Who was that?”
“The scholars of Glasscastle. They created the Vox Magna.” Fell was gathering up his papers, trying to restore them to some kind of order. “Only schoolboys call it the Yell Magna. Silly bit of slang.”
“
That
was the scholars of Glasscastle? What, all of them?” Lambert came to help with the papers. As he and Fell worked, a new sound floated up from below, a fluting whistle repeated again and again, sometimes alone, sometimes from several whistles at once. “And what is
that?
”
That
was the scholars of Glasscastle? What, all of them?” Lambert came to help with the papers. As he and Fell worked, a new sound floated up from below, a fluting whistle repeated again and again, sometimes alone, sometimes from several whistles at once. “And what is
that?
”
“It sounds like a policeman's whistle.” Jane cocked her head. “Times one hundred.”
“It can't be,” Fell replied. “The police force is forbidden to use the Vox Magna to gain entry unless they have a warrant to do so.”
“Then we must assume someone has bothered to get a warrant.” Jane leaned back in her chair. “Thank goodness.”
Lambert went back to the grille. From down the corridor came a fresh disturbance. Someone was singing, a tenor voice holding just one note for eight counts. There followed several measures of rest, during which came the sound of a door opening. Then the note returned, eight counts long.
As the singer came into view, Lambert recognized Polydore. At his heels, the animals he was freeing followed. There were spaniels and pheasants, cats and rats, deer and deerhounds together, each utterly indifferent, so it seemed, to the other animals around him.
Polydore stopped at the cell across the corridor, called through the grille, “Herrick, is that you?” He sang out a single note, an A, and the door unlocked itself. Polydore held the door open while a yearling fawn emerged and joined the thronging animals. “Mind the badger.”
Polydore turned and saw Lambert staring at him through the grille. “Why, it's the American. What a pleasant surprise.” He crossed the corridor and peered past Lambert into the cell. “You have found companions, I see. How nice to meet you again, Mr. Fell. It's been too long. And how delightful to encounter two young ladies here. Twins, I take it?”
Lambert wasted no time on explanations. “Open the door. Please.”
Polydore smiled at his intensity. “I can't. It's locked.”
“You can. I saw you do it. Sing it open.”
“I'm not singing,” Polydore explained modestly. “Technically, I'm directing the residual energy of the Vox Magna. It does sound as if I'm singing, I grant you that.”
“You sound wonderful,” Lambert assured him. “Caruso should look to his laurels. Please unlock the door. We can't let Voysey get away.”
“If it were just you and the ladies, I'd be delighted to oblige,” Polydore said. “As it is, I'm afraid I have no intention of unlocking the door for Mr. Fell. He's far too elusive. Almost as elusive as Mr. Voysey, it seems.”
Lambert tightened his grip on the bars. “Where is Voysey? Have they caught him?”
“No, but they've found the Agincourt device. It looks as if Mr. Voysey may have turned it on himself to escape the consequences of his actions.”
“Not likely,” Lambert scoffed.
“Whatever he did, Mr. Voysey will be found. The hunt is most definitely up.” Polydore's cheerfulness increased. “Scholar or stag, he'll be brought to bay.”
Fell came to Lambert's side. “Look, Williams, I'm terribly sorry I haven't kept to the schedule for your tutorials. I'll make it up to you. I promise I can explain everything. But do please unlock the door.”
“Apology accepted. Though it is a bit late. Please don't excite yourself, Mr. Fell. I'm not the one you'll have to explain things to,” Polydore said. “There's going to be an inquiry back at Glasscastle. The authorities are very curious about your role in Mr. Voysey's scheme.”
Fell backed away from the door as if the bars had burned him. “You're right to leave us just as you found us, Williams. Voysey kept us prisoners here. If he could have turned us into animals, he would have, same as everyone else you've found.”
“You found your friend, then.” Lambert waved vaguely in the direction of the yearling fawn. “Is he all right?”
“Yes, I think so.” Polydore looked pleased with himself. “He was helping me climb over the wall, you see. I'd just reached the top when they caught him. I couldn't do anything to stop it. I had to go for help.”
“What did Bridgewater say?” Polydore's guilty expression made Lambert press the point. “Didn't you go to Ludlow Castle to ask for help?”
“I'm afraid not,” Polydore confessed. “I was in such a hurry. I just went to the nearest telegraph office instead. I sent a wire from Ludlow and Mr. Porteous and Mr. Stowe
came by the next train. They put the Earl of Bridgewater in the picture, and after that, we had police reinforcements streaming in. Quite exciting.”
came by the next train. They put the Earl of Bridgewater in the picture, and after that, we had police reinforcements streaming in. Quite exciting.”
“Can they change them all back?” Lambert asked. “Have you found Brailsford?”
“Not yet. They won't change anyone yet,” Polydore explained patiently. “Even if there weren't doubts about whether Voysey is among them, they wouldn't try. Technically, everyone is evidence. Dear old HerrickâI mean Cadwalâis just exhibit A until the inquiry concludes.”
“You can't leave them like that,” Lambert protested.
“I can't leave them locked up, no,” Polydore agreed. “That's my assignment, springing them all. The Fellows of Glasscastle will make sure none of them stray. You'll have to excuse me. I must get on with it.” He left them there and resumed his progress down the hall, singing and unlocking, with an ever-increasing flock of animals trailing behind him. Every creature in his train gave the badger a wide berth.
“Hell,” said Lambert, leaning his forehead against the door in despair. “We'll never get out of this place.”
“Don't be silly.” Jane had brought her illusion close to her side. “They're going to let us out any minute. It won't be long until they come to take Fell into custody.”
Fell turned back to her, rigid with indignation. “I haven't done anything. You know that.”
“That's exactly the point,” Jane said tartly. “You haven't done anything. It shouldn't be difficult to explain that to the authorities, should it? You could have taken action against Voysey at any time. He's no match for a warden. But you chose inaction. Didn't you?”
“You're going to tell them about my calculations?” Fell looked horrified at the prospect.
“Oh, I should think you'll be the one to tell them,” Jane replied. “How else will you be able to account for your time here? Let alone your neglect of the students you're supposed to be helping.”
“Are you that petty? Because I won't leap in unprepared and accept the role of warden when I'm ordered to, you'll refuse to speak in my defense?”
From down the corridor came the sound of approaching policemen. Lambert called out to them through the grille.
“Oh, I'll defend you with my last breath,” Jane assured Fell. “Unfortunately, from what I've seen of Porteous and from what I've heard of Stowe, I can't imagine that the great minds of Glasscastle will pay the slightest attention to what a weak and feeble woman thinks.”
“Weak and feeble, my eye,” said Fell with disgust, as the authorities arrived to take him in charge.
“I'll take that as a compliment,” said Jane. To a passing police constable, she called, “Oh, sir, would you please ask someone from Glasscastle to come and break the spell on this chair? I'd be so grateful.”
It took some time for Jane's request to reach the right authority. Lambert stayed with her, despite his sense of disloyalty at letting Fell be taken back to Glasscastle without him. It seemed even more disloyal to leave Jane alone with her illusion. There was no sign of the Earl of Bridgewater, so at least Lambert was spared the difficult task of explaining why he'd gone off to St. Hubert's all alone. At last Porteous arrived, wheezing slightly from the stairs. Even in his black
frock coat, old-fashioned hat, and unmistakable sense of self-importance, he looked formidable.
frock coat, old-fashioned hat, and unmistakable sense of self-importance, he looked formidable.
“Now where is this spell to be broken?” Porteous asked as he entered the cell. He saw Jane and her illusion. “Good gracious, there's two of you. A
duplicare
spell gone awry, is it?”
duplicare
spell gone awry, is it?”
“Not that sell,” said Jane hastily. “Please let that one alone. I can manage it by myself. I need your help with Voysey's spell, the one that keeps me in this chair.”
“Ah.” Porteous was already running one broad palm across the back of the armchair. “Indeed you do require assistance.” After a moment's investigation, he stood squarely before the armchair, lifted his hands, and intoned, “
Audi me, audiuva me
.” He took a triumphant step back as Jane rose. “Rather a complex bit of work.”
Audi me, audiuva me
.” He took a triumphant step back as Jane rose. “Rather a complex bit of work.”
Jane's illusion sank down into the vacated chair with every appearance of relief.
Jane drew a shaky breath and walked slowly across the room and back, testing her limbs. “Thank you,” she told Porteous. “That's much better.”
Porteous beamed. “Think nothing of it. Delighted to be of service. I suppose this is a practical demonstration of the relative merits of magic used in Glasscastle over magic as it is taught at Greenlaw, isn't it?”
Jane's smile grew a little forced. “Just so. Now surely your skills will be needed elsewhere. There must be spells to be broken from one end of this place to the other.”
“We're letting as many of them stand as we can,” Porteous confided.
“Even Robin?” Jane asked.
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