The Pogrom of Mages: The Healers of Glastamear: Volume One (20 page)

Chapter 40

Michael was thankful that he intercepted the message about the new search procedures. His efforts would help protect those few healers remaining in Glastamear from discovery. However, there was another problem with the letter he would need to discuss with Lord Guild Master Hampton when he returned to Rock Point. The letter had reported that over a thousand healers had been executed, and that number exceeded the total number of guild healers before the pogrom began. It was possible it included people charged with helping healers. There were also several dozen people in Glastamear who had been offered training and guild membership but declined for various reasons. Perhaps there were also healers that the guild had never discovered because of their remote villages.

Michael’s concern was centered on what that nine out of ten reduction in healers would do to future generations. He knew that in the ancient founding documents of the guild, there was an admonition that healers should be encouraged to marry non-healers so that the manna trait would not become concentrated in a single caste with the exclusive power to use healing magic. Marriage within the guild was not forbidden, but it was not encouraged. He also knew that if a healer married another healer their children were much more likely to become healers. He had heard that if two master healers had children, every child would have healing magic to some degree.

With almost all of the remaining healers of childbearing age concentrated in one small village at Rock Point, would the manna needed for healing magic disappear from the rest of Glastamear in a few generations? Would the guild leadership decide that he should not marry another healer and further concentrate the trait? Only the Guild Master could answer that.

He decided to complete his search of southern Glastamear quickly and return to Rock Point to discuss this with the guild master before asking Diana’s father for her hand in marriage.

He rode south through a changing environment. Different crops were common in the south because there was never brutal winter weather. Whenever the road neared the sea, coconut palms and other tropical vegetation dominated the white sand beaches. The markets were full of fruits like bananas, pineapples, mangos, breadfruit, and dragon fruit, and Michael enjoyed the pleasant weather and delicious curries prepared at every inn. Each night he would transform into a Ki Eagle and search for healer manna, but he never found any. The south seemed to be completely purged of healers.

Southport was a substantial city of at least a hundred thousand people located on an island connected to the mainland by two wide pink granite causeways. Like all major cities and towns, by the royal decree of the ancient kings of Glastamear, all city buildings must be built of stone or brick with tile or slate roofs to prevent fires. In Southport, pink granite was the most common stone, and the city looked like a fantastic pink rockery garden rising from the indigo tropical sea. The size of the island had prevented the city from spreading out, and to compensate, the buildings had grown higher to accommodate the growing population. Many apartment buildings were ten stories, and even the lowest buildings were four or five.

Almost every street was covered with colorful striped cloth awnings that reflected the hot noonday sun, so that as Michael rode through the city toward the former healers’ guildhall and hospital, he didn’t see the sky except for an occasional glimpse where streets intersected. What he did see was a great wealth of shops selling every luxury he had ever heard of and many he didn’t even recognize. Near the center of town, a hill rose about twenty paces higher than the surrounding town, and at the highest point was the Great Temple of Southport. The Healers’ Hall and Hospital of Southport was located across the street.

When Michael entered the square, he got his first clear view of the Great Temple. It was much more ornate that any other in Glastamear. The huge building was clad in white marble with colorful stone inlays on every flat surface that told the story of Perry’s life and ascension to the heavens. Its highest tower must have been the equivalent of a building with twenty-five stories; it was the tallest structure Michael had ever seen and reputed to be the tallest structure ever built by man. Since the temple was already at the highest point in town, the great tower, The Light of Perry, served as a lighthouse visible from thirty thousand paces out to sea.

A well-tended park was bursting with tropical flowers. A dramatic cascade of fountains flowed into a reflecting pool in front of the main temple entrance, and just across the street was a beautiful building with the words Southport Hospital inlayed in black granite on the white marble over an ornate bronze door that depicted healers at work in bas-relief. The hospital building was ten stories high and completely clad in the same white marble used in the temple. It was certainly large enough to accommodate two hundred patients at once as well as the local administrative offices of the guild. A sign on the main door read, “For information about this building contact Sir Julian Son-of-Alfred in the merchants quarter.”

Like Briarton, King Richard the Vengeful had claimed this building, and his agent was offering it for sale. Michael assumed that this intact structure would be much more expensive than the ruin he’d purchased in Briarton. He had already spent much of his letter of credit in Briarton, and now he didn’t have enough to buy a substantial building in this city’s most desirable location; however, he really wanted to preserve it for the future use of the guild.

He went looking for his banker’s agent; Arthur’s agent in Southport was Timothy Son-of-Timothy on Sea View Lane. Michael asked for directions and was soon in the merchants’ quarter on a street facing a palm-studded white sand beach on which many people sat and enjoyed the sun while having lunch; others were swimming in the warm sea. Timothy’s household occupied the whole five-story townhouse, a sign of great wealth in a city where even most of the gentry rented apartments in town and had their main estates in the countryside. Timothy was gracious to Michael and offered lunch while they got acquainted.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you in person Michael. Your Captain Eric stops and adds to your letter of credit every time he trades in Southport. He is quite successful, but I assume he’s home in Snowport for the winter.”

“Yes, he’s either there or on his way. All of my line fishing ships are crewed by men from Snowport, and they’ll spend the winter months with their families.”

After some get acquainted conversation, Timothy seemed a little uncertain about mentioning something. “I heard about your shopping arcade in Briarton. It sounds like a great investment; do you plan any similar projects here. There’s a lot of wealth here in the south, and I’m certain an exclusive shopping area would be popular. I might like to join you in such an investment.”

“I noticed the former hospital building across from the Great Temple is for sale. Do you think the church and governor would allow the first floor to be shopping and the higher floors for exceptionally exclusive apartments? I think the views must be outstanding.”

“It’s the choicest property that’s ever been on the market here, but extremely expensive. With the correct inducement, a waiver for shopping could be had. In Southport apartments, even fancy ones, cooking is not allowed. Usually the first floor of a Southport apartment holds a common dining room that serves three or four choices at each meal for free to the tenants. In the finest establishments, you can send a servant down to ask for any food you want, and the waiters will bring it to your apartment when it’s ready, even if you’re having a formal dinner party for a dozen or more, the kitchen will provide it. Of course, if you order special food, it’s added to your monthly rent.”

Timothy continued, “The building you mentioned has a one-story surgery annex behind the first floor that could be used as a kitchen and dining area if there were exclusive shops along the front. The roof of the annex could be made into a courtyard for the residents and provide a nice view from the backside of the building on the lower floors. The higher floors would have views of the sea from three sides and views of the temple square from the front. I think apartments in the hospital building would command the highest rents in the whole city, but the building is listed for 25,000 crowns. It might sell for 18,000 if King Richard is in a hurry to get some money out of it. That’s more money than any local investors, including me, can afford for a single building.”

Michael used mage thought-talk to judge Timothy’s reaction before proceeding.

“Timothy, as my friend Arthur of Stone Lane’s partner, I feel I can trust you with some extremely confidential information. One of my fishing boats was driven far from the other two in a storm. The
Diana
nearly floundered near an uncharted island here in the southern sea. Captain Eric found he was not the first ship to find danger on that jagged shore. While the others made repairs, Captain Eric explored the shore and found a chest from an old kingdom shipwreck with enough gold for this project and others. He hid the chest near here and sent word to me of his discovery and its current hiding place.”

Michael noticed Timothy’s astounded expression and continued, “I’m willing to make you the same offer that I made Sir Gregory in Briarton. I would give you a one-quarter interest without a capital contribution if you manage the project. I will also give one crown in ten of the net rental income to the church in order to encourage their support. I would like the top floor reserved for my own use. I will make it into a private apartment and the center of my business efforts. I will offer the ninth floor for free use by traveling priests and knight protectors who would like to stay near the temple.”

Michael needed the top floor because he wanted access to the roof when he needed to transform into a Ki Eagle, and he wanted to be able to eavesdrop on the traveling churchmen to keep track of what was happening in the church.

Timothy stuttered as he replied. “My good sir, that is the most generous offer I ever received. My family will always be in your debt. Certainly, I accept with gratitude. Please stay as my family’s guest here in our home while you’re in town. I’ll make an appointment with Sir Julian for tomorrow morning.”

“I accept your gracious offer to stay in your home. I will need to borrow or rent three additional packhorses to carry that weight of coin. I’ll add about 20,000 old kingdom crowns to my letter of credit later today.”

“Certainly, you may take as many of my packhorses as you need. Should I send some servants to help you load? That’s a lot of gold.”

“I’d rather not share the location; it’s something I must do on my own.”

After finishing his lunch, Michael rode out of town with four packhorses. He found a secluded spot a few thousand paces from the nearest road or town and began to fashion coins pulling pure gold from the seawater.

He had seen old kingdom coins with their royal images and imperial seals in William’s private antiquities collection. He fashioned ten samples with different images of ancient kings and queens, and began to reproduce them putting them into the packs on the horses once they became heavy in his hands. It was four hours later, and he had lost count of the exact number when he decided he’d made enough. He knew he had exceeded his quota by at least a thousand.

He headed back to Southport, and when he reached the entrance to the causeway, he found Timothy waiting with ten mercenaries. A quick use of mage thought-talk reassured Michael that his agent was here to help protect the enormous deposit he was about to make to his letter of credit.

As they rode along Sea View Lane, everyone in the merchant quarter stopped to watch the procession of the best-known local banker followed by four heavily laden packhorses protected by ten heavily armed guards. His arrival would be the talk of the town by dinnertime. Many people seemed curious as to the identity of the expensively dressed and wiry young man on the spirited black stallion. Michael chatted with Timothy as they rode along pretending to ignore the gathering crowd. Various people greeted Timothy, and he smiled and waved at people he knew.

The gate to Timothy’s courtyard was open and they all rode through to where three young apprentice clerks were waiting to count and weigh the ancient crowns. The mercenaries closed and barred the gate and took defensive positions around the courtyard. The clerks removed the heavy packs, and each clerk opened a bag and began to count the coins, dropping each into a chest in the middle of the courtyard after using counting tables to keep track. Timothy and Michael stood and watched for the two hours it took to count and test every coin.

Finally, the chief clerk approached with a written total and handed it to Timothy. “Michael Son-of-William you have added 21,337 crowns to your current letter of credit. You now hold the largest balance we have ever recorded in the three hundred years of our banking association. Let’s go get a drink before dinner and talk about tomorrow’s meeting with Sir Julian.”

Chapter 41

In the south, many wives of merchants were extremely active in the family business, and Timothy asked if his wife Carolyn could join the discussion. Of course, Michael agreed, and he was introduced to an attractive woman about the same age as Timothy. Both were the about the age his parents had been when they were murdered, and the couple physically resembled them except for their darker southern skin. Timothy explained the proposed deal for the hospital building and Carolyn could not hide her astonishment at Michael’s generous offer.

Timothy explained, “Carolyn takes care of our apartment investments and knows a lot more of that part of our business than I.”

Carolyn commented, “This is the most exciting project ever created in Southport. I think there’ll be a waiting list to get an apartment once the details are public. I suggest four spacious apartments per floor. That’s enough room for entertaining and extra rooms for servants. The class of people we’ll target will always have at least four servants. We can let each tenant design their own interior layout if they sign a five-year lease, and we’ll control the process to ensure that they meet our quality standards. As for the stores, we’ll have our choice since nearly everyone will want to be located there.”

They continued discussing the project until it was time for dinner. At dinner Michael asked what happened during the purge of healers here in the south.

Timothy explained, “High Priest Simon is really not a bad man. No word of what was happening in the rest of Glastamear reached Southport before he was ready to act. All the healers were gathered together at the sunset docks. They’d been told that the king had ordered their exile, and they all boarded a large cargo clipper. There were sixty-three of them. I guess the guild leaders didn’t want to resist and risk the lives of the healers so they went along without trying to fight or flee. High Priest Simon knew that southerners would hate the flaying and torture that was being done elsewhere. We loved our healers, so no one was tortured or burned in the temple square here in the south.”

Carolyn said, “That’s really a good thing. People would have turned against the church if that had gone on here. We’re a generous and kind people. Public executions are rare and are always quick beheadings in front of the local prison. Usually no one attends but guards and soldiers.”

Timothy explained, “The ship just sailed away that afternoon and returned two days later without any healers. For all the local people knew they might have been exiled to the Waller’s Islands to the south. A week or so later, some drunk sailor explained that a day’s sail from the nearest land, all sixty-three were forced over the side and the cargo ship just sailed away. No blood in the temple square, but they’re just as dead. We’re without healers or a hospital, and a lot of people will die as a result. I assume High Priest Simon didn’t have a choice once the edict reached here, but many people are still angry. Temple attendance is way down.”

They discussed the meeting with Sir Julian and agreed to a first offer of 12,000 crowns expecting to settle for 17,000 or 18,000 crowns. Carolyn suggested it would help our efforts if we offer Sir Julian a free location for a shop on the first floor because he owns many local stores that sell luxury goods.

After dinner, Michael was escorted to an elegant suite of guest rooms on the top floor of the townhouse. His rooms had a balcony that gave him access to the roof. Michael wanted to do a sweep of the sea about a day’s sail from Southport looking for healers. He knew that High Priest Carson in Snowport had allowed his healers to escape and he hoped that High Priest Simon had really exiled his healers and manufactured the story that they had been pushed overboard.

An hour after dark, Michael put a set of black clothing into his pack and climbed to the roof where he converted to a Giant Ki Eagle and flew out to sea. After two hours of searching he detected a concentration of healer manna and quickly turned toward the volcanic island where the healers were hiding.

He circled the island, which was an extinct volcano with a large freshwater lake in the center of the cone. The healers were gathered near the lake. They had built simple palm leaf shelters to keep the rain off and dugout canoes to fish in the lake. It was an island with groves of coconuts, mangos, and breadfruit trees, a place of easy exile as safe as Rock Point so long as no news of their location reached the knight protectors or king’s troops.

Michael landed and converted to his human form. He dressed and went toward the strongest manna, Lady Master Barbara of Southport. Michael had met her several times when she had traveled north to attend meetings of the guild council. She was probably the most skilled healer in Glastamear and even Guild Master Hampton would often defer to her at meetings.

He gently roused her saying, “Lady Barbara, I am Michael, apprentice to William of Hearthshire Town. Please come with me so we can talk without waking everyone.”

She covered her surprise, nodded, and followed him away from the camp.

Once they were a hundred paces away, she said, “I recognize your voice even in the dark, but I can’t detect your manna. You’ve learned to hide it. How did you find us? How did you get here? What news do you have of others? Is everyone else dead? Are we the only healers left alive?”

She would have continued without waiting for any answers except that Michael interrupted. “My Lady, I can hide my manna and the manna of any healer. That allows me travel disguised as a merchant. I found you by transforming into an eagle and using
detect all manna
as I circled in wide arcs about a day’s sail from Southport.”

Lady Barbara gasped and said, “You really are Gripton’s promise. Thank Father God.”

“Yes my lady, I can do water, earth, forest, fire, as well as healing magic. There are about a hundred other healers hiding in a small village on Mitchell Island. Lord Guild Master Hampton, Bursar Childes, Lady Agnes of Northport, Lady Marsha of Snowport and other master healers are there. I think all the rest were murdered in the pogrom except for sixteen children taken by the church to train as healer priests. How in the name of God did you convince High Priest Simon to hide you here rather than follow the king’s edict?”

There was a pause before she answered. “Simon and I grew up together and we’ve been secret lovers for over thirty years. He couldn’t follow his orders, but he needed to pretend he had or the knight protectors would have killed him too. The church would have sent someone else to complete the pogrom. This was his answer. We can never leave without putting his life as well as our own in danger.”

“You seem safe enough here, but if you like I could arrange for transportation to Mitchell Island where you could join the other survivors. However, if you’re willing to stay here, it might be better to have two places of refuge.”

“I think everyone would prefer to stay on this beautiful island rather than move to the frigid winters on Mitchell Island. We’re all southerners who hate the cold. However, if you could arrange for an occasional supply ship to come here secretly, it would make our lives much easier.”

“I can show you how to hide your manna, and I’ll buy a study merchant ship for you to use. Then you can send a small group to the mainland for whatever you need whenever supplies run short. I don’t have time tonight to hide everyone’s manna, but I’ll return within a few days. At that time, I’ll leave all the gold you’ll need for years of supplies and use a naiad spell to hide everyone’s manna.”

Lady Barbara hugged him and said, “Thank Father God you came at our time of need. I’ll let everyone know in the morning.”

Michael flew back to Southport and retuned to his room in Timothy’s house without being noticed.

The next morning after breakfast, Timothy and Michael walked the short distance along Sea View Lane to a private house that was even larger and more ornate than Timothy’s. A servant in a white uniform trimmed with too much gold braid stood in front waiting for them. He ushered them through the hushed crowd in the courtyard. Clearly everyone present knew they were here for some big negotiations, many may have guessed it was about the hospital building. They all seemed to be curious about who Michael was.

Sir Julian was a handsome man of middle years, muscular and fit looking with a warm smile. Michael thought he would like the man. Timothy introduced him as Michael Son-of-William and one of his banking syndicate’s most valuable clients.

“I’m pleased to meet you Michael. Your name was mentioned in a message I received last month from Sir Gregory in Heatherton. I understand you may be interested in the hospital building on the temple square.”

“I’m pleased to meet you as well. My partner, Timothy, has said good things about you. I will let him explain what we have in mind for the property if we can reach an agreement.”

The negotiations went on for two hours, and Michael let Timothy do almost all of the talking. Finally they agreed to pay 16,500 crowns for the property with one crown in ten of the net rent going to the church and Sir Julian with free rent for ten years on a prime part of the first floor shopping arcade. Timothy wrote out a draft for the full amount and a sale agreement was signed and sealed that morning.

That afternoon, Timothy, Carolyn, and Michael met with a well regarded builder, Howard Stonemaster and designed the changes for the first floor, the ninth and tenth floors and for the former surgery annex, which would become the kitchen and dining area. The remaining floors would be custom built to suit the needs of the new residents. The hospital already had a large water storage tank on the roof, but they decided to add a second one to cover all the sanitation needs of the new tenants. Every apartment would have running water for two or more bathrooms.

Since Michael had spent less than expected on the building, he decided to spare no expense in making it the most luxurious property anyone in Glastamear had ever seen. They would leave the words Southport Hospital inlayed in black granite on the front and keep the bronze door with the depiction of healers. Of course, his intention was to return it to its original use someday if possible. The building would be called the Southport Hospital Luxury Residences.

Carolyn commented, “We must turn down enough potential renters to create a real aura of exclusivity. In most cases, no ancient title, no apartment. Almost all the southern gentry have manner houses on their estates where they spend the summer. The winter is the high season for entertaining here is Southport. There will be balls and soirees every night and anyone wanting to make an impression or to find marriage partners for their children will be in the city all winter. It’s the perfect time for sales. We’ll set up a sample apartment on the second floor on the front side with a view of the fountains and gardens of the Great Temple and make it the most elegant one in the whole city. We’ll be the main topic of a hundred conversations a week, and nearly everyone will want to see the sample apartment. I’ll start tomorrow getting things ready for the season. We only have four weeks until the winter’s first ball.”

Her excitement was contagious and Michael was certain his project was in good hands. “Your ideas sound wonderful. You and Timothy are in charge. I need to travel north in a few days, but I’ll be back before Perry’s Night. By then, the public areas should be finished and some of the arcade rented. I hope my apartment has at least some bedrooms and a bath ready by that time. Make it in the same general style as your second floor sample apartment.”

Timothy said, “You’re leaving so soon. I assumed you’d be here to make some final decisions for a least a few weeks.”

“You both know this city. I don’t. I trust you to do things right. Use whatever you need from my letter of credit; I won’t second guess you; but everything must be in good taste and the highest quality.”

The discussion continued for a few hours. Later Michael went out to do some shopping. All the healers who had escaped to the small volcanic island, called Dragon Crag, were still wearing their healer robes, whose color denoted their rank. With even a glance, any citizen of Glastamear would realize they were escaped healers.

In the shipwright section of town, he purchased three sets of loose pants and shirts of the type worn by southern sailors and wrapped the clothing in a length of gray sailcloth so it would not be obvious what he carried.

In the leather working market, he had a strange harness created to his exact design. The leather worker was confused, but followed his pattern using especially strong harness leather and brass studs. It had two loops connected by four straps and three handles along the top side. It was like nothing the worker had ever seen, and he made many attempts to guess its use. Michael declined to comment.

He walked to the street of ship merchants and began to inquire about cargo ships available for sale. Everyone in the business district knew he was the wealthy northerner who had purchased the hospital building. Michael was now familiar with how quickly news spread among merchants so it was no surprise that everyone greeted him by name.

He spent the time until sunset negotiating for a cargo ship that had a simple square sail rig that could be handled by only two or three men. It would be slow, but it had a deep draft to hold cargo and a tiny cabin for sleeping and cooking. He chose one with strong internal bracing and new sails. It had large hatches for loading lumber and other large goods. It also had a mast that could be lowered to the deck so that the ship could be hidden in a small cove he had noticed on the western side of Dragon Crag with nothing visible to any passing ships.