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." He smiled indulgently."Besides, I may be able to contribute toyour sister's welfare, now that your meddlesome priest is not around towatch."* * *At that moment, Father Otho was thinking of the mage also if there was any wayto define "that"moment which, for the mage and Pierrette, stretched on forever in the worldoutside.Perhaps the moment did not occur until Anselm stepped outside hisgate into Otho's world.Strange things had occurred.Not just Marie's ailment or Jerome's though theknight's pox defied remedy.It was no ordinary pox; it was far too horrible.Did the hermit mage have something to do with it? Once a week, sometimestwice, Pierrette walked to the cape, yet never lingered.He had been curious.He spoke with an old woman."We bring the old fellow bread and fruit inexchange for powders an'such things hard to find hereabouts." She smiled, as if a priest had no needto know what "and such"was."Always at noon, too.He never opens his gate any other time." In all heryears, the old man never aged a day.Pierrette never took a lunch or drink, yet never returned hungry or thirsty.Otho reached conclusions of his own.She did not go there for nothing.She hadlearned things far beyond his ability to teach, which took time.Much time.And the old women had been welcome only at noon.What would they have noticedif they had been allowed to stay? That it was always noon there? Otho'sconviction came slowly, but was all the more firm for that.What other magic did the old man practice? Otho should have written to hissuperiors in Aquae Sextiae or even to the archbishop, but he had no evidenceof evil no evidence of anything except that the old man had been there as longas living memory, and perhaps longer.Jerome's pox put things in a different light.New red swellings appeared,spotted with pustules, as soon as old ones scabbed and healed.Jerome's agonycontinued.Otho drew two conclusions:primus, that the lore the old mage taught was not innocuous, for Pierrette hadsurely caused the pox;secondus, that she had not ensorcelled Jerome to prevent his taking Marie, but onlyafterward, as revenge.That was evil.He had begged her to exercise Christian charity even her pagan mother wouldnot have objected.She said only, "The pox is not mine.It belongs to one ofyours to Satan." Otho still shuddered at the conviction behind her words."YouChristians created him by pouring all the oil but a drop into one jar.Pour half back, and Jerome's boils will dry up." What had she meant? Otho didnot then remember his own poor explication of Good and Evil, when he hadpoured oil between two jars.* * *-* * *Pierrette's JournalOtho was wrong; the lapse of Anselm's time-binding, and my failure toPage 72ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlrecognize it, caused me to cast the spell too late.Only later did I clearmyself in his eyes.Only later did I realize also the effect his speculationshad upon the reality I inhabit: his reasoned belief in Anselm's sorceriesrejuvenated my mentor at the very time when his continued existence was indoubt.The unquestioning belief of a lesser person than a priest, unsupportedby doubts and skepticism overcome, would not have turned the ebbing tide.But that was before I had begun defining the changing nature of magic, mylife's work, and I did not know why Anselm suddenly felt strong enough toleave his fortress and accompany me.My experiences on that voyage to Massaliaset the stage for that realization, and others.Chapter 14 - The Vow"We're not going to find Father and Marie tonight," Pierrette stated as theycrested the high slope.The sun's passing had left a dull mauve glow."Weshould stop before we leave the trees behind.Here, thereis dead wood for a fire."They dragged branches to the lee of a rusty beige outcrop.Pierrette reachedout with an extended finger but no spark flew to the tinder.Again she tried,carefully whispering the exact words of the spell with no better result."Try this." Anselm proffered flint and a steel-bladed knife."I don't understand," Pierrette said."That spell always works.""Always? You have more faith than I do." He made as if to return flint andknife to his pouch."Master give me the flint and steel.I meant only that it has worked, untilnow." She stroked the dissimilar materials, guiding sparks toward the tinder,then blew gently upon the dry shavings.A puff of fragrant smoke rewarded her.Soon they were settled with a fire between them, sharing bread and olives,washing them down with wine from a skin bag."I wish I knew why the spell didn't work," Pierrette mused."All magic is unpredictable.Remember that, or you'll be in trouble when itbetrays you, and you've prepared no alternative.""If I understood why it didn't work.I've gone over the words and thepostulates, and nothing seems to have changed.""Perhaps your postulates only apply to a limited case some theorems only applyto right triangles.""This isn't geometry, Master.""Still, I suspect you have overlooked some greater principle.Perhaps it couldbe stated as, `Magics will always work until you have come to depend upon themand have no other recourse.'"Pierrette went to sleep thinking about it.Yet when she awakened before dawn,she was no closer to an answer and the spell still did not produce a spark.She had to heap tinder around a surviving ember to start the fire."Why are you staring like that?" the mage asked."Last night you walked between me and the fire, and I saw the flame as if youweren't there.I've been trying to see if I can still see through you."The mage stiffened."And can you?""Stand between me and the rising sun." She peered long and hard, at firstunsure if the dim, vaguely circular glow was a trick of her eyes.Then shenodded."I can see the sun.You must go back, or you'll fade entirely."He squatted, and shook his head."Why are you so sure this has to do with mydeparture from the cape?My earlier recovery didn't have anything to do with distance.I'm going onwith you, at least until we pass the dragon's bones.If I fade further, thenwe'll be reasonably sure."She was not convinced."If you're fading steadily if it isn't a matter ofdistance from your stronghold it will still seem so if we go on.We shouldwait here and see."Page 73ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html"It doesn't matter.Either way, you must go on to Massalia."The long slope was cut by enormous ravines [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]