The Conspiracy of Magic

by Harriet Whitehorn

  Cass nodded and thanked Dorcas. “I will bring the parachute back to you. I will come back,” she said.

  “Come back in better times,” she replied. “And don’t worry, I’ll see that your friend Dacha is given a proper burial.”

  The thought of Dacha being buried, Dacha who less than an hour before had been alive, filled her with such a wave of emotion that she felt it would sweep her off her feet.

  “Ready?” Dorcas asked her.

  If I die doing this, perhaps that is justice, Cass thought to herself. She nodded to Dorcas who held on to the parachute as Cass pounded along the ground and threw herself off the edge of the cliff with all her strength. The parachute fanned out behind her and the ground vanished beneath Cass’s feet. Then there was nothing. Only the sound of rushing air.

  The parachute carried Cass lightly away from the cliffs and floated gently down to the Minarian Plains. But for Cass there was nothing peaceful about those few minutes – all the raw anger and sadness spilled out of her and she couldn’t stop screaming. The noise came from deep inside her and would not be stilled until she hit the ground with such a thud that it knocked it out of her. She lay on the cold wet ground for a few moments, staring at the sky where she’d just been. Her brain empty, she got to her feet, unhooked herself from the parachute and folded it up as neatly as she could. She hid it under a tree in a nearby copse, making a careful note of its whereabouts.

  Then Cass began to walk. She walked through the evening and on into the cold, clear night, striding over fields and marshlands, only pausing briefly to drink water out of streams. Dawn arrived and she came across a track that she followed until a cart trundled past her, offering her a lift to the City of Minaris. She took it, sitting on the back of the cart until they reached the city around midday.

  Without her citizen necklace, Cass had some trouble persuading the gatekeeper to let her in. But eventually he relented and let her through in the care of a palace guard, after she had insisted that she knew Captain Toskil and must see him at once. The guard looked bemused but showed her to the captain’s room in the palace.

  Captain Toskil was sitting behind his desk. He looked up when Cass was shown in and she could gauge from his expression of horrified concern how awful she must look.

  “Cass!” he exclaimed, jumping to his feet and walking round to her. “I am so relieved to see you,” he said. “Tea and Rimple’s now! And some food,” he barked at the guard who scuttled off.

  “Come sit by the fire. Here, I’ll help you,” he said, leading her to a seat like a small child. When he’d settled her, he asked tentatively, as if some part of him already knew what she would say, “Where’s Dacha?”

  When Cass spoke she felt as if someone else was speaking. “Dacha’s dead. He was killed yesterday by one of Vegna’s commanders. A man named Zirt,” the voice said, in a matter-of-fact way. She seemed to have rid herself of all emotion, she noticed, and felt only a sort of numbness. What relief to no longer feel anything.

  Cass could see that Captain Toskil, however, felt a good deal, and it took him a few moments to master his emotions. “I see. How terrible. I must let his parents know. And the queen.” He paused again. “Do you feel able to talk about what has happened?”

  “Yes, but first I must tell you that the Veraklians are coming here.”

  “What do you mean?” Captain Toskil asked, looking alarmed.

  “Vegna and her army. They are to invade Minaris, not Metrete.”

  “Are you sure?” Captain Toskil asked, looking even paler. “Our information from Princess Taryn is that Vegna is planning to invade Metrete. There has never been any mention of Vegna coming here.”

  “I’m positive,” Cass said. “I’ve seen the army, heard Vegna say it. Her troops are mustering now at the border. They may have even started crossing. And she has a magician called Nym who is using magic, big magic. The whole army is enchanted.”

  “We must tell the king!” the captain said, taking her hands and pulling her to her feet. “This is a disaster,” he said. “Almost all our army is up in Metrete with the Bundish.”

  I feel very strange, Cass thought as they walked along the marble corridors. Her head felt as if it were floating, disconnected from her body. She felt shivery and dizzy, and everything seemed too bright.

  Lycus was in a council meeting but Captain Toskil interrupted it, saying he needed to speak to him immediately about a matter of the utmost urgency.

  Lycus’s pleasure at seeing Cass fell away when the captain told him of Vegna’s plans. He too looked wide-eyed and pale with shock and asked Cass if she was sure. When she replied she was, he instructed that riders were sent out to the border to see whether Vegna’s troops had crossed yet.

  “And Lin!” Cass said suddenly. “You must send for Lin!”

  “The fortune teller?” Lycus queried.

  “Yes. It is her sister Nym who’s helping Vegna. Nym’s very powerful, only Lin will be able to defeat her…” As Cass was saying this, she found herself violently shaking and she started to sweat.

  “Are you all right?” Captain Toskil asked her, his voice sounding as if it was a long way away.

  Cass was about to reply when she found that she was too dizzy to speak and the world disappeared in a storm of sparkling black.

  She woke up to find herself lying in a grand four-poster bed, in a room lined with blue-green tapestries and a crackling fire burning in the grate. Tiger was sitting by the fire, sewing. It was such a peaceful scene that for a moment Cass felt at ease, but then all that had happened flooded into her brain.

  “Hello,” Tiger said, glancing up from her sewing. “How are you feeling?”

  Cass sat up slowly in bed. “All right. Did I faint?”

  Tiger nodded.

  “How long have I slept for?” Cass asked, sitting up.

  “A day,” Tiger replied.

  “A day!” Cass echoed, horrified.

  Tiger smiled. “You were obviously tired, Cass. Now, you must eat something, otherwise you will faint again.” She went over to a silver pot with a burner underneath it. “There’s some porridge here for you,” she said and spooned some into a bowl, adding cream and honey to it. She handed it to Cass who took the bowl and started to eat it. It was good but she could only manage a couple of mouthfuls.

  “You have to regain your strength, Cass,” Tiger said. “You’re half the size that you were and there wasn’t much of you to start with.”

  “I’m fine,” Cass replied shortly. “I’m alive which is more than Dacha is.”

  Tiger’s expression changed to one of sadness, and she swallowed before saying, “Cass, you must not blame yourself for his death.”

  “Why not?” Cass replied aggressively. “It was my fault that we were there.”

  “But you couldn’t have known what would happen,” Tiger replied evenly.

  “I could have!” she almost shouted at Tiger. “We’d been warned by a fortune teller.”

  Tiger looked puzzled and Cass found she didn’t have the strength to explain. The fight went out of her and she said, in a different tone, “I’m sorry, Tiger, I don’t know why I’m yelling at you.”

  “You’re angry, Cass, which is understandable. But I think you should try to rest a bit more.”

  Cass lay back and then became aware of a noise. It sounded like crowds of people some distance away. “What’s that?” she asked Tiger.

  “They are evacuating the city,” she replied heavily. “Lycus’s riders confirmed your reports of Vegna’s invasion. The armies have been called back from Metrete but they will not be here for several days.”

  Cass was out of bed in a moment, crossing the room to look out of the window. A scene such as she had never witnessed before greeted her. The window looked out over the port, which was full, as was the sea beyond it, with hundreds of boats of every shape and size – from rowing boats to clippers, tugboats, barges, dinghies, galleons and skoots. The quays and surrounding streets were jam-packed with peop
le, luggage carts, animals, birdcages…

  “I should go and check that Mrs Potts and Tig are all right,” Cass said.

  “There’s no point – you would never find them in that crowd,” Tiger said. Then she added more kindly, “I am sure they are fine.”

  “Where are the boats going?” Cass asked.

  “Mostly to the Near Isles. Loutrekia and Liversus will probably have to absorb the majority of people.”

  “Surely the queen is going? And you with her?” Cass asked.

  Tiger smiled. “You missed Arden and Lycus having the most enormous row about it earlier. Arden won so we’re staying. She’s left you a note by the way.” Tiger went over to the mantelpiece and picked up a folded piece of paper, handing it to Cass.

  She opened it, and read,

  Dearest Cass,

  I was so devastated to hear about Dacha. How awful for you to witness his death. You must tell me everything when this terrible business with Vegna is over.

  Arden

  “Cass, I am sure a place can be found for you on one of the boats. It might be the best thing for you, to get away,” Tiger said gently.

  The daydream of standing on a boat as it cut through the blue-green tropical waters of the Far Isles filled her mind as it had when she lay in the coffin in Enzit. Rip was nearby and she could feel the warmth of the wooden deck beneath her bare feet, the sun on her face. How tempting it was…

  “Cass? Do you wish to go?” Tiger asked, pulling her back to the present. Before she could reply, a bird flew past – an innocuous black bird – but it reminded Cass of Nym and then she thought of Dacha, crumpling in front of her. She burned with desire for revenge.

  “No, I’ll stay. When is Vegna expected?” she asked.

  “Tonight,” Tiger replied with a sigh. “Birds have been sent to the Bundish, Taryn and our troops in Metrete, but there is little hope that they will reach us in time. Anyway, Lycus insists that he will not hide in the palace like a coward, and will ride out to meet her in the morning.”

  Cass suddenly thought of Idaliz and asked Tiger if there had been any word from her.

  Tiger shook her head in response before adding, “None at all, I’m afraid.”

  Please let her be safe, Cass prayed.

  There was a knock on the door and Lin came into the room. “Cass!” she greeted her. “You’re awake.”

  “I’ll leave you,” Tiger said and slipped out of the door.

  Cass managed to give Lin a weak smile as she came over and hugged Cass tightly. There seemed to be so much to tell Lin that she didn’t know where to start and instead she found herself saying jokily, “Well, I’ve found your sister Nym for you.”

  “So I hear,” Lin replied. “I’m so sorry, Cass, about your friend.”

  Cass nodded quickly and changed the subject. “Can you see what will happen? In the future.”

  Lin shook her head. “No. To be honest I don’t want to look.”

  “Surely the Magical Enforcers will be able to defeat her?” Cass asked.

  Lin sighed. “Almost all of them are in the Farthest Lands or up with the army in Metrete. Only Master Brackuz and a few apprentices remain here.”

  “And you,” Cass said.

  “And me,” Lin replied. “But I doubt I have any sisterly influence over Nym. Also my magic is no match for hers.”

  Cass could see it was all desperate. “Do you know if Mrs Potts and Tig got off to the Islands all right?” she asked.

  Lin smiled, relieved to be able to give some good news. “Yes, they were fine and, together with Tig’s family, safely on a boat for Loutrekia.”

  “Good,” Cass replied, suddenly feeling overcome with tiredness again.

  Lin noticed. “Why don’t you sleep? Lycus has asked that you and I accompany him to see Vegna in the morning so you should save your strength for that.”

  “Good morning, Lycus! Arden!” Vegna greeted them cheerfully as they rode up. It was a dull spring day, with a mottled grey sky and bitter east wind. The Veraklian queen was so enveloped in furs that only her small thin face was visible. Nym and the captains of her army flanked her and behind her was the sea of army tents that had grown up overnight like mushrooms on the plains outside Minaris.

  She looks as if she has already won and Minaris is hers, Cass thought, taking in Vegna’s breezy, confident air. Nym looked similar, but then Cass noticed the magician stiffen slightly when she saw her and Lin bringing up the rear of the Minarian party. Good, Cass thought.

  “So, Vegna, congratulations!” Lycus began. “You fooled us into thinking that you were headed for Metrete.”

  Vegna smiled. “To tell you the truth, Lycus, I was. But then my friend Nym –” she gestured in Nym’s direction – “changed my mind. For, once I have Minaris’s riches, I will be able to take Metrete back easily.”

  “You seem to have it all planned,” Lycus replied. “But what puzzles me a little is that you know we can withstand a siege for many months, let alone the matter of days that it will take the Minarian and Bundish armies to arrive. And they are a good match for your army, I believe.”

  He is pretending not to know about the magic, Cass thought, to make her admit to it.

  Vegna smiled. “I may have a few tricks up my sleeve,” she admitted.

  “Oh, really?” Arden asked, feigning innocence. “Would you care to elaborate?”

  Vegna glanced at Nym, who gave a small nod. Nothing happened for a moment or two but then the Minarian horses started to shiver and dance, unnerved by something.

  Cass glanced down and nearly cried out in horror. For the ground was a mass of worms, beetles, spiders, millipedes, centipedes and other insects that Nym had summoned out of the earth.

  “It will take more than a few conjuring tricks to bring down the Great City of Minaris,” Arden said coldly, doing her best to still her horse.

  “Those are no conjuring tricks,” Nym replied. “As your advisors will tell you.” She said the word advisors with a sneer.

  Lycus and Arden glanced at Master Brackuz, who was looking furious. He replied tersely, “No, they are not conjuring tricks, Your Majesties. Commanding insects to do your will is most definitely classed as proper magic and as such is strictly forbidden. It goes against the rules set out in the Convention of Magic—”

  He was interrupted by Nym scoffing. “Forbidden by the Convention of Magic – how terrifying!”

  The Veraklians laughed.

  “You can’t do this, young lady!” he spluttered at Nym. “You cannot use powerful magic! I forbid it!”

  Nym smirked at him. “Oh, do you really?” she mocked. “I am sorry to hear that. But I think the more relevant issue is who is going to stop me? We both know that the only Magical Enforcers with any sort of skill are not here.” She smirked at Lin and Master Brackuz.

  “Those who went to Metrete will be back soon,” Lycus pointed out.

  “They are no match for me,” Nym replied nonchalantly. “And anyway, most of my work will be done by the time they arrive.”

  Master Brackuz coloured and blustered, “You won’t get away with this!”

  “Perhaps not in the long term,” she replied. “But I definitely will in the short term.”

  “I think we’re done, don’t you, Lycus?” Vegna said. “Unless you wish to surrender now?”

  “No, Vegna, I don’t wish to do that,” Lycus replied coldly.

  “Well, I’ll give you a few hours to think about it,” she said.

  Lycus made no reply. He wheeled his horse around and led the party back to Minaris.

  “I need to speak to you,” Lin said to Cass in an undertone when they returned to the palace and stabled their horses. Cass nodded.

  “Come then, walk with me,” Lin said, and she led Cass down towards the Quay of Disbelievers. The city was all but deserted now, with empty streets and shuttered shops. The quay itself, usually so busy, had a vacant look. As a watery sun tried to break through the clouds, they sat on a bench, overlooking the open
sea.

  “Nym fears you, Cass,” Lin said.

  “Perhaps.” Cass shrugged. “She certainly went to a lot of trouble to capture me and the other obtuses. But she is also wary of you.”

  Lin paused before replying. “Her skill was always greater than mine, but I know I have a quality that she doesn’t. It’s hard to explain in words – a subtlety that she lacks that can give a greater accuracy in spells and their outcomes. However, there’s no doubt about it – in a magical duel she is likely to defeat me. But that doesn’t mean I do not wish to try. She has enchanted the army and I can even see traces of her magic in Vegna, so I feel there is some hope that if we can defeat Nym, we might at least give Vegna a moment’s pause.”

  “Do you think that perhaps it will be like a house of cards – if you take Nym away, it will all fall?” Cass asked, feeling a glimmer of optimism for the first time in days.

  “Possibly,” Lin replied.

  “But how in the Longest World can we get to her?” Cass replied. “She will be surrounded by guards.”

  “With a little magic,” Lin said with a smile.

  “Is this really going to work?” Cass asked. She and Lin were walking into the Veraklian camp as casually as if they were spending the afternoon strolling through a pleasure ground.

  “Absolutely,” Lin replied. “We’re entirely invisible to everyone, as long as there are no other obtuses. But I think that highly unlikely – Nym would never allow one in her army. Remember not to bump into anyone, they can still feel you.”

  “Will Nym be aware of the magic?”

  “Oh yes,” Lin said. “The whole camp is covered with a web of magic. She will sense our coming like a spider who feels the tug of a trapped fly.”

  Lin was right. Nym was waiting for them, alone in her tent. It hadn’t been difficult to find. It was large and nearly as lavish as the queen’s enormous gold tent nearby, with a proper bed, rugs covering the rough floor matting, braziers and oil lamps suspended from the ropes inside. Nym was standing in the middle, smoking a cigarillo.