Thief's Magic

by Trudi Canavan

  They had given him warm clothes and extra blankets, and every day Ysser or another Sselt sorcerer lifted baskets of food up to him with magic. Tyen had to keep the air in the aircart capsule heated, but the only hardship in that was waking throughout the night to maintain it.

  Twice they’d brought him down to the spire to answer questions. Each time he’d been reassured to see the bag hanging above the king’s strange throne, Vella visible within. The last time, Ysser had assured him that a decision would be made soon, so as the door to the palace opened and the old sorcerer emerged with two guards, Tyen felt his heart lift with hope. He let some air out of the capsule and it began to descend. The two guards began to pull on the ropes, guiding the cart down to the platform.

  As Tyen stepped off, Ysser smiled at him.

  “Are you ffell?” he asked.

  “Yes, though last night was a bit cold.”

  The sorcerer nodded. “I concern for you.” He beckoned and turned back to the door.

  The air inside was warmer, so Tyen shrugged out of the fur-lined coat he’d been given, took off the hat and unwound the scarf. Ysser did not stop at the audience room door, but continued on to another. The room within was smaller than others Tyen had seen on this level, but no less elaborately decorated. Two large couches similar to the king’s throne faced each other, between them a long, low table.

  On one of the couches sat Gowel.

  The adventurer smiled. Tyen scowled and turned to look at Ysser.

  “What is going on?”

  “Gowel ffant to talk to you,” he said. “I ffill be close, but not hearing talk. Speak if you need me,” he added, giving Tyen a meaningful look. He walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.

  Tyen turned to regard Gowel, who waved at the other chair.

  “Sit, Tyen,” he said.

  “Why should I listen to you?”

  The adventurer smiled. “Because I am going to give you a chance to buy your freedom.”

  “I won’t give up Vella.”

  “I’m not asking you to.”

  Tyen narrowed his eyes at the man, then moved over to the seat and sat down.

  “Why should I trust you?”

  Gowel chuckled. “Why indeed? Perhaps because the trade I offer is worth the risk.”

  Tyen snorted. “Trade with too much risk is gambling.”

  “I suppose it is.” Gowel grinned. “You’ve grown up a lot since we last met, young Ironsmelter. Not so naïve.” He rubbed his hands together and leaned forward, his gaze unwavering. “The thing is, we didn’t come south to find you. We had another purpose. Searching for you was a fine cover for our true purpose.”

  Tyen said nothing, but his mind began to race. If Gowel wasn’t lying, what could possibly have brought him here? Was there something he had discovered in the Far South that he had kept to himself until he could return with Kilraker and friends? After all, Kilraker had been willing to give up his connections and secure job at the Academy to join the adventurer before he knew of Vella’s existence. Willing to frame Tyen for the theft of Vella, too.

  “You know from the book that there are other worlds,” Gowel said. “Worlds with more magic than ours. You know that it’s possible to travel between them, using magic, and that it takes no more magic to move several people than it does one.”

  A thrill ran down Tyen’s spine. He hadn’t known that last detail.

  “We thought it must therefore be like digging a tunnel,” Gowel continued. “You only need to expend the energy to create a passage that one person can use, and the others can follow, one after another. Several days ago we tried creating a small tunnel, assuming it would use less magic, to send objects or little animals through. Do you want to know what happened?”

  Despite himself, Tyen could not help leaning forward. “What?”

  Gowel chuckled. “It didn’t work. A sorcerer cannot send other things through the barrier to the next world, he must go with them. Kilraker guessed as much. He then managed to go some way out of this world. He faded before our eyes. But in taking himself out and moving back again, he used all the magic he had been able to gather. We needed a richer source of magic.”

  “So you came here,” Tyen guessed.

  “Yes.” Gowel looked around the room. “Perhaps our ancestors’ superstitions were correct about magic’s source, perhaps it is because these people do not have machines gobbling up their magic. It doesn’t matter – or it won’t soon – because what we hope to do is tap the magic of another world. We think that if a sorcerer stops midway between this world and the next he will be able to send magic from one to the other. Or, failing that, you can cross over to the next world, gather magic and carry it back to this one. The other worlds are so much richer in magic then you should be able to gather more than what is required to return here, and release it on arrival.”

  A chill ran down Tyen’s spine. “You’re not using ‘you’ in the second person, are you.”

  Gowel smiled and shook his head. “Kilraker might be able to gather enough magic here to do it, but we know from your fight with him at the Academy that you have a greater reach than he. You would be more likely to succeed. And we may not get a second chance at this. It will take most of the magic around the spire.”

  A tingling sensation had been growing at the base of Tyen’s stomach, but it ceased abruptly. “You want to do it here? Have you asked the king if he minds you using all the magic around his home?”

  “Of course,” Gowel replied. “He approves. It will make Spirecastle an incredibly powerful place. The magic you bring back will flow out from here to replenish the world, making this place the one always richest in it.” He slapped his hands onto his knees and leaned towards Tyen. “Think! We’ll be heroes, the men who saved this world from running out of magic. Think of all the machines that enable us to clothe and feed more people, and the sorcerers who heal the sick. Think of how vulnerable Leratia’s cities are growing. How soon before uncivilised but less magically depleted foreign nations seek to take advantage of that weakness? All that the Leratian Empire has gained would be lost – and perhaps the Empire itself!”

  Tyen’s pulse was racing, but he held his excitement in check. Perhaps it would be better for those foreign nations if they were freed from the Empire’s control. He thought of Sezee and Veroo’s people, forced to change to fit Leratian ideas of proper royal inheritance. He thought of Oren and the Darsh people, their forests cut down and land taken. He remembered the Mailanders, their traditions ignored while archaeologists and students looted their tombs.

  But such change would not come without war and death. The machines did much good and it would be a pity if the advancements of the age were lost. If change could be made to occur slowly, with time for people to adjust, would it happen without conflict?

  If he brought magic into this world at a controlled rate, perhaps it would. But it might not work at all. They might use up all the magic around Spirecastle and find they could not replace it. Did the king really understand that risk?

  I will have to make sure he does, if I’m going to agree to this.

  If he did, he would have to confirm this was all that Gowel wanted – and what of Vella?

  “What is in this for me?” Tyen asked.

  A frown creased Gowel’s brow. He leaned back against the back of the couch.

  “We’ll give you your book and let you go. You will have to promise never to return to the north. We won’t tell the Academy you are in the Far South.”

  So much for being a hero. Gowel and Kilraker had obviously never intended to share the credit. He could live with that, if he was free to search for a solution for Vella.

  “I’ll do it, but I want Vella back before I try anything,” Tyen told him.

  “Kilraker might not agree to that.”

  “You have the advantage of numbers, and you’re not the one blamed by the Academy for a crime you didn’t commit. I haven’t forgotten what happened last time you offered to help me.
”

  Gowel pursed his lips, then nodded. “Fair enough. I will attempt to persuade him.” He rose and moved towards the door, then stopped and looked back at Tyen, his expression serious. “I have always wanted us to be your allies, not enemies. While I regret what was done to you, it may have worked out for the better for you. It would have been such a great waste for someone as powerful as you to be stuck in the Academy, always limited by the lack of magic and the rules.”

  “Instead I am limited by a lack of training,” Tyen pointed out.

  Gowel shrugged and turned back to the door. “Nothing you can’t learn on your own,” he said, then pushed through to the corridor beyond.

  Tyen sighed. Am I a fool for agreeing to this? he asked himself. As soon as he had Vella back he would consult her, and the two of them would search for tricks and flaws within Gowel and Kilraker’s plan.

  After a long wait the door opened again and Ysser entered. The old man smiled. “They forgive you,” he said.

  Tyen shook his head. “I don’t think forgiveness has anything to do with it. If Kilraker agrees, they’ll be giving me Vella and my freedom in exchange for helping them. Did they explain what they intend me to do?” he asked.

  The sorcerer smiled. “Yes. You ffill take magic from outside the spire, go to another fforld, and return with much more magic.”

  “Yes, but we will be taking a lot of magic. Probably all of it. And we have not done this before. If it doesn’t work Tyeszal will have much, much less magic. It is a big risk.”

  Ysser nodded, his expression serious. “Without risk ffe do not find new things. Tyeszal ffill make more magic.” He patted Tyen on the shoulder. “You good man, to think of us. I am happy you are free. I take to room for new clothes and food now. Tomorrow I bring you book.”

  CHAPTER 23

  A tapping at the door woke Tyen. He bolted out of bed and stumbled over to answer it, the fog of sleep quickly dissipating as he remembered Kilraker’s plans for the day.

  I am going to attempt to reach another world, he thought. Or at least go partway to one.

  He opened the door a crack to find Ysser’s protégé, Mig, waiting. The young man smiled, then hurried away without saying anything.

  A wake-up call? Tyen guessed. He considered the light coming through the window. The brightness made his head hurt. He’d stayed up late talking to Ysser, who’d shared a sweet liqueur from the seaside village he was born in. By the time Tyen had crawled into bed he’d wanted to adopt the old man as his own grandfather or become his apprentice. Or both.

  Looking around he ignored the fine clothes the Sselts had left for him and sought out the other set of simple porter’s clothes Veroo and Sezee had bought for him – that felt like a lifetime ago now. He found them, freshly cleaned and folded neatly, on a chest. They seemed like more practical clothes for travelling between worlds.

  Another knock at the door heralded the arrival of a servant bringing food. Tyen started eating heartily, but as his mind returned to the task he’d agreed to do his stomach clenched and he found he could only pick over and nibble at the rest.

  His third visitor was Ysser.

  The old man grinned at Tyen as he slipped into the room. “A big day ffor you!” he said. “Kilraker said to give thiss to you ffhen you join him.” He took a familiar drawstring bag out from within his coat. “I give it to you now. You may ask it of how travel to other fforlds. If bad … big risk…” His expression grew serious and earnest. “I help you go from Tyeszal not seen, and be free.”

  Tyen gazed at the old man in amazement. “You would do that?”

  Ysser nodded, then held out the bag. “Your story true.”

  “You talked to her?”

  “Mig talk to her. He say Kilraker bad to you.”

  Taking the bag, Tyen frowned. “Do you still want to let them do the experiment here and use so much of your magic?”

  “Yes. You take magic from outside, so magic inside left for us. Put magic you bring here outside, too.” Ysser tapped the book within the bag. “She says she teach you how before you try with Kilraker.” He took a step towards the door. “I now go make my room ready for you all.”

  “Thank you,” Tyen said. He opened the bag and tipped Vella out into his hand. The familiar weight and softness of her leather cover brought a wave of relief. She was unharmed. She was his again.

  He opened the cover.

  Are you all right, Vella?

  Words formed. I am. So you have struck a deal with Kilraker and Gowel.

  Yes. Will I be able to travel to another world?

  Perhaps. You are strong and there is a lot of magic here.

  Will I be able to stop midway and draw magic from another world over to this one?

  I doubt it. I have no record of anyone doing so.

  What about going to another world, taking in magic, and bringing it back?

  That is definitely possible, if the other world is rich in magic and your reach is great enough.

  And if one or both are not?

  You must use some of what you take from the other world to travel back. What you deliver to this world must be more than what you took, or you will have made the effort for nothing.

  If I bring back less then this world will be poorer.

  And if the other world is poor in magic, you might not be able to get back at all.

  A chill ran down Tyen’s spine. He would be stuck there.

  Do you know anything about the worlds closest to this one?

  Yes, but my knowledge is over a thousand years old.

  A lot could change in that time. His own world had.

  I guess I won’t know until I get there. It’s a risk I have to take.

  It is not the only choice open to you. Ysser will help you escape Kilraker and the Academy if you ask him.

  No. If there’s a chance we could slow the depletion of magic in this world, then I must try it. For the sake of the people of this world – and for your sake, too. If this world runs out of magic you will perish. He moved over to a chair and sat down. Tell me how to travel between worlds, Vella.

  First you must establish an awareness of the world you are in. Take in magic and push that world away. You will feel it when it happens.

  Moving to the centre of the room, Tyen concentrated on the magic around him and carefully drew some in from beyond the outside wall.

  What direction do I push in? Up? Down? Forwards?

  None of those. You are thinking in terms of physical directions in this world. You want to push away from the world itself. But first you must learn to sense it. Close your eyes. It helps to prevent the physical world from distracting you.

  He did. At once he was more aware of the pressure of the floor under his feet, and faint sounds within and outside the room. Those were physical sensations, though. He sought something else. All he detected was magic. Was that a physical thing? He opened his eyes so that he could read the page.

  It is not. It cannot be affected by physical forces.

  But if I let magic go it will flow outwards. Is that a kind of pushing?

  Not the kind you want.

  I didn’t think so.

  Sensing the world is not unlike sensing magic. It has a presence that has been there all your life, like a noise you’ve grown used to, so you must learn to detect it.

  He laughed and shook his head. That’s so vague! he complained. Can’t you tell me something more specific?

  These are the limitations of my form, she told him. I can only explain something to you in words you already understand. You can only read them. Outside this world it is common practice for an experienced sorcerer to teach this by letting his student watch his thoughts as he does it.

  He felt a flash of inspiration. But when they wrote about it, how did they describe travelling through worlds?

  Like taking a step back from the world. Or retreating behind a curtain.

  Which didn’t sound any more helpful. Still, he had to give it a try. Closing his eyes
again, Tyen imagined himself moving backwards. He tried actually stepping backwards in the hope that some sort of parallel shift would happen in sympathy with the physical movement, but none occurred. He tried using magic to still the air before him then pushing against it, and wound up stumbling backwards. Sighing, he looked down at the open page.

  You won’t succeed until you learn to sense the world, Vella told him. Stay still. Be patient. Ignore what is physical and not relevant.

  Tyen did as she instructed. He felt the floor beneath his feet and the temperature of the air moving in and out of his lungs. Considering other senses, he noticed the lingering smell of the food and the lingering flavours in his mouth. His ears picked up faint sounds: wind outside his window, footsteps in the corridor. He stood there with closed eyes until he was sure there was nothing left to sense, then gave up and consulted Vella again.

  What other words have sorcerers used to describe it?

  Like pushing away from a rock when you’re swimming, she told him. He snorted. Since he didn’t know how to swim, that analogy didn’t help one bit. Unless he imagined pushing against the side of a bath while immersed …

  That’s not so different from pushing against an obstruction to prevent the aircart from colliding with it, he realised. Which meant orientating the cart with something solid to push against. Only I’m trying to orientate myself with a world.

  Keeping his eyes open, he focused his awareness on the limits of his body. This was more familiar. It was basic battle strategy. In combat you needed to be able to still the air around yourself to ward off a physical attack without thought or hesitation, so all students were taught exercises that refined spacial awareness and encouraged them to do them regularly.

  This time he wasn’t repelling a physical attack, however. This time it was the world that was still and his body that must be repulsed. So he must become aware of it as if it was his body.

  As he sent his mind out he sensed magic. As in Leratia it was not stationary, but drifted around him like a translucent fog. In Leratia it came down from above, replacing the void created by the machines. Here it moved sideways. Ysser had said something about this the previous night. He said magic goes to the north. I thought he meant the Empire was more advanced in magic, but he was being more literal.