by M. J. Putney
“That is not going to happen!” Cynthia exclaimed.
Elspeth arched her brows. “You’d better explain yourself quickly, Nick, or we’ll all perish of curiosity.”
“Mustn’t have that.” Nick sank into the nearest worn sofa. The Irregulars had become skilled at taking care of someone suffering from mirror shock. While Nick repeated what he’d told Tory, he was efficiently swathed in a blanket and fed cups of steaming tea and all the currant cakes left from the evening’s social session.
As Nick paused to eat his fifth currant cake, Jack asked impatiently, “I’m glad you were able to clear your way to the mirror. Are you ready to tell us what brought you back in person rather than tossing a rock through?”
Nick swallowed the last bite of cake. “I wanted Tory’s advice. The old accounts say that Merlin or whoever made the mirrors created seven. Maybe that’s just poetry, but there is more than one. When I’ve made the passage, I’ve sensed that there were other portals besides this one. If I’ve sensed that, surely Tory has, too, since she has the strongest mirror magic.”
“I have,” she replied. “But only very dimly. I don’t know where or when the other portals go.”
“I’ve felt them, too.” Frowning, Elspeth brushed back her silvery blond hair. “If I had to guess, I’d say the portals go to different locations, and for someone gifted in mirror magic, each portal could be used to reach different times.”
Nick leaned forward eagerly. “Might one of the portals be in northern France?”
“It’s possible,” Tory admitted as she recalled her ancient British history. “The creator of the mirrors would likely place them in territories his people traveled to regularly. That would include Great Britain, Ireland, northern France, and the Low Countries. I’ve no desire to explore those other portals, though!”
“That’s exactly what I need to do,” Nick said flatly. “Explore the mirrors to see if I can find a secret way into northern France.”
The room was utterly silent until Jack asked incredulously, “Why would you want to do a mad thing like that? Didn’t you tell us the Nazis have occupied France?”
“Which is why I have to find my way in secretly,” Nick replied. “There’s a man there who needs rescuing, a scientist named Daniel Weiss. Apparently his work could be vital to the war effort.”
“Then why isn’t the government doing the rescuing?” Allarde asked. “Why do you need to be involved? Surely your father wouldn’t ask his sixteen-year-old to do something so dangerous! He probably hasn’t recovered yet from seeing you at Dunkirk.”
“He hasn’t.” Nick ran tense fingers through his unruly blond hair. “I’d better go back a bit. I told you my father had gathered some very useful information about the Germans when he and his men retreated to Dunkirk. Because of that, he was recruited by some mysterious intelligence agency. He’s based outside of London and manages to get home for a couple of days every few weeks.”
“Which is nice for you all, but…?” Jack prompted.
“The most recent of those weekends, Dad received a visitor, a research scientist from Oxford called Florey. This fellow had already asked for official help in getting Dr. Weiss out of France. When he was told that wasn’t possible, he came to plead his case directly with Dad since they have some mutual friend and Florey is desperate.”
“And just how did you happen to hear this very interesting conversation?” Cynthia asked tartly.
Nick smiled, unabashed. “It was a warm night, so I decided to enjoy the fresh air under the open window of my father’s study.”
“Why did Florey think Weiss should get special treatment when everyone in France is under the control of the Nazis?” Allarde asked.
“Dr. Florey leads a team of scientists for some really important research, and he thinks Dr. Weiss can help them succeed. Plus, Dr. Weiss is Jewish and Hitler hates Jews. When he became chancellor of Germany, persecution and restrictions on Jews increased horribly. The same thing is happening in the countries he’s conquered, so Dr. Florey is worried about Weiss’s safety as well as needing his help.”
Tory frowned. “Why does Hitler hate Jews so much?”
“I don’t know,” Nick said. “But two years ago there was a giant riot across Germany and Austria. It lasted for days and Jewish homes and businesses were smashed and destroyed. A lot of people died, more were injured. It’s called Kristallnacht because the streets in Jewish neighborhoods were filled with broken glass.”
Everyone gasped. Tory didn’t have to know any Jews personally to be appalled. “How can Hitler treat his own citizens so horribly?”
“Because he’s evil,” Nick said flatly.
“And because he needs scapegoats,” Allarde said soberly. “Someone to blame for all the ills of society. When people are unhappy about their lives, tell them that a group that’s a little different is the cause of their problems, and they’ll follow a tyrant into hatred. The history of war is all about us against them.”
Painfully aware of how right he was, Tory asked, “What kind of work does Dr. Weiss do that’s so valuable to this Dr. Florey?”
“This research team is trying to perfect a drug that can save people from dying of blood poisoning or infections like pneumonia,” Nick said, his voice sober.
This time the silence was awed. “Is that really true?” Elspeth asked in a hushed voice. “Mage healers like me spend most of our time trying to stop inflammation from spreading and killing patients. A medicine like that would change the world.”
“I hope so.” Nick shook his head, remembering. “A classmate of mine scratched his knee playing cricket. It was hardly anything, but blood poisoning set in and he died.”
Tory guessed all of them knew of such cases. Inflammation was always the great fear after an injury. “If Dr. Weiss can help create such a medicine, I see why he needs to be rescued, but why won’t the government do it?”
“After hearing him out, Dad said that he knew of Dr. Weiss’s research and agreed that it has great potential, but there is simply no way to get him out of France. The Germans have locked him up in a castle near Calais, and it’s surrounded by troops. Dr. Weiss has been given a laboratory and assistants because the Nazis want his work, too.”
“If the military intelligence lads can’t get Weiss out, it’s unlikely anyone else can,” Jack pointed out.
“From what I’ve heard…” Nick said.
“Under windows?” Cynthia asked acidly.
“Sometimes.” Nick gave her a quelling look which had no effect on her whatsoever. “British intelligence is sending agents into France and building a network with Frenchmen working against the Nazis, but that takes time. There aren’t enough resources to rescue a man who is heavily guarded. But I can try. And I will.”
Tory bit her lip. “It sounds as if Jews all across Europe are being threatened. Is it worth risking your life for a man you don’t even know?”
Nick slouched back in the sofa with a tired sigh. “This is where it gets hard to explain. The night after I overheard Dr. Florey talking, I had a dream. The most vivid of my life. I was at the funeral of a member of my family, but I didn’t know which one. All I knew was the death could have been prevented if Dr. Florey’s medicine was available.”
Tory felt a chill. His sister, Polly, might die? Or his mother or father? After Dunkirk, she felt almost as if they were her family, too. “Did it feel like a true dream? Or might it have been your fears for your family since you heard the subject talked about?”
“I wish it was just fear,” he said, his voice bleak. “But this was different from anything else I’ve experienced. I fear it’s true, and not too far in the future. If I had to guess, I’d say it was Joe who died. Flying a fighter plane is about as dangerous as life can get. But I don’t really know. It could be anyone in the family.”
“The only way to know if it’s a true dream is if it happens,” Cynthia pointed out. “You could throw your life away for a total stranger.”
“Don
’t underestimate me, Cynthia. I might succeed,” Nick retorted. “This is something I have to do. For all the reasons I know, and maybe some I don’t know.”
“Nick is right,” Elspeth said unexpectedly. “Dr. Florey’s team is on the edge of something great, and Dr. Weiss could make the difference. I’ll help you, Nick.”
As everyone stared at Elspeth, Nick said, “That’s wonderful of you, Elspeth, but I don’t want to risk anyone else’s life. If there’s a mirror portal that will drop me close to where Dr. Weiss is being held, I’ll find him, then figure out a way to break him free and take him back to England through the mirror.”
“Are you sure you can find him?” Jack said dubiously.
“My finder talent has been getting stronger and stronger since Dunkirk,” Nick replied. “I truly believe I can locate Dr. Weiss if I can reach the general area.”
“How good is your French?” Tory asked. “Good enough for you to move about without being recognized as English?”
Speaking in French, Nick said, “I’ve studied the language for two years. I think I can manage well enough.”
“Your accent is terrible,” Tory said bluntly. “You’ll be coming through the portal to an unknown location. After you learn where you are, you’ll have to travel to a strange place to free a heavily guarded man. If you manage to get him out, you then have to get him back to the local mirror and home to England. Someone so obviously English will never be able to do that.”
“My French will have to do.” Nick made a face. “I hated studying the language. It never occurred to me that French might be useful someday.”
“More than useful. Vital,” Allarde said, his expression thoughtful. “Luckily, most of us at Lackland Abbey were raised with French governesses and tutors. My French is excellent, so I’d better go with you.”
CHAPTER 19
Tory gasped at Allarde’s calm statement that he’d go with Nick into a war zone. Was he trying to get himself killed? If so, could it be because of her? The thought was unbearable.
He continued slowly, his awareness turned inward, “I have some foreteller ability, and I have a powerful feeling this is something that should be done.”
Biting back her instinctive protest in favor of logic, Tory said, “Surely you need some kind of plan. At this point, we don’t know whether there’s a mirror close enough to Dr. Weiss to be of use. Even if there is, are you sure you could reach it? It would be a jump in time and also place. A strange place you’ve never been before. Even though my mirror magic is the strongest, I don’t know if I could do this.”
Nick’s jaw set stubbornly. “I’m probably next to you in strength of mirror magic, and I’m determined. That will have to be enough.”
Cynthia said with exasperation, “Can’t we just crack his head against the wall until he gets over this mad idea?”
“Tempting,” Jack said, “but since this is a good cause, I’ll go with you, Nick.”
“You are mad!” Cynthia exclaimed, her expression horrified. “Is this why we have war? Because men are so keen on getting themselves killed?”
“There may be something to that,” Jack said cheerfully. “One of my reasons for volunteering is to make sure Nick comes back safely. But another is that I missed the fun during the evacuation. I was sitting safe in England working the weather while the rest of you got to be heroic.”
Tory shuddered as she thought of the destruction and fear that sometimes woke her up at night. “If you think what we did was fun, you really are mad!”
Jack sobered. “I shouldn’t have been flippant. It bothers me that you and Polly went to war and I didn’t. This feels like a chance to do something important, and maybe help Nick survive to do something equally stupid later.”
“Thanks, cuz,” Nick said wryly.
“I was glad to sit safely in England and work the weather.” Cynthia’s glare at Jack could have scorched paint. “It didn’t leave me with the slightest desire to undertake a dimwitted, suicidal mission to France.”
“That’s because you’re a girl,” Jack explained.
A pillow whirled off the sofa and smacked him in the face. His muffled “Hey!” was drowned out by Cynthia’s tart, “You’re lucky I didn’t have a rock to throw!”
Jack laughed as he tossed the pillow back on the sofa. “I see it’s dangerous to tease girls who are mages.”
“Let’s get him, girls!” Cynthia purred. “The three of us can hang Jack from the ceiling if we work together.”
“Tory’s right, we need a plan,” Nick said hastily. “I have a map of France, but it doesn’t show Castle Bouchard. All I know is that it’s south and east of Calais.”
“Castle Bouchard?” Jack said, startled. “Over the holiday, Cynthia and I rescued the Comte du Bouchard and his children. He was fleeing arrest and likely execution by Napoleon’s government. The castle is built on a huge outcropping of sheer rock with a small lake around half the base. The count said that he and his children escaped through a secret tunnel. But much might have changed between now and your time.”
“But maybe it hasn’t!” Nick leaned forward excitedly. “This sounds like fate, Jack. I need to talk to the count. Get him to draw maps. If there’s a mirror portal nearby, we might be able to get in and out quickly and safely.”
“You don’t even know if there’s a mirror in that area,” Tory pointed out. “Plus, I think you’ll have to go in two jumps. First back to your time, and you’ll have to search for other portals during the passage, which isn’t easy. If there is another portal where you want it, you’ll probably have to jump there from Lackland. I think you could, but we really don’t know if it’s possible to jump from place to place in the same time.”
Nick’s jaw set stubbornly. “I’ll experiment on my own so no one else will be at risk until I’m sure of where to go.”
He would do it, too, the fool. And maybe kill himself in the process. Tory’s brow furrowed as she thought about alternatives. “It might be possible to map the portals without going through the mirror. The energy always calls to me when I’m near. Usually I resist it, but if you and I combine our mirror and finder magic, we might be able to locate the portals from outside. Do you want to try?”
“Of course.” Nick was still gray with exhaustion, but he gamely got to his feet. “As long as I don’t have to go through again!”
He and Tory led the way to the mirror with the others trailing behind. “I wonder about the minimum time between trips,” Elspeth mused. “It takes time to recover, but how much? Twelve hours? Twenty-four? More?”
Tory thought. “Nick made two trips about twenty-four hours apart when he came back to ask for weather magery. How bad was the second trip, Nick?”
“No worse than the first, but that’s not saying much,” he said tersely.
“I’ve been wondering if healing energy could make passage through the mirror easier,” Elspeth explained. “I don’t know quite how to apply it, though.”
“Practice on me!” Nick said. “I’ll try anything that might make the trip less awful.”
They reached the mirror corridor. The mirror wasn’t visible, but Tory could feel the blaze of its energy. “Take my hand as we go nearer, Nick. I’ll try to open my mind to the energy without being swept into it. Use your finder ability to see if you can sense other portals. And if so, where they might be.”
He nodded and took her hand. “Are you sure we won’t go through the mirror?”
“No.” She suspected her palm was damp. The tightness of Nick’s grip showed that he was also nervous. “But what’s the worst that can happen? We go through the mirror again and feel as if we’ve been chopped into small pieces and reassembled. The usual mirror passage.”
“You are so comforting,” Nick muttered, but he managed a smile.
Hand in hand, they approached Merlin’s mirror. Tory sensed tension from the other Irregulars, Allarde in particular. The heightened magic of the Labyrinth made it easy to read him even when he was behind her. Th
e bond between them might have been damaged, but it wasn’t fully destroyed.
Tory stopped a yard or so short of the mirror, which was currently invisible. The silvery surface only appeared to normal eyes when the portal was open and ready to transport someone to another time. Then it turned black as the abyss.
“Close your eyes and share your energy with mine, Nick,” she ordered. “When our energies are blended, I’ll reach into the mirror magic and you can search for other portals.”
“It’s a good theory.” Nick’s voice was steady despite his fatigue. His energy flowed out to hers, sinking in until their powers were joined. Together they were much more powerful and had a wider range of abilities.
Tory closed her eyes and the mirror’s power blazed through every corner of her mind. Could such magic have been created by one person, even the legendary Merlin? Or had it been the product of many powerful mages working together?
The mirror laughed at her! Never before had she deliberately chosen to explore the mirror’s energy. Her first passage had been by accident. The other times she’d been anxious and concerned only with reaching her destination safely.
Now that she was consciously reaching out to the mirror, she experienced it as a kind of living entity that blazed through time and space. Not alive like a human, but she would swear that the ancient magic sensed her presence. It rather approved of her, like a powerful old uncle amused by a small girl child who was ignorant but had potential.
Cautiously she explored the dimensions of the mirror’s power, Nick shadowing her awareness. She realized that there weren’t multiple mirrors. Instead, one enormous conduit of power was anchored to several physical locations in her world. The energy ran centuries into the past and disappeared into the dim future.
As she immersed herself in the mirror energy, Nick extended his finder talent toward the places where it was anchored. Tory could sense the anchors, but couldn’t connect them with a mental map.
Nick could. She let him set the lead as he located portals one by one. He started with his home time in the Lackland mirror. There was another to the north. Scotland? Another to the south. France? No, Nick rejected that and moved on.