In Those Days, before the Acceptance of Magic as a legitimate Branch of the Learned Arts, many were extremely Fearful of Practitioners. For that Reason, those who Governed instituted a System of Surveillance and Control designed to hunt out those practicing Dark Arts or Necromancy. Even after there was no more Need for such Investigation it persisted, as governmental Functions often Do.
I now understand that such Power often Corrupts those Wielding it, and surely that must have been a Common Problem. Even the most Innocent Adept had dreaded the Coming of the Examiner, for often such Men used their Station to extort Gold or even Property from Those they Investigated. Their Reputation had become so Soiled and their Visits so Destructive to good Order and Prosperity in the Households they entered that even the Common Folk learned to mistrust and to dislike them, before their Breed died out.
Even as Young as I was at the Time, my Imagination was caught and my Sense of Dread awakened by the hushed and fearful Tones of those who Spoke of his Coming. Even the Master, a sober and Respected Adept, seemed Forgetful and Apprehensive as the Day of Examination Approached.
Perhaps at this Point I should describe Master Polybius. He was a Chirurgeon and Herbalist, one secure enough in his Skill to use even the Receipts devised by the Wise Women who served as Midwives and Physicians for the very Poor. No Sufferer had ever approached his Door in Vain, and his Wealth he Shared with those in Need.
He was, perhaps, too Virtuous to be well loved, for Human Beings, I have found, do not like to be Measured against those better than they. Of course, being a Kit, I did not understand such Matters at the Time, but now, looking back over the Years, I am able to Comprehend things that were Obscure to me then.
Although those nearby seemed Grateful to and Respectful of the Master, there must have been among them at least One who was Envious or Fearful of his Powers. However it might Be, there came Word on a wet summer Morning that Master Polybius must be Examined.
My Mother, a devoted Familiar to him and a loving Mother to Me, was quite Distracted. Never in her Career had she been involved in such a Situation, and her perfect Knowledge of her Master's Innocence made her Grief and Unease far Worse. Tales had come to her Ears of Unjust and Abusive Treatment offered, in the Past, to unoffending Adepts by Those assigned to discover their Guilt or Innocence.
She was so Apprehensive that she kept me very Close, not even allowing me to Scamper in the Garden or to Visit Cook in her Kitchens. Clearly do I recall the Days when we Waited, seemingly Calm and Ordered in our Lives but actually Most Unhappy in our Hearts. Though I could not Comprehend the true Gravity of the Situation, the Emotions of those about me filled me with Gloom, and a gloomy Kit is an Unnatural and Explosive Creature.
For three Days of Rain and Wind we waited for the Examiner to Arrive. My Fur bristled at the slightest Touch, my Purr was ragged and Uneven, and my Mood was NOT GOOD. Mother seemed much Calmer than I, but I could feel the Tension in her Body as we cuddled together at Night.
The Master seemed to take Comfort in holding me in his Lap, and that was the only thing that seemed to settle my Nerves. We were sitting so, on the Afternoon of the Third Day, when the small Maid-servant came to the Study Door.
"Master Polybius, Sir, a Reverend Talley has arrived and says he must see you." She looked pale and frightened, for even the Human elements of the Household had felt the Miasma of Unease that filled the Three of us.
The Master set me carefully upon the polished Floor and Rose to his Full Height. His dark Robes draped about his tall Shape, and he motioned to my Mother to go out into the Garden. She did that, without thinking to Summon me to follow.
Filled with Apprehension as he was, Polybius forgot this errant Kit, and I tucked myself beneath the Drapery at the Window, determined to watch what Occurred here in my Home. Shivering with uncomprehending Dread, I waited while the Servant ushered in the Examiner.
My first Impression of the man was one of large Feet shod in muddy Boots. He had not scraped them as he Entered, and I marked that against his Character at once. I had observed, even so early, that the Refined did not Dirty the Homes of others. Those Feet crossed the Parquet and stopped at the deep Chair beside the Master's.
The man Sat, and his Robe, of rusty black Stuff, puffed out Dust as it billowed. "So, Master Polybius," said a gravelly Voice, "you have been Accused of Activities dangerous to the Public Weal."
I moved my Eye nearer to the bottom of the Drapery and looked with Interest at the Speaker. He was lantern-jawed, his Mouth a mean Slit, his Brow craggy and somewhat Dirty, as well. Long black Hair straggled about his Neck, and the single Hand I could see sported black Nails. A nasty Man, my Mother would have said, even without knowing his Profession.
Polybius was almost beyond my range of Vision, but his even Voice flowed quietly into the Chamber. "By whom have I been accused, Master Examiner? There is not a single Person within this County who has Suffered at my Hand or by my healing Arts. Ask your Questions, I pray you, and let us End this Unproductive Interview."
The Inquisitor frowned, his Brows drawing together in a forbidding Expression. "Take care, Polybius. The Weight of our Kingdom is behind my Work, and no saucy Wizard may Question me or Avert my Findings.
"Today is the Beginning. Tomorrow I shall return and expect to find all of your Magical Equipment displayed, as well as your most Secret writings, in your Place of Work. This is obviously not that, for I see no Corkindrill, no Skull, no Grimoire here. Have all prepared tomorrow, for if you do not I shall Arrest you and have you taken to a Place of Confinement while my People ransack your House and put your Servants to the Question."
Even I, young and ignorant as only a Kit may be, knew what his Words meant. The Servants had talked long about the Rack and Thumbscrews used in such Interrogations, and though I could not Visualize such terrible Matters, their Tones had filled me with Terror.
I could see the Toes of my Master ... only those ... but they had twitched at his Command. Now his Voice thundered, "This is my place of Work, excepting only my Stillroom, where I prepare Herbs as Medicines. I do not treat Patients here but visit them in their Homes.
"Ignorant Man, I do not deal in Magic but in Healing! Why can you not understand so Simple a Statement? You may come now, or you may visit me Tomorrow to inspect my Stillroom. I do not possess Corkindrills or Skulls. You will find only Containers of dried Leaves and Roots, when you come, or Seeds from which I grow Herbs for both Physicking and the Table. Come now, if you will, and complete your odious Task."
Those dirty Feet did not shift or even Move. "I will come Tomorrow, as I have said. You will have Everything revealed, or you will go with me to the Gaol. Do not think to Hoodwink me, Master Polybius. I have dealt with far more crafty Practitioners than you, most of whom Pretend to be harmless but who endanger the Realm with their devious Devices."
He rose; his Robe flapped Dust under the Drapery, and I stifled a Sneeze as he stalked from the Chamber. I snarled silently and felt my Fur rise with the first Fury ever Experienced in my young Life. How Dare this Fellow Accuse our Master of such Disreputable Acts?
As soon as the Door closed behind our terrible Visitor, I shot from beneath the Drapery and sprang into the Master's Lap, rubbing my Head beneath his quivering Hand and digging my small Claws into his Sleeve. At that Moment, the Resolve that has stood me in good Stead all my Life came into Being. I was Determined, with all my Puny Self, to defend our Master from this Intruder, no matter What the Cost.
Whether I comforted Polybius or he comforted me I cannot Say. Together we Communed for some Time, until both Calmed somewhat and he Rose and set me carefully upon the Floor. "Find your Mother, small Hermione," he said to me. "I must go and put my Equipment into Order for that Ignoramus." He stalked away toward his Stillroom behind the House, while I washed with some care, while Considering how to approach my Mother with this uncomfortable Situation.
Laetitia, my Mother, met me in the Stable yard, her golden Eyes wide with Apprehension. "Where have you been,
Hermione? I could not find you, after the Master sent us from his Study. I have Fretted all this while for your Safety."
I rubbed against her striped Side, purring. Then I sat and looked into her Face. "That Man who came threatens our Master," I told her. "He said things about Corkindrills and Skulls and Magical Equipment. I do not understand, Mother, but he made me very Angry!" I swished my Tail vigorously, and my Claws went in and out of my Paws with the violence of my Emotion."
"Ah," said my Mother. "Now I understand. I have seen this sort of Thing before now, my Child, and innocent People have suffered because of Lies and Ignorance. But we are not mere Pets, as most of our Kind tend to be. I am a fully trained Familiar, and you have inherited much of my Ability." She licked my ear affectionately, and I turned on my back so she could wash my Stomach as well.
When she was done, she sat back on her Haunches and continued, "Familiars have many Uses, and I am determined to add another to that long List. Hermione, where have you found the most Active and Vigorous Mice?"
A strange Question I thought it to be, but I was trained in Obedience. "There is a Nest beneath the Stairway, in the Pocket of a great fur Cloak. But the Mites are too Young to be of help to anyone, I should think. Behind the Armoire there is a young Family of Mice, all Fast and Strong and Nimble. What about Those?"
She wiped her Whiskers with a thoughtful Paw and nodded. "Young and Nimble – just right. Are you able to catch them?"
I stared at her. I was, you must Recall, very Young and quite Small. "I will try," I said, "but they Run so Fast and Hide so completely that I have not succeeded yet."
"Then I will help you," she said. "Come."
She led the Way to the Chamber where the ancient Armoire stood in a Corner. While I flushed the Mice from their Crannies, Mother caught them easily with her quick Paws, clamping their Tails between her Teeth so as to Secure them. We made our Way at last to the Stillroom with eight spry Mice, six in her mouth, two in Mine, and we were most Careful not to Injure them.
There was a large Jar in the Corner of the Stillroom in which the Master sometimes Fermented special herbal Wines for those suffering from Disorders of the Stomach. It was very Deep, and its Sides were smooth and slick. We dropped the Mice into the Jar and Mother managed to drag a Pottery Dish to the Edge of the Table beside the Jar and to push it almost entirely over the Top to keep the small Rodents inside.
When we returned to the House for our Supper, we were quiet and Reserved, as Polybius seemed Preoccupied. Afterward, Mother and I curled upon our Cushion and she explained just what she required of me when the Examiner returned in the Morning.
I was filled with Glee. Being so small, I would be hard to see – our tabby Coats blend with their Surroundings. The most important Task would be Mine, and even after I fell asleep, I Dreamed of the Day to come, often waking myself with twitches of my Tail and Growls in my Throat.
Morning came too quickly. When I woke, Mother was already off on her early Round, sniffing Ratholes in the Stables, making certain that Cook had the Master's first Meal ready for his Waking, and (I was sure) checking on the Condition of our Captives in the Stillroom.
Master rose early, Himself, and after pushing Food about his Plate in a Distracted Manner, he went to the Stillroom to make Ready for the Examiner's Visit. When Mother followed him into the Room, he said, "Laetitia, you must keep quite Away from this Chamber while our Guest is present.
"He looks for Familiars, even Pets like Lapdogs or Mousers, believing them to indicate a Pattern of dark Practices. Remain in the Stables; you might even bring a Rat to the Door before he leaves, showing Yourself to be a normal and unremarkable Cat. Which, of course, you are not," he amended, seeing the glint in her golden Eyes.
He did not think to caution Me. So when the Examiner arrived, I was concealed behind that Jar in the Stillroom, ready to Drop a Length of Cloth into it to allow the Mice to escape.
He stared about the clean, plain Chamber with Suspicion in his Eyes. "Where are the Retorts? The Alembics? I see no magical Equipment," he said in his harsh Voice.
"I boil my Kettle over the Hearth," Polybius said in a calm Tone. "Making Teas is the same, whether of Feverfew or of Mint. A Healer does not require the Trappings of Magic; I do not use such Techniques in Pursuit of my Craft."
The Examiner turned his Gaze to the neat Shelves of Herbs, in their Bottles and Bags and Pouches. He spilled a bit from one and sniffed, then tasted with a cautious Tongue. "Thyme," he said in a disappointed Tone. Down the Row he went, finding nothing more Perilous than Foxglove, which even the most Ignorant know to be Useful for problems of the Heart.
He rummaged into the Cabinets beneath the Shelves, finding there only the Recipes for healing teas or tinctures or Distillations, along with Utensils for Boiling or Cleaning the raw Herbs. The Stillroom was as it had always been, a place for making Medicines, and not even the most Determined could force from it any Admission of Guilt.
Even I could see that the Reverend Talley was growing Angrier by the Moment. He turned at last to Polybius and said, "I regret to say that I must have you Removed to the Gaol, where you will be put to the Question. One of your Age will not likely Survive, but I must do my Duty."
Two men entered, their Hands on their Pistols, and took their Places beside my Master. At that Moment I dropped the Cloth into the Jar, and the trapped Mice, Hungry and Impatient, came scrambling up and out, running away from the Scent of Cat (which was, of course, my own) toward the Examiner.
I sprang after them, Hidden in the Shadows along the Floor, hissing softly between my Teeth to urge them to greater Speed. They tended to Dart in all Directions, but I managed to herd five of the Rodents under the Examiner's Robes. There they found a Shelter much to their liking, and they climbed up between the Layers of his Garments with Speed and Recklessness.
I was behind them still, my small Bulk seeming no greater than Theirs, and for a Moment it seemed we had mistaken our Victim. Then one of the Mice shot out at the Neck of his Gown, and the Examiner gave a Shriek of Fear. The other mice, encouraged by this, moved even more quickly, and soon Talley was shaking, stamping, tearing off all of his Clothing with frenzied Fingers.
I added a sharp Claw, from time to time, as he Divested himself of every stitch and stood before his startled Henchmen in his bare Skin. As the Robes fell to the Floor, the Mice escaped among the Shadows, and I slipped beneath a Table to watch the Proceedings.
"The poor Man has lost his Mind," said Polybius, looking thoughtful and Sad. "Seeking for Evil and hunting out Magical Workings must have unhinged him. Here ... " and he turned to pour wine from a Flask into a Goblet and offer it to the shaken Examiner.
I took the Opportunity to reach out and nip his Ankle between my Teeth, not hard but enough to be Felt. He shrieked and dashed the Wine from his Lips. His Men, now clearly convinced that he was Mad, restrained him, wrapped his outer Robe about his clammy Nakedness, and took him away, shouting and protesting with every Step.
Polybius looked thoughtful, for a long Moment. Then he said, "Kitty-kitty?" and I came from beneath the Table.
Looking as innocent as Possible, I curled about his Ankles, purring loudly. Mother called from beyond the Door, and he opened it to Admit her. She began licking my Face. Together we must have posed a Picture of Domestic Bliss.
"You managed that, in some Manner I cannot Fathom," our Master said, trying to sound Stern but not quite managing to. "What did you do to that unfortunate Person?"
Mother, using the silent Method of Speech between Familiar and Master, said to him, "It is best that you do not Know, Master Polybius. Be satisfied that he is Gone and will not, I suspect, Return."
He stroked his Beard, looking thoughtful. "He is the last of the Examiners, the rest having Died or Retired. If they find him Mad, nobody will come to us again, I hope most Devoutly."
The Report must have been True, for no other Examainer came to Question Polybius. Nothing else was heard from the Inquisitor, as well, which was most satisfy
ing to Mother and to me.
How many Familiars, I wonder, managed to Discredit a Dishonest Official at such a tender Age? That seems immodest, yet I must admit to a certain Pride when I recall my first active Role as an untrained but effective Familiar.
HERMIONE TO THE RESCUE
Procopius dozed in his deep chair, his hands drooping across the mildewed leather book in his lap. Dreams – these days they were more comforting to the old man than his waking hours, though they sometimes contained nightmares. Yet he knew he could rely upon his familiar to wake him before those sleep-evoked demons could work any damage. At their best, his dreams took him back to his powerful youth and the days when his was a name to be reckoned with. At their worst – but he refused to think about those.
He drifted more deeply into his doze, warmed by the sputtering coals in the grate, his belly comforted by the port he had consumed with his supper. Visions began to grow ... but darkness overtook them, and he struggled to wake before some unwanted visitor invaded his dream.
"Percival!" he croaked. "Percival, help me!" But there was no touch of a claw-studded paw on his wrist, no sound of a rasping growl designed to wake him and to scatter the intruding spectres. Procopius was forced to heave himself out of sleep without help, which had become almost impossible, now that he was old and weak. Once his eyes opened he sat shivering, though the fire still burned before his feet.
Where was Percival? As soon as he calmed himself, he found himself staring about the room. The cat usually found a warm, dark spot in which to curl up and sleep, but never before had he failed to drive away the nightmare demons from his master, although it had seemed recently that the familiar, too, was becoming weaker with age.
He could not come to Procopius's call. When Mrs. Jenks, the houskeeper, found him, the cat was quite dead and stiff, his teeth bared in a desperate snarl. Procopius, viewing the small corpse, sighed. The demons got him at last, poor beast. Now what was to become of the master?
THE TWILIGHT DANCER Page 12