“I don’t think I’d want to pick a fight with someone who could turn me into a frog,” Adam said, rather loudly. They’d all seen the recordings. “Who would dare to offend anyone like that?”
There was a long pause. “Most of the random energy fluctuations appear to be outside the cities, rather than near them,” the XO said. “It could be that the energy makes it harder to operate outside the population centres...”
“I don’t see how,” Adam grunted. “We know that primitive technology works on an Ancient world. Darius is primitive enough that their technology shouldn’t have any problems even in the midst of an energy flux.”
“Unless they use compasses,” Dacron said. He’d reviewed the files on the Ancient worlds, all of which held more questions than answers. “Those don’t work right on Ancient worlds...”
“No,” Adam agreed. “They don’t.”
Elyria took a breath. “Captain,” she said, “I believe that we should start redeploying snoops.”
“I’d prefer to wait until we have more data,” the Captain said, reluctantly. Dacron rather doubted that they could get more data, at least from orbit. There was no way of being sure of anything without going down to the ground. “Have we picked up anything that could be a colony ship?”
“No, Captain,” the XO reported. “There are no traces of anything above First Age tech at all, apart from the energy fluctuations. The most advanced transportation systems they have are either sailing galleons or carts pulled by horses. If there was a colony ship here, it was probably launched into the star after the colonists were disembarked.”
“And nothing from the First Expansion Era could hide from our sensors,” the Captain mused. “Unless they buried it...”
He shook his head. “We’d pick up something, even if it was completely shut down,” he added. “Have you been able to detect a pattern in the fluctuations?”
“None as yet,” Dacron said. “As far as we can tell, the fluctuations outside the cities are completely random. Inside the cities, they seem to be associated with specific buildings, but it’s difficult to tell from orbit. We need to start deploying snoops.”
“There was no sign that they were detected during the first ship’s visit,” Elyria added, “and we do need that data, Captain.”
“Very well,” the Captain said, finally. “You may start deploying them, first to isolated ships and then into the cities. But keep them away from the fluctuations, if possible. We don’t know how they will react to our technology.”
Dacron nodded. The Captain was right. “There is no need to take chances,” he agreed. They’d already programmed the snoops for deployment. “When will we approach the planet?”
“Once we are sure that there are no fluctuations in high orbit,” the Captain said, “and that we can maintain an invisibility screen. This ship is not exactly tiny. When we’re in orbit, they would be able to see us with the naked eye. We do not want to be seen.”
CHAPTER
SEVEN
Joshua!
Joshua’s eyes snapped open as his master’s mental voice thudded into his head. He wished, he really wished, that his master wouldn’t do that, but subtle hints seemed to pass the older man by. And he couldn’t tell him directly, because that would be rude and being rude to one’s master was unforgivable. He’d be lucky if he merely escaped with a beating.
It will soon be time for Court, his master added, a moment later. You are required to be there, to learn how to judge.
Yes, Master, Joshua sent back, trying to keep the irritation out of his thoughts. It probably didn’t work, but Master Faye, Pillar of Warlock’s Bane, was old enough to ignore hints of true feelings that ran through the mental voice. I’m on my way.
Studying under a Pillar was a great honour – and Master Faye had never let him forget it from the moment he’d discovered that Joshua had a talent for magic, plucking him out of his family home and taking him in as his apprentice. Joshua had been glad at first, because he’d profoundly disliked baking in his father’s shop, but there were times when he regretted it. Magic was tricky, tended to get out of control when his concentration slipped for a moment and had a price. He hadn’t realised how isolated he’d become until it was too late.
Pulling himself out of bed, he splashed water on his face and groped for the grey apprentice robe. His master wore a colourful outfit to mark himself as the most powerful man in the city, but an apprentice was supposed to be drab, at least until he qualified and set up his own practice somewhere else. Joshua wanted to be free, yet he wasn’t looking forward to that day. He’d have to leave his family as well as his teacher. Pulling the robe over his head, he cast a simple reflective spell and stared at his reflection. He’d been shaved bald the day he’d accepted Master Faye as his tutor and the hair had never grown back. His eyes, too, had darkened, to the point where they seemed almost inhuman. Beyond that, he’d been working out every day, under the tutelage of a former mercenary who had come to work for Master Faye. His body was tough, capable of bearing the stresses of working magic. And the girls took notice of him.
He smiled at the thought, even though a magician was not supposed to do anything more than indulge himself from time to time. Pillars rarely married; as far as anyone knew, Scions never married. He’d kissed a few girls and spent time in the brothel, just like any other young apprentice, but he had never developed a proper relationship with a girl on the same level as himself. But to hear Master Faye, there were very few girls on his level. A magician was socially superior to almost anyone without magic.
Shaking his head, he picked up his training staff and walked downstairs, into the dining room. Master Faye’s servants had already put some bread and cheese on the table, leaving it to go dry and stale, a droll punishment for his constant oversleeping. Master Faye had admitted that he’d had problems too when he’d been an apprentice. And when Joshua had pressed him on the issue, he’d also admitted that he’d had exactly the same punishment.
The servants were nowhere to be seen as he ate his food, so he carried the plate through into the kitchen and left it in the sink for them to wash. His father had taught him always to wash up after himself, but he’d discovered that trying to do the washing up in Master Faye’s house upset the servants, although he had no idea why. Smiling, he took a small bag of dried fruit from the cupboard and left the house. There was no point in locking the door. The wards surrounding the house would deal with anyone foolish enough to trespass against a magician.
Outside, the sun was just rising over Warlock’s Bane, but the streets were already alive with apprentices as they hurried to work and servants doing the shopping for their masters. Warlock’s Bane was a big city, with over four thousand inhabitants; it seemed unbelievable that any city could be larger. Master Faye swore that there were bigger cities in the world, far away, but Joshua wasn’t sure if he believed him. His master was known to test him from time to time, just to see what lies he would swallow.
A line of carriages drove past, heading for the gates that would take them out of town and, eventually, out of Master Faye’s jurisdiction. Joshua remembered looking at them as a child and feeling determined to travel one day, although that had been before Master Faye had found him and taken him on as a pupil. If he became a Scion, at least he would be able to travel... Master Faye had told him of wonders out in the badlands and he would like to see them for himself before he became a Pillar. If he became a Pillar...
He caught sight of Dore on the other side of the street and waved at her. She smiled, blushed and waved back, her smile sending a tingle running down his body. Dore was old enough to be married now, with her father searching for a good match. If Joshua hadn’t been an apprentice magician, he would have pressed his father to make suit for her. She was beautiful, good-natured and – he was told – an excellent cook. Instead, she’d probably be married off to some lout who couldn’t count to eleven without taking off his boots.
The Justice Building loomed up in fro
nt of him, guarded by a pair of men wearing armour and carrying extremely sharp swords. They glared at Joshua, commanding him to perform his master’s signature charm, before allowing him to enter the building and find Master Faye. Other visitors would be stripped of weapons before being allowed to pass, just in case someone objected to a ruling and decided to try to fight. They’d have to be insane to pick a fight with the local Pillar, but it did happen. People could get very upset about very minor things.
Master Faye was standing in the courtroom, speaking to the Bookkeeper and Justice Lord. Joshua had previously had to shadow each of them as part of his training; the Bookkeeper was boring, while the Justice Lord seemed to refer all of the interesting cases to Master Faye. The Bookkeeper was also the Head of the Bookkeeper Guild in Warlock’s Bane; Joshua had never been sure, but he had the feeling that the little man resented having to answer to Master Faye. His formal duties mainly consisted of maintaining the records, including the records of court cases, yet he also tried to be unpleasant to everyone who was socially inferior to him.
“Joshua,” Master Faye said, out loud. It was rude to use mental voices when around Minors, although several other magicians whom Joshua had met were happy to flout that convention. “You will be judging the second case today.”
Joshua blinked. “I will?”
“You will,” Master Faye confirmed. He pointed to a hard wooden seat beside the judge’s box. “Sit there and wait.” His voice lowered as the Bookkeeper and Justice Lord took their own positions. “We will discuss your lateness afterwards.”
Joshua squirmed as the bailiffs opened the doors, allowing the audience to flood into the chamber. By tradition, anyone who wanted to attend Court was welcome, even those who were not involved in legal issues. The only people who were kept out were those who were actually going to face Master Faye; they were being held in a separate room, from where they would be admitted one at a time. As soon as the clock started to chime, Master Faye clicked his fingers and there was a brilliant flash of multicoloured light.
“Court is now in session,” he said. Silence fell, instantly. “Bring in the first case.”
The side door opened again, revealing two bailiffs dragging a man in handcuffs. Joshua thought that he’d never seen a more guilty man in his life and the spectators evidently agreed, because they booed and hissed at him as he was plonked into the dock. Master Faye produced another flash of light and silence fell, just in time for the bailiffs to bring a more prosperous-looking man out of the door and put him in the witness box. He was swearing the complaint against the criminal.
“Goodman Goya,” Master Faye said, as soon as the details of the accused’s name had been entered in the book of records. “State the nature of your complaint.”
“Theft, My Pillar,” Goodman Goya said. Joshua knew him, if vaguely; he was one of the more prosperous merchants in Warlock’s Bane. Joshua’s father had often talked about trying to marry his daughter to Goya’s son, calculating that the marriage would do the family good by improving their standing in society. “This man was caught trying to steal from my shop.”
He spoke on, outlining what had happened. The accused had been shifty the moment he’d walked into the store and Goya had kept a sharp eye on him, to be rewarded when he saw the man pocketing a piece of fruit. He’d sent his two older sons after him as soon as the criminal left the store, ordering them to grab him, search him and then march him to jail, where he’d stayed until his appearance in Court.
“Very good,” Master Faye said, finally. He looked at the suspect. “Do you wish to make a statement in response?”
The suspect’s mouth worked several times before he finally managed to speak. “My family is starving, My Pillar,” he said, finally. “I needed to feed them...”
“But that cannot excuse stealing,” Master Faye said. “For your unsuccessful theft, you will spend four weeks enslaved, either working for Goodman Goya or for the city itself. As your family would starve completely if you brought nothing home, you will be paid a pittance for your services. Or you can have two weeks enslavement without pay.”
Joshua watched the complex shift of emotions across the man’s face. Being a slave was no laughing matter, particularly as the slavery would be enforced by magic, but at least he would be paid something for his effort. His family wouldn’t starve...
“I will accept the four weeks of slavery,” he said, finally. “And...”
“I object,” Goodman Goya said, quickly. “He stole from me!”
“And he is going to be punished,” Master Faye said. “You may make use of him while he is enslaved, but you may not demand further punishment.”
He stared at Goya, who backed down. Joshua watched the bailiffs escorting the prisoner to a holding cell and shivered, just as Master Faye stood up and nodded for Joshua to take his seat. Joshua would have scowled at his master if he had dared; he’d just been given the opportunity to make a fool of himself in front of hundreds of watching eyes. No one would dare to laugh at him publicly – it would be a direct insult to Master Faye – but they’d be sniggering behind his back as soon as they left the Court.
Bring in the second case, Master Faye prompted, using his mental voice.
Joshua swallowed his surprise at the breach in etiquette. “Bring in the second case,” he ordered, addressing the bailiffs. They showed no surprise at his sudden elevation to the judge’s chair. Instead, they opened the door and brought in a young girl, a boy who couldn’t be more than a year older than her and two sets of parents. None of them looked very happy – and the girl looked noticeably pregnant. Joshua winced, inwardly. He didn’t have quite the access to rumours he’d had before he’d become an apprentice, but he’d heard about this one. If he hadn’t known that a Pillar didn’t need to care what any Minor thought of him, he would have wondered if Master Faye had given him the case because he didn’t want to handle it himself.
“State the nature of your complaint,” Joshua said. Unsurprisingly, all four parents started to talk at once. Joshua held up a hand and they quietened. “Goodman” – he fought to remember the name – “Harris, you may speak first.”
Harris, the father of the young girl, seemed unsure how to address Joshua, so he stuck to the facts. “My daughter Rose was given a promise of marriage by that young man,” he said, pointing to the young man, who stood between his parents, “and so she allowed herself to be seduced. He got her with child and then broke off the engagement. I am here to demand justice.”
Joshua fought to keep his face under control. It wasn’t uncommon for an engaged couple to have sex before their marriage – and if the girl became pregnant, it proved that they were capable of having children. If there were no pregnancy, it was possible to break off the engagement, allowing the couple to try for children with someone else. But to abandon the girl after she became pregnant... ? It couldn’t be allowed to stand.
He looked over at the other father. “Goodman Fauves?”
“My son Julius was on a trading mission when the bitch” – he coughed when Joshua glared at him – “ah... Rose became pregnant. There is no way my son can be the father.”
“That’s a damned lie,” Rose’s mother shouted. “You’re just looking for a better match now that you have a windfall profit from...”
“Your girl is trying to fool my son,” Julius’s mother shouted back. “You’re...”
Silence them, Master Faye suggested, and then question the children.
Joshua worked the silencing spell and silence fell, instantly. The spell was actually a little too powerful; it reached the audience and silenced their mutterings too. Carefully, he fine-tuned the spell, allowing the youngsters to speak. But they weren’t really youngsters, were they? Julius was four years older than Joshua himself.
“Let’s deal with this calmly,” he said, into the silence. “Julius. Is Rose’s child your child?”
“I do not know,” Julius admitted. He looked embarrassed; for a moment, Joshua felt an odd moment
of kinship. Parents could be so embarrassing. “We... we did it just before I set out on the trading mission, so the child could easily be mine...”
His voice trailed away under the glowers from his parents. Rose’s mother might have had a point, Joshua decided. Goodman Fauves had managed to make a considerable profit through his trading mission, which had been more than a little risky as it involved travelling through the badlands. It had been enough to propel his family up the social scale, making them richer – at least for the moment – than Goodman Goya. And that money might have allowed them to make a better match for their oldest son.
Joshua looked down at Rose. “Was there anyone else who could have fathered the child?”
Rose flushed as red as her namesake – it had to be humiliating to answer to a boy a year younger than herself, let alone in front of an entire audience – but she managed to answer the question.
“No, My Pillar,” she said. There were some faint and rather nervous chuckles from the audience. Joshua was an apprentice, not even a Scion. He was hardly a Pillar. And there was only ever one Pillar in a Bailiwick. “I never slept with anyone else.”
Joshua switched his gaze back to Julius. “If the child is yours,” he said, “will you marry her?”
“Yes,” Julius said. His mother managed to give him a truly fearsome glare. “I meant every word I spoke to her.”
“Very well,” Joshua said. “For the moment, we will assume that the child is yours. Upon its birth, we will perform a testing spell to determine paternity. In the event of the child actually being yours, you will be married – and you will be considered to have been married from the date her parents brought this case. Your child will not be considered illegitimate.
“Furthermore, your parents will pay you and your wife a substantial sum to allow you to set up your own separate household,” he added. He would never have considered that before going to live with Master Faye. “She will not need to live with her mother-in-law.”
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