A gruff voice emanating from somewhere deep in the house called out, “Well, don’t just stand there, come on in, and tell the others to come on in, too! You must be starving. Dinner’s been ready for hours. What took you so long?”
Steve wasn’t sure whether he should enter the cabin or wait at the door until the owner of that voice made an appearance. It was clear that the man was expecting someone, but Steve wasn’t sure he should take advantage of the man’s hospitality. He decided to err on the side of caution, so he waited at the door.
After a couple of seconds, a man stepped out into the hall carrying a large mug. At first glance, Steve placed his age at anywhere from forty to eighty. He was maybe four feet tall and at least two feet wide, but there didn’t appear to be an ounce of fat on him. His face and hands looked like seasoned leather and seemed a bit too large for his body. He wore black leggings, black boots, and a brown tunic, gathered at the waist by a wide leather belt. His thick grizzled hair hung several inches below his shoulders, and a full gray beard reached halfway down his chest. At the center of his chest, right at the point of his beard, was a large pendant, and in the center of that pendant was a light blue stone shimmering with deep violet bands. All in all, he did not look that friendly.
“Don’t just stand there with your mouth hanging open. Call the others,” Kalen demanded.
Steve turned to the woods and signaled to the others to come in. Then as he stepped through the door into the large front room, Kalen offered him the mug. Steve took it and raised it to his lips. As he smelled the cold dark liquid to see if he could identify it, a strange sense of well-being came over him. When he sipped it, he found the taste unusual, but quite pleasant.
Kalen pointed to one of the chairs, and Steve gratefully accepted the invitation to sit down with his drink. Then Kalen disappeared into the kitchen for a minute and returned carrying a tray with enough mugs of scog for everyone. As the others entered the cabin, he handed each of them a mug. Almost immediately, Kalen knew which one was Myron. He looked just like Yvonne.
Once they were all settled on the couches and chairs, Kalen introduced himself and told them that he was pleased that they had finally arrived.
His visitors looked at each other in confusion. Finally Chris spoke up. “You act like you were expecting us, but that doesn’t make sense. We don’t even know where we are. The last thing any of us remember before we woke up in the meadow was our bus being hit by a tornado.”
“Maybe someone has been through here looking for us,” Joan said to Chris. Then she looked at Kalen and asked, “Are they searching this area? Do they know we’re here?”
“Don’t worry about the details right now. We’ll talk after you’ve eaten,” Kalen said. “Dinner will be on the table in about fifteen minutes. In the meantime, enjoy your scog.” Then he turned and walked back down the hall toward the kitchen.
“Scog? What’s scog?” Theresa whispered. She had yet to raise the mug to her lips.
“I think it’s our drink.” Joan sipped the dark liquid again. “I don’t think I’ve ever tasted anything quite like it, but it’s nice.”
“If I were you, I’d drink it slowly,” Steve said. “I was pretty tense when I came in here, but now that I’ve had a few sips I feel much more relaxed.”
“I’m glad it’s not just me,” Darrell said quietly. “I feel almost tranquilized.” He sat back and closed his eyes for a moment. “Did anyone else notice that he had the right number of mugs on that tray? Was he really waiting for us?”
“I don’t see how he could have been,” Karl answered. “Perhaps it’s just one big mix-up.”
“As long as he feeds us before he figures it out,” Chris said with a sigh. “I’m starved.”
While they waited for their host to reappear, an easy silence filled the room.
A few minutes later, Kalen returned and asked them to follow him to the dining room. The first thing they noticed about the dining room was its size, and the second thing they noticed was the long table loaded with platters of meat, bowls of vegetables, freshly baked bread, fruits, and pastries.
Kalen motioned to the chairs, and as his visitors seated themselves he told them to enjoy their meal, and that he would wait for them in the living room.
The food, delicious by any standards, was particularly good since it had been so long since any of them had had anything to eat. Finally, when everyone was finished, they went back to the living room, and had a seat.
Joan was the first to break the uneasy silence. “Thank you for dinner. We really enjoyed it.”
Kalen nodded and mumbled, “You’re welcome.”
After another minute of tense silence had passed, Chris asked, “Could you tell us where we are? And do you have a phone? We need to call our families and let them know we’re alive and where we are.”
“We need to call in to our jobs, too,” Karl added.
Theresa stared at her hands, clasped in her lap, and whispered, “I don’t care whether anyone finds out where I am or not.”
Joan was the only one who heard her. She gave Theresa a questioning look, but Theresa didn’t say anything else.
“I’m sorry, but I’m afraid you won’t be able to contact anyone from the other side,” Kalen said.
“The other side?” Chris asked. “The other side of what?”
“The other side of the gate,” Kalen answered quietly. He didn’t know how to go about telling these people that they would never see Earth again, and he had no idea how they might react. It was going to be awkward at best, and he felt sure that he’d probably bungle it.
“What gate?” Darrell asked quietly. “Just where are we anyway?”
“You’re on Terah, Earth’s double,” Kalen replied. “You left Earth when the tornado hit the bus. The meadow where you woke up is on Terah. The tall stones around the meadow make up the gateway.”
“Okay,” Karl said slowly. He figured it would be best to humor the man. “How do we get back to Earth?”
“I’m afraid that you can never return to Earth,” Kalen said with a deep sigh. “By now, everyone on Earth thinks that all of you are dead.”
“Look, is there a phone anywhere around here?” Joan asked impatiently. She wanted to call her parents and let them know that she and Karl were all right.
“We don’t have telephones on Terah. We communicate with letters delivered mostly by falcons.” Kalen looked a little embarrassed.
“All right then,” Steve said in a conciliatory tone. “Where’s the nearest town?”
“About fifteen miles away, but I can’t let you go into town at this point,” Kalen answered.
“What do you mean you can’t let us?” Chris asked. “What’s going on here?” He leaned forward as if he was going to stand up.
“Look. I’m putting all of this very badly. I really don’t know how to explain it to you.” Kalen looked around the group, hoping for some kind of clue as to how to approach this. “Maybe I should start at the beginning. Twenty-three years ago, a son was born to Badec, of the House of Nordin. He’s the Seated Sorcerer of Camden and the Master Sorcerer of Terah. His wife, Yvonne, died shortly after the boy was born. To protect the heir to the Master’s Chair from his enemies, Badec arranged for an elf named Pallor to take the child to Earth and place him with foster parents.” Kalen took a deep breath, looked into Kevin’s eyes and said, “You are that child.”
Kevin’s mouth dropped open. After a moment, he stammered, “What? What are you talking about?”
“An elf?” Joan asked.
“Master Sorcerer?” Steve asked.
Kalen nodded. “I know this sounds like a fantasy story to you, but believe me, it’s all quite real.” Kalen paused, stood up, and slowly turned around so everyone could get a good look at him. “I’m a dwarf. Surely you’ve noticed that I don’t really look like the humans you’re used to, right?”
No one said anything. They just looked back and forth at each other, so Kalen sighed and continued. “All o
f you must have met Pallor at one time or another, but you probably knew him as Paul Stewart. That’s the name he’s using on Earth right now. Do you know who I’m talking about?”
“Paul? An elf? No way!” Darrell said. “I was supposed to meet him out at the shopping center. He’s the reason I was on that bus!”
Chris sank back into the cushions of the couch and frowned. “My car wouldn’t start. I thought it was a stroke of luck that Paul happened along right when I needed a ride.”
Steve shook his head. “I checked him out. He’s a writer who has lived in Omaha for the past year. Before that he lived in Memphis.”
Kevin sighed. “I used to live in Memphis, too. He moved to Omaha when I did. He’s my godfather.”
Karl shook his head and said, “I’m having a really hard time believing any of this.”
“Let me continue with the story.” Kalen turned to Kevin and said, “Your mother was a seer. She knew that she was going to die shortly after you were born, so she wanted all the arrangements for your childhood made before your birth. She and Badec decided that Earth would be the safest place for you, so Pallor found a young couple who wanted a son. When you were about a week old, he carried you to Earth, and he’s kept a close eye on you ever since. Your father planned to send for you when you reached your twenty-fifth birthday so that you could return to Terah and begin your study of magic.”
No one spoke, but their disbelief was almost tangible. Kalen sighed and concentrated on convincing Kevin. “Think about it. Do you remember the stories that Pallor told you when you were a child? Do you remember the books he gave you? He was trying to let you know that there was something beyond what you could see and touch. Magic flows through you; it’s in your blood. It’s who you are.”
For several seconds Kevin stared at Kalen in shock. Then he shook his head vigorously, as if he were trying to clear it. “What are you talking about? This is crazy!”
Kalen was not upset by Kevin’s outburst. He just continued talking. “Haven’t you ever wondered how you ended up with brown hair and brown eyes when both of your parents had red hair and green eyes?”
Kevin’s mouth dropped open. “How do you know what my parents look like?”
Kalen smiled. “I know a lot more than that. I know your father works for a law firm, and that he made partner shortly after your birth. I know that your mother went to her mother’s in Montana while she was supposed to be pregnant with you. I know that you had a nurse when you were young, and that your parents didn’t spend much time with you while you were growing up.”
Kevin frowned and shook his head. “How could you possibly know all of this?”
Kalen gave Kevin a moment to think before he continued. “Haven’t you always felt like you were somehow different? Like you didn’t really belong? Haven’t you ever wondered if maybe you were adopted? Have you ever had dreams about people and places that you couldn’t identify? You probably inherited some of your mother’s gift of sight as well as your father’s magic.” Kalen continued to look deep into Kevin’s eyes. Kevin’s face had slowly drained of color as the truth of Kalen’s words sank in, but his eyes were full of disbelief. “You know I’m telling the truth, don’t you? Somewhere deep inside, you know it, Myron. Yes, that’s your real name. Myron, of the House of Nordin.”
Kalen looked around at the others to see how they were taking all of this. The disbelief was beginning to give way to confusion, so he continued. “You had an old briefcase with you on the bus. It held the key to the Gate Between the Worlds. The key had to be in your possession to ensure your safety. It activated automatically when you saw the tornado, and everyone around you was transported with you. Your fear activated the key because you’re from Terah.”
Kevin was slowly shaking his head, but the other passengers were looking back and forth between Kalen and Kevin. Kalen could tell they didn’t really believe him yet, but at least they were thinking about what he’d said.
The whole thing sounded absurd to the other passengers, but so did the fact that all of them had survived a direct hit by that tornado with basically no injuries. And Kalen’s house looked so small and primitive from the outside, but it was so large and comfortable on the inside. They all had to admit, at least to themselves, that something weird was definitely going on.
Then Kevin suddenly remembered something that Kalen had said that was definitely wrong. Maybe if that was wrong, so was the rest of it. “Wait a minute. According to the story you just told us, if I really am the son of this Badec guy, I was supposed to be brought back to Terah when I turned twenty-five. Well, I’m not twenty-five. I’ve just turned twenty-three. So something’s wrong here.”
A look of deep sadness flashed over Kalen’s face. It was gone almost as quickly as it appeared. “Unfortunately, your father has become gravely ill. He’s in a coma and no one knows whether he will wake up or not, but if and when he does, he will probably be too weak to assume his place as the Master Sorcerer. His sister, Laryn, is his second. She’ll have to notify the council of his condition at the meeting in April.”
Then Kalen looked away from Kevin and spoke to the group as a whole. “I need to explain a little about Terah so that you’ll understand the significance of Badec’s illness. The humans of our world are governed by the Council of Sorcerers. The council is made up of thirteen sorcerers, each representing a province. The only two ways that a sorcerer can get on the council are to inherit the chair or to challenge a seated sorcerer for his chair. The Master Sorcerer is the chairman of the council, and the only people who can challenge him are the other seated sorcerers.”
Kalen once more turned towards Kevin and said, “Your father has been the Master Sorcerer for the past thirty years, ever since his father’s death. Few have dared to challenge him because his magic is so strong.”
Kalen turned back to the others. “If a sorcerer resigns, dies, or for some reason can’t continue, the chair passes to the oldest child with magical ability. The sorcerer’s second is allowed to hold the chair as a non-voting member of the council for exactly one year if the heir has not reached his thirtieth birthday in order to give him time to hone his skills.” Kalen looked back at Kevin, and said, “So, we had to bring you back early. I’m sorry, but you have one year from the beginning of April to be ready to take over as Master Sorcerer.” Kalen looked around the room. He couldn’t help but wonder if any of what he was saying was sinking in.
“I don’t understand,” Joan said quietly. “You said that the heir has one year to hone his skills before he has to take the chair. Why? What kind of skills?”
Kalen took a deep breath and let it out in a long sigh. “His magic skills, especially the ones he needs for self-defense. A challenge between seated sorcerers is basically a magical duel, and it’s fought to the death. So …”
Joan’s eyes opened wide as the implications registered. “If I understand this right, you’re saying that Kevin has one year to learn how to defend himself magically against sorcerers who have been at this for years? And that if he loses, he dies?”
After a couple of minutes of strained silence, Kalen nodded. Then he looked at Kevin and added, “I guess I should also warn you that there will be people searching for you as soon as Badec’s condition becomes known.
“A few of the stronger council members would like to see you take your seat so that they can challenge you for the Master’s Chair. But there are other sorcerers who are afraid that given the opportunity to develop your skills, you’ll become as powerful as your father, so they’ll probably send out assassins to try to kill you before you can learn to protect yourself. That would leave the Master’s Chair vacant.
“If that were to happen, the stronger sorcerers would fight it out amongst themselves for the right to sit in that chair. With no one setting any rules or limits, everything in their paths would be destroyed. That happened once before, hundreds of years ago. We cannot allow that to happen again.”
Kalen paused and took a deep breath. “
It is our hope that no one, including the council members, will know where you are until you’re able to defend yourself.”
Chris was the first to recover enough to speak, but his voice was strained. “Okay. That explains why Kevin’s here. But what about the rest of us? Why are we here? And what happened to the bus driver? Did you guys just let him die?”
“We didn’t let anyone die. Pallor was the bus driver. When the tornado hit the bus, he was transported along with the rest of you. He retrieved the key and returned to Earth before you regained consciousness. Right now, he’s handling all the odds and ends about the accident and your supposed deaths.” Kalen paused to let that idea sink in.
“Look,” Darrell said, “I can understand that you don’t want anyone on Earth to know about Terah. We wouldn’t tell anyone. After all, who’d believe us? They’d lock us up. Just give us another key and we’ll be on our way. Your secret’s safe with us.”
“I’m afraid it isn’t quite that easy,” Kalen said. “You really can’t go back. If you ever went through the gate again, you would return at the precise moment when you left, and there is no way that you could survive a direct hit by that storm.”
“But you just said that Paul, or Pallor, or whatever his name is, went back! Did he end up back in the tornado?” Darrell asked angrily.
“Pallor’s an elf! And he’s from Terah. He doesn’t have to use the gate. You do.” Kalen stood up and slowly gazed around the group. “As to why the rest of you are here, Pallor was supposed to find a small group of people from Earth to go with Myron and help him fulfill his destiny. You’re that group.”
The Master's Chair (The Chronicles of Terah) Page 13