by Rick Cook
"Is Judith in any danger?" Moira asked.
"Danger? No. She's probably not even in trouble, well not much. She's not doing anything illegal. Wiz might be in trouble if they could catch him, but there's not much chance of that."
"The Sparrow told me once that you keep records on these devices," Bal-Simba said. "Is there anything there which would arouse their ire?"
Danny grinned. "There aren't any records on that machine. We keep all that at this end, just in case. As far as the domain is concerned, Judith's system isn't much more than a dumb terminal, even though it's officially listed as the main server."
"That was Judith's idea," Jerry reminded his younger colleague. "After she saw some of the stuff you'd been up to she didn't want any record of it on her system."
"Anyway it was a pretty smart move," Danny said. "There's no way they can pin anything on her. There's even a complete set of domain software on her system."
"We've also got a backup way to reach Judith. We're setting up a modem link over a regular telephone line. She just calls a phone number we give her and logs in."
"Can we give that number to Wiz?"
Danny frowned. "That's going to be trickier. You can bet the FBI has a wiretap on the connection to thekeep.org. If we use the current Internet connection to tell Wiz about the new number we'll be telling the FBI too. Since we, ah, weren't completely aboveboard in getting that number it wouldn't do to have them tapping that line too. We may be able to rig up a code or something, but it will take more time."
"Then how do we tell Judith about the number?"
"Easy. We call her, preferably at a friend's house."
"Is this like the number we gave Major Gilligan when we sent him back to your World?"
"Not exactly. That was an 800 number." Danny made a face. "Big mistake. I found out the hard way they monitor those real close. They found us and shut us down in just a couple of weeks. According to some of the people I've been talking to on the net they're not as careful about local numbers, especially the ones that don't show long-distance charges."
"Meaning you've been hanging around with the phone phreakers again," Jerry said.
"Be glad I was," Danny shot back. "Otherwise we'd have worse problems."
Jerry didn't have a good answer for that one, so he let it slide.
"But can they sever the link?" Moira persisted.
"They may think they have already since they don't know we're tapped into her line."
"Can they cut it entirely?"
"Yeah, by disconnecting the line. But they probably won't do that. There's no reason for them to do it." He sighed. "You know there was a time when government agents were pretty dumb about these things. I understand they've gotten smarter."
"But they still might cut us off from Wiz?"
"Theoretically," Jerry said. "But don't worry. It would take an absolute idiot to do something like that."
It was not a good day for Special Agent Pashley. He had spent the morning interviewing Judith Conally with her lawyer present and he felt he was further behind than ever. After two hours of questioning and several very pointed inquiries by Judith's lawyer as to the exact charge, he had turned her loose. The results from the examination of Judith's computer and related material hadn't helped any.
"Technicalities," he grumbled into his coffee cup. "Tied in knots by damn technicalities."
"I told you it was a mailbox," Ray Whipple told him.
"It's a top secret government mailbox and these hackers are breaking into it!"
"Look," Ray said slowly and carefully, as if explaining something to a child. "We only know that some messages from that mailbox passed through her system. The messages we have were addressed to other accounts on that domain, she says she never got any messages from that account, there's no sign of any such messages on her system and she doesn't know where to find the people the messages were sent to."
"Yeah, but someone had to send the message in the first place and that person had to break into the mailbox."
"But she didn't send mail to herself," the astronomer said patiently. "The messages weren't for her and she didn't know that address was some sort of government secret. Hell, she claims she didn't even know those accounts were on her machine. That makes her as much a victim as the government. You can't arrest her for that. Especially since the thing's so secret you can't admit it's a secret in the first place."
"Hah!" Pashley said.
Whipple shrugged. "You can't prove otherwise."
"Technicalities," Pashley repeated. "Picky little technicalities. They're what's ruining this country."
"Myron, she's innocent."
Pashley snorted. "With a record like hers? She disappears, right out of a locked hospital ward, and no one knows where she's gone, and she's innocent?"
"She had a head injury. The hospital screwed up when she came out of the coma, she wandered around for a while before they found her. The hospital admitted they were wrong by settling with her, didn't they?"
"For all we know she was kidnapped by aliens for experiments or something," Pashley retorted.
Actually Pashley was closer to the mark than Whipple, although neither of them would have believed the real story. Judith had been taken to Wiz's World as part of the battle against computer criminal magicians at Caermort. She had been healed there and returned to our world when the situation was stabilized.
Suddenly Pashley brightened. "A brain probe! Maybe she's jacked into the net directly through her brain. We can find out with an X-ray or MRI or something." He stood up and strode out into the main office. "Hey John," he called, "have we got an X-ray machine around here?"
Ray Whipple put his head in his hands and groaned.
* * *
By mutual consent, the programmers and Judith Conally kept word of the FBI raid from Wiz. So naturally Wiz kept sending e-mail and chatting with thekeep.org as if it was still there.
Which it was, of course. In spite of what it said in the paperwork, the real server for the domain had always been in the Wizard's Keep in another world. True, there was now no computer in Judith's apartment, but that didn't matter to the signal. It was tapped off magically between the junction box and the apartment. First, however, it traveled through the local telephone office, where the FBI was monitoring the line.
Clueless Pashley looked at the surveillance report and slammed it down on the table. "We didn't get it," he said disgustedly. "Someone's still using that computer link."
"But that's impossible," Arnold protested. "We got her computer."
"Well, she's still on-line. Look at this. She must have another computer in there."
The other FBI agent went over the transcript and shook his head.
"But we got all the computer equipment in the apartment."
"Then it's got to be disguised as something else." He riffled through the sheaf of pictures of Judith's apartment. "What about that wall of electronic stuff?"
"That was a stereo system."
"Are you sure? You can disguise a computer to look like anything. These hackers are diabolical. Come on, let's go back to the judge."
This time the agents carried off a complete stereo system, a big-screen television complete with video game console, and anything else in the apartment that looked electronic, including a clock radio. Again they gave Judith an itemized receipt with serial numbers. Then they departed as quickly and officiously as they came.
"This," Judith said to the bare wall where her stereo had been, "is bloody ridiculous."
Fifteen: Competition
Utter incompetence never kept anyone from underbidding and over-promising to get the job.
—The Consultants' Handbook
Wiz was having another lousy morning. He had left the house to escape the usual flow of people who wanted him to solve their problems only to run into the mayor at the town hall, who wanted to know how the dragon program was coming, and by the way did he have anything for a head cold? Wiz barely got out of that when
he encountered Dieter Hanwassel and a couple of his council flunkies in the square.
"There you are, Wizard." Dieter made it sound like an accusation.
"Here I am," Wiz agreed glumly. Then he waited.
"I'm giving you one last chance, Wizard," Dieter said at last. "You can see things our way or suffer the consequences."
"Gentlemen, I have already told you I will give your position all the consideration it deserves."
"You mean you'll try to stall us," Dieter said. "Well, we won't be stalled. You'll either cooperate or else."
"I wonder how the rest of the council would take it if they knew what you were proposing?" Wiz asked with a slight smile. "I understand they are not all in favor of increasing taxes."
The little man turned purple. "Defy me, will you!" Then with a visible effort he controlled himself. "Well, we'll see." He turned and stalked up the steps into the town hall. His hangers-on followed. "I've a trick that's worth two of you," he said to his cronies as they drifted out of earshot. Wiz wasn't sure whether he was supposed to hear that or not.
Wiz spent another hour or so wandering around town, looking at things and fending off a couple of requests for magical help. Malkin was waiting for him when he got home.
"Messenger came from the council for you just a few minutes ago," she told him as soon as he walked in the door. "Ol' Droopy and some of the others want to see you in the mayor's office right away."
"Great. I just came from there. Now what?"
The tall woman shrugged. "Nothing good, I'll warrant."
There was a group gathered in the mayor's office by the time Wiz arrived. Dieter, the mayor, Rolf and several others were talking to a blond young man Wiz didn't recognize. The stranger's back was to the door but Dieter's wasn't. As soon as Wiz walked into the room he peered around the young man's shoulder and smiled at Wiz, not at all pleasantly.
"We have found another magician," Dieter said, gesturing to the young man. "Llewllyn here is skilled in the new magic."
On that cue the young man turned and swept a deep bow in Wiz's direction. The newcomer was undeniably handsome. Blond hair fell in ringlets to broad shoulders. Pearly teeth peeked between ruby lips as he smiled and his blue eyes sparkled. He was only a little shorter than Wiz, not as heavily built, which made him decidedly slender—but elegant rather than skinny. Handsome, personable and utterly devoid of sincerity. He reminded Wiz of every used car salesman and mortician he had ever met. Instinctively Wiz looked for the white belt and shoes. Then the significance of what Dieter had just said sunk in.
"The, ah, new magic?"
The young man inclined his head in assent. "Yes, the powerful new magic of the south. I am a direct disciple of the Sparrow, the mightiest of all the southern wizards. It was he who taught me personally."
"That's very interesting," Wiz said noncommittally.
"We are like brothers, the Sparrow and I. Why he even calls me the Eagle—just a joke between us, of course."
With an effort Wiz managed to keep his mouth closed. To almost everyone in the lands of the North, Wiz Zumwalt was known as the Sparrow, a name Bal-Simba had given him when he first arrived. Apparently this joker not only hadn't met Wiz, he had never talked to anyone who knew him.
Part of Wiz's mission had been to teach magic to more than just wizards. Wizards and apprentices were now teaching the system to hedge witches and others. Obviously this guy had learned the new magic at third or fourth remove—assuming he knew it at all, which Wiz wasn't willing to grant without proof.
Over Llewllyn's shoulder Wiz saw Dieter nodding approvingly. The mayor looked worried. Rolf simply smiled benignly. The implication was clear. This guy was competition and some of the council would love to dump Wiz and sign on Llewllyn. Dieter because he hated Wiz, and Rolf because he saw the young man as easier to manipulate.
Wiz gritted his teeth. His first instinct was to expose the phony. But he remembered the consultants he had seen in his world and how they dealt with these situations. He could always expose Llewllyn, but Dieter could always find another stooge. Maybe there was a more effective way.
Llewllyn, recognizing an opportunity, made a small gesture with his right hand. A sparkle of rainbow light flashed from his finger tips. Several of the councilors gasped and he smiled like a toothpaste commercial.
"There," said Dieter triumphantly. "You see?"
"Oh it's all very well, I suppose," Wiz said carelessly. "Quite remarkable, really, considering."
"You can, of course, do better?" Dieter shot back.
Wiz smiled at the venomous little man. "Well, since you ask . . ." He thought quickly. Most of the magic he knew either wasn't spectacular or was much too powerful. But there was a spell he had come up with to amuse Danny's son, Ian. He tilted his head back and took a deep breath. Then he blew multi-colored bubbles that rose gently to the ceiling and burst into points of rainbow light.
"A conjurer's trick," Dieter snorted. He looked expectantly at Llewllyn. The young man glared at Wiz with what was obviously intended to be an intimidating stare. However Llewllyn was too young and too pretty to intimidate much of anyone. Wiz smiled back.
"May I suggest a compromise?" Rolf put in smoothly.
"What?" the mayor asked suspiciously.
"Why not a competition?"
"Here?" Wiz asked. "Now?"
Dieter smiled. "Here and now. Why not?"
Wiz, who knew a good deal more about wizards' duels, could have given him a couple of good reasons. First, a wizards' duel usually started with lightning bolts and moved quickly to earthquakes. After that they tended to get really destructive. That's why wizards generally had it out on mountain tops or blasted heaths or other pieces of low-value real estate. Setting up an indoor wizards' duel was like trying to get ringside seats for a hand grenade fight in a broom closet.
The other reason was that wizards' duels were almost always to the death. That might not have bothered Dieter or Rolf, but Wiz didn't want to kill Llewllyn just because he was a charlatan.
Llewllyn, sensing he had an advantage, decided to push it. "Behold," he cried, "the power of the new magic!"
He moved his lips as he mumbled a word and letters of glowing rainbow fire appeared in the air between them. Dieter and the others gasped at the display and Mayor Hendrick looked worried. The new magician paused, obviously enjoying the sensation he had created.
Wiz was considerably less impressed but intently interested. All Llewllyn had done was list out the spell. A nice effect, but anyone who understood Wiz's magic language could read the listing and see how the spell worked.
As Wiz ran through it he was even less impressed. It was really one very simple spell, dressed up by some subroutines. Further, Llewllyn didn't have the thing written to respond to one command. He had to issue a series of commands and that meant there were opportunities for another magician to interfere. Wiz smiled politely and worked out a couple of lines of code in his head.
Llewllyn smiled at his appreciative audience and made the listing vanish with a flashy swipe of his hand.
"Beozar!" Llewllyn declaimed. "Cautich!" he added. Wiz watched intently, his lips barely moving. "Deodarin." Llewllyn's voice rose to a crescendo and he threw wide his arms. "Behold!"
There was a weak pop and then a fizzling sound like a lightbulb burning out.
Llewllyn went pale. "Beozar! Cautich!" He thundered out again. "Deodarin!" and flung his arms out. "Behold!"
This time the fizzle was accompanied by a dim reddish spark that died with the sound.
Dieter shifted uncomfortably and the Mayor frowned.
"Maybe if we drew the curtains to darken the room," Wiz said helpfully.
Llewllyn had gone pale and he was mumbling, but he didn't try the spell a third time.
"I'm sure it's just a temporary problem," Wiz said. "Why don't you take off and work on it a little. I'm sure it will be better in the morning."
"Ah, yes, of course," Llewllyn said to his now visibly unimpressed audien
ce. "This far north one must allow for the effects of the different stars. Tomorrow would be more propitious." The mayor and Dieter both scowled at him. "Or maybe even a little later today," the young man added hastily. "Yes. Now if you'll excuse me." As he bowed quickly and turned toward the door the mayor nodded to the guardsman lounging there.
"See that our guest doesn't wander off," the mayor commanded. "Meanwhile we will decide what to do with him."
The guard followed Llewllyn out and there was a strained silence in the room.
"I'm sure he's quite good, actually." Wiz sighed for effect. "But magic is tricky, after all, and it is so hard to really master beyond the merely superficial."
"He ought to be sent to The Rock for impersonating a magician," Dieter said venomously.
The last thing Wiz wanted was to be responsible for the man's death. "Oh, surely that's somewhat extreme," he said hastily. "After all he was only, ah, 'overly enthusiastic' about his skill at magic."
"He's a liar and he ought to go to The Rock for trying to fool the council," Dieter replied.
"Wiz is right," Rolf put in. "No harm was done. Surely the council can show mercy in this instance."
"Then what?" Dieter snapped. "Is he going to hang around here and steal chickens?"
Mentioning chickens seemed to have an unusual impact on the councilors, as if they knew something Wiz didn't.
"Well, I could take him on as a junior assistant," Wiz said. "He could probably handle some of the minor details, under careful supervision, of course. Naturally I'd need an office on the square here."
"I don't know that we need two wizards now," Mayor Hendrick said.
"Consultants, please," Wiz corrected. "And it would have certain advantages." Like keeping this guy where I can watch him. If Llewllyn stayed around he was likely to be trouble and he obviously intended to stick around.
The mayor rubbed his chin. "Still . . ."
"I say let's put it to a vote," Dieter snapped.
Obviously the hassle of another council vote didn't appeal to the mayor. "Oh, all right, but only under the wizard's supervision."