Read A Scholar of Magics Online

Authors: Caroline Stevermer

A Scholar of Magics (44 page)

The space was little more than a box room, a glorified cupboard under the eaves. Slanting oak beams waited for Lambert to forget their existence and bash his head on them. A narrow bed was tucked in one corner of the room, a writing table, already almost hidden by a stack of chants and Latin primers, lurked in another.
On that stack was a letter from Nicholas Fell, received only the day before. In it, Fell shared with Lambert his impressions of the luxurious and speedy trans-Atlantic crossing he'd enjoyed aboard the
Titanic
, his description of the traveling tumult that was New York City, and his low opinion of the complexities involved in booking train tickets from New York City to Laredo, Texas.
On top of the letter from Fell was one from Jane, written from Greenlaw. Her safety was implicit in the letter's existence, her arrival mere postscript to Jane's enthusiastic description of her unorthodox journey home. Not all travel was a tiresome medley of road dust, railway soot, and seasickness. Some forms of transportation were much worse, seasoning personal misery with physical danger. Colonel Sam
Cody had taken her on as a passenger. Together they had flown across the Channel to France. Fine weather and good mechanical luck had combined to bring Jane safely home to Greenlaw by aeroplane.
Atop Jane's letter lay a single playing card, the three of hearts. It was Lambert's good luck piece, no matter how it came to be in Fell's card tray.
The room's best feature was a skylight. Lambert had inspected its leading and frame with care. He could see it had leaked recently and he guessed it would continue to leak regularly throughout the winter. He didn't care. The sunlight that filled the room would be worth the occasional effort of emptying a few rain buckets. The only other window in the room was right up in the gable, its diamond-paned glass almost completely obscured by ivy.
Once he had the gable window pried open a few inches, Lambert sawed patiently at the ivy with his penknife. When the window was clear, he wedged himself into the narrow frame and leaned out into the morning.
Far below, students in the quadrangle of Wearyall College could be heard but not seen. Tree branches and the angle of the slate roof hid the ground from him. In recompense, the roof held interest of its own. Lambert felt sure that it would not take him long to learn the ins and outs of every form of rain gutter, the location of every other skylight, and the properties of every sort of moss that flourished on the slates.
It was halcyon weather, perfectly cloudless and boundlessly blue. After relentless days of rain at the end of August, the return of dry weather came as a godsend. In the morning sunlight, Lambert could see every detail of the roof and
chimney pots of the deanery of St. Joseph's, and beyond that the looming silhouette of the Winterset Archive. Beyond that was only the sky. Only the whole world.
For a solid quarter of an hour, Lambert looked out upon his own true country, savoring the sounds of the place as he memorized the color of the sky. He heard distant laughter and talk, bells and birdsong, and when the breeze was right, faint strains of chanting. The blend made a music that opened his heart and stung his eyes a little.
At last Lambert came back inside, latching the window and climbing down off his chair lightly out of respect for the furniture's decrepitude. He couldn't stare out the window forever, after all. He was a student of Glasscastle, free and equal. Lambert squared his shoulders and let the thought soak in. He was a student of Glasscastle and he had work to do.
A Scholar of Magics
A College of Magics
When the King Comes Home
“In this sequel to Stevermer's charming fantasy of manners,
A College of Magics,
set in an alternate Edwardian age, the descriptions of life at Glasscastle University, together with the sheer zest of the characters for magic, truth and fashion, make this a sweet, magical romance. This is the perfect read for those who enjoy taking ambling walks in orderly alternate worlds where calling cards and starched collars still help make a man.”
—Publishers Weekly
 
“The sequel to
A College of Magics
takes place in the same magical, Victorian-Edwardian Britain, and shows yet again that Stevermer is a worthy follower of Jane Austen for wit, of Dorothy Sayers for suspense and erudition. This emerging series will likely draw readers from across a very wide spectrum of the fantasy and alternate history audience, including—indeed, never forgetting—the adult readership for the adventures of the boy named Harry.”
—Booklist
 
“One of the best fantasies I've read of the 2004 crop. A wonderfully conceived and described setting, likeable characters, worthy villains, a reasonable mystery, and delightful writing.”
—Chronicle
A Scholar of Magics
CAROLINE STEVERMER
ABOUT THIS GUIDE
The information, activities, and discussion questions which follow are intended to enhance your reading of A
Scholar of Magics.
Please feel free to adapt these materials to suit your needs and interests.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Born in 1955, Caroline Stevermer grew up on a dairy farm in southeastern Minnesota. She aspired to be a writer from the age of eight, composing stories in her school notebooks. She earned a B.A. in History of Art from Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania. While earning her living through a variety of jobs, she continued to pursue her love of writing and was rewarded in 1980 with the publication of her first book,
The Alchemist.
Since then she has published a variety of short stories and novels, including
A College of Magics, When the King Comes Home, River Rats
and
The Serpent's Egg.
Her highly successful collaborations with Patricia Wrede have yielded such romantic fantasy favorites as
The Grand Tour (or The Purloined Coronation Regalia
), and
Sorcery and Cecilia (or the Enchanted Chocolate Pot
). Stevermer enjoys spending times in museums—her favorite
artist is Elizabethan court painter Nicholas Hilliard (1547—1619)—and in libraries—she enjoys the works of 19th century American writer Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens). She lives in Minnesota.
RESEARCH AND ACTIVITIES
I. Comus
A
. Caroline Stevermer begins each chapter with a quotation from
Comus
, a masque by John Milton (1608—1674). Go to the library or online to learn more about Milton and his works. Write a short biography including information on Milton's education, poetry, and thoughts about civil and religious liberty. Conclude your biography with a timeline of historical events that occurred in Milton's lifetime.
 
B.
Based on your research in exercise IA, above, what real-life location and character name do the masque and novel share? What story is told in Milton's masque? How does it relate to
A
Scholar of Magics
? Create a short oral presentation explaining your understanding of the relationship between the masque and the novel. If desired, perform a portion of the masque as part of your presentation.
 
C
. Who was Comus (or Komus) in Greek mythology? What did he represent? Create an informative poster about this mythological character, including a drawing of Comus.
II. Glasscastle and England
A.
A Scholar
of Magics
takes place in a fictionalized England of the early 1900s. Go to the library or online to learn more about this period. Create a two-columned chart comparing and contrasting the real historical period with the world of the novel. Compare such elements as the Titanic, motorcars and aeroplanes, education for women, asylums, and operas.
 
B.
Based on your comparisons in exercise IIA, above, write a short essay describing the most intriguing differences between real Edwardian England and Caroline Stevermer's fictionalized version of the era. Conclude by explaining how you feel her alterations help make room for the existence of magic.
 
C.
Lambert tires of the constant taking of tea at the Brailsford home. Learn more about the British custom of teatime. In a cookbook, find a recipe for stern ginger cake, such as that consumed by Lambert and Jane en route to Ludlow, or another classic English tea recipe. Prepare and serve a tea for classmates, friends, or family members.
 
D.
Create a brochure and application package for prospective Glasscastle students. Be sure to include a paragraph describing student life and a map of the grounds based on clues from the novel.
III. The American West
A.
Lambert comes to Glasscastle from Kiowa Bob's Wild West Show, where he was a sharpshooter. In a style appropriate to the early 20th century, design and draw a poster advertising the show.
 
B.
In the course of the novel, a number of references are made to Giacomo Puccini's early 20th century opera,
The Girl of the Golden West.
Go to the library or online to learn more about this opera, its origins and plot. How did the public react to the opera when it first opened? Is the plot of the real opera the same as the stories Lambert tells? Make a list of words or phrases exploring what the American West represents in the opera, and in Stevermer's novel.
 
C.
In the character of Samuel Lambert, write a journal entry describing your feelings about Glasscastle and your hopes for becoming a Glasscastle scholar. Do you feel your American origins
will be a help or a hindrance? Despite your appreciation for Glasscastle, what might you miss about America if you are invited to stay there?
IV. Wardens, Magic and Balance
A.
Why do you think Caroline Stevermer chose to give potential warden Nicholas Fell this particular surname? The term “fell” has several dictionary definitions. Go to the library or online to find at least three definitions of this term that help you to better understand the character or Nicholas Fell, or the type of magic the author describes in the novel. Share your chosen definitions with classmates or friends. Did everyone choose similar definitions? Why or why not?
 
B.
Go to the library or online to learn more about armillary spheres, including some illustrations of the devices. Then, write a short speech in which Nicholas Fell attempts to explain to Jane Brailsford why his study of armillary spheres is helping him to understand the imbalance about which her friend, warden Faris Nallaneen, is so concerned.
 
C.
Find examples in the novel in which music and architecture are used to explain the magic of Glasscastle. Imagine you are a first-year student at Glasscastle who has heard some of the explanations included in the text. In the character of this student, write a letter to a friend or family member in which you attempt to describe what you are learning and any questions you may have about understanding magic in this way.
 
D.
The Agincourt Device transforms many individuals into animals. Is there significance in the particular animals each character becomes? With classmates or friends, discuss why Bridgewater may have become a tortoise, why Robert Brailsford transformed into a dog. Do these transformations match their characters? Afterward,
write an essay in which you describe what animal into which you might transform in the face of a magical device and why.
 
E.
Agincourt, place in France, was also the site of historic battle. Learn more about this confrontation. Then, write a paragraph explaining why you think the author chose to give Voysey's weapon this name. Or write a paragraph, describing how
A Scholar of Magics
could be interpreted as a novel about balancing not just magic, but power.
 
F.
Samuel Lambert and Jane Brailsford seem to create their own type of magical balance together. Role-play a discussion between Lambert and Jane in which they discuss their adventures and examine why their two types of skill (or magic) complemented each other in defeating Bridgewater. Or make a list the many images of magical, architectural, intellectual and other types of balance represented in the novel.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1.
The opening chapter of
A Scholar of Magics
introduces American sharpshooter Samuel Lambert and spirited mathematics teacher Jane Brailsford. Compare and contrast the characters of Lambert and Jane in terms of their backgrounds, lifestyles, and skills (magic and otherwise).
 
2.
In Chapter 2, Voysey explains the “antiquated term” magic to Lambert. In what ways are his explanations truthful? In what ways are his explanations deceptive?
 
3.
What is the significance of chanting at Glasscastle? What effect does the chanting have on Lambert? Is Lambert content to be at Glasscastle despite his status as a visitor? Would you have accepted had you been offered Lambert's position at Glasscastle?
 
4.
What was Lambert's role in Kiowa Bob's Wild West Show? Did Lambert consider himself to be a showman? Why is Lambert's identity as an American, and as a westerner, important to the story?
 
5.
What is Jane's real reason for coming to Glasscastle? Why is Nicholas Fell unwilling to do what Jane asks of him? What is the Agincourt project and why is Fell also seemingly disengaged from this major Glasscastle endeavor?
 
6.
Caroline Stevermer meticulously describes the landscape, architecture and even the academic culture of Glasscastle, laying down details almost like layers of paint in a portrait. Why is this layering important to understanding the themes of the novel?
 
7.
Why do Lambert and Jane journey to Ludlow? How does Lambert find Jane at St. Hubert's? To what evil use has the institution been put? What is the significance of Jane's illusion? Why are Jane and Lambert immune to the Agincourt device?
 
8.
In chapter 12, Fell tells Lambert that, “Perception and will are the foundation of all magic.” What does he mean? How does this statement help explain his resistance to the wardenship? What does Fell feel he needs to perceive before he can move forward?
 
9.
Who comes to the rescue of St. Hubert's many prisoners? What happens when Jane, Lambert, and the scholars return to Glasscastle? What is the significance of the silence Lambert hears upon his return?
 
10.
How does Bridgewater steal Fell's magic? How does he draw power from Voysey? From Jane? How is Lambert able to stop Bridgewater from absorbing the power of these others?
 
11.
In chapter 13, Jane explains that “Those who built [Glasscastle] knew that there are patterns in the world and they used those patterns here … . There's music all around us here. Every arch, every vault, it all means something in terms of space.” How can this statement be understood in terms of the earlier explorations Jane and Lambert made of the Glasscastle buildings and grounds? In your own words, explain the relationship between music, architecture and magic in the Glasscastle world.
 
12.
In the course of the novel, and even during the court proceedings of the final chapters, the existence and nature of the wardens seems to be something which society at large is uncertain. How might you explain this uncertainty? Are there similarly uncertain notions at play in our own world? Do you think magic exists at any level in our world? If yes, how would you define that magic?
 
13.
Does Lambert possess his own magic? Explain.
 
14.
In the final chapter of the novel, Lambert suggests that “Maybe you can't study anything without changing a bit.” Do you agree with this statement? Why or why not?
 
15.
Like the wardens that balance
A Scholar of Magics,
Lambert and Jane seem also to create a certain type of balance. How might you characterize this balance? How is this balance affected by their feelings for each other? Could you argue that both characters—and not just Samuel Lambert—are the novel's protagonists? Who do you think is the “scholar” of the novel's title? Explain your answer.

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