The Young Magician (The Legacy Trilogy) (68 page)

He made for the furthest recesses of the cellar, where shelves of untitled articles stretched up towards the ceiling. He calculated that here, among these thousands of various notes, crumpled papers and coverless books, he might find something of what he sought—some hint of the Lick of the Ancients or some unfound secrets of the Argum Stone.

Damn this freezing hole!
he thought to himself and began looking through the wads of papers.
And damn you, Ash, for ruining my life!

Samuel estimated that it must be nearly dawn and he had still not found one scrap of useful information. He had scoured many aisles and countless recesses, looking high atop shelves and into narrow crannies and behind massive leather-bound journals, but could find nothing even remotely applicable to their cause. In the past, he would have found some articles intriguing, but now, he had no time to enjoy them and returned each unwanted piece quickly to its place.

As he rubbed his sore eyes and the sphere of light waned above his head, Samuel decided enough was enough. It was time to get some sleep.

The sound of the huge doors booming shut echoed like thunder from above, followed by the voices of several men. He let his mage-light vanish and made through the darkness for the small shard of light that shone down the stairs from above. He carefully climbed the creaking wood and spied two old men standing there, chatting idly. Samuel knew their faces, but their names evaded him for the time being. They had their backs to him as they began wandering between the shelves with lanterns in their hands.

Taking his opportunity to depart, Samuel tiptoed to the great doors, tugged one open, and stepped once again outside. He rubbed his weary eyes and peered towards the morning sun, creeping up above the rooftops to the far east. The early morning sounds of the city were washing over the walls, along with the crows of roosters and the barking of dogs. Several magicians were already strolling across the grounds, coughing and hugging their clothes about themselves and Samuel remembered his own hood, quickly pulling it up over his head.

He started for the school gates, glancing left and right for anyone who may recognise him, but there was no one. The city streets outside were quickly filling with all kinds—merchants and tradesmen, farmers and children, beggars and thieves...all kinds. He wove between them all deftly, his mind still set on the matter of the books. It seemed that Goodfellow had been correct. His search had been fruitless, but at least he now felt better for trying. It seemed any books with even the slightest mention of the Ancients had been removed from the Great Library, but it did give Samuel the beginnings of an idea. The books were not in the Great Library, but they must be somewhere. The key to awakening the Argum Stone could lie in any one of those books, so for Ash to learn those secrets, he would have to study the books closely; somewhere nearby, somewhere convenient so he could test his discoveries. The best place for this would be there—in the High Tower with the Argum Stone itself. Somewhere in that chamber, or very near it, Samuel was sure that Ash would be hoarding all the books that had disappeared from the Great Library.

Samuel smiled and darted between two carts. His night had been a failure, but at least, with the dawn, he had found a fragment of hope.

Goodfellow was awake when Samuel returned, and he was looking out the window at the morning crowds.

‘Master Glim came,’ he said, throwing a glance back at Samuel.

‘Oh? And what news?’ Samuel asked with interest.

‘They said they have been scouring the Great Library from top to bottom, but without any success. Also, he says he has heard nothing from Grand Master Anthem.’

‘Perhaps he will not return, after all.’

‘The Grand Master has to be very careful not to be seen, so I’m sure it’s taking him longer. So how was your search? Did you find anything the others could not?’

‘No,’ Samuel said, pulling off his boots. ‘You were right—but I have a new idea.’

‘Oh? What’s that?’

‘I’ll tell you later. I’m too tired to speak. I need some sleep.’ With that he lay down on the makeshift cot by the wall and pulled the blankets around him. ‘Wake me for lunch,’ he added.

A few moments later, Goodfellow said something in return, but Samuel was already too far gone into a deep and dreamless sleep.

Samuel awoke to the sounds of heavy footsteps stomping up the narrow stairs outside. He vaguely heard Goodfellow push back his chair and approach the door.

‘Is he awake yet?’ Master Glim asked, stepping into the room past Eric.

‘Not yet,’ Goodfellow replied in quieter tones.

Samuel groaned and rolled over, opening his eyes for the first time. The room was dull. The light coming in the window showed it to be either dawn or dusk—his senses were muddled and he could not tell which.

‘So you live to tell the tale of your foolhardy expedition, I see,’ Master Glim stated quite loudly.

‘I’m awake,’ Samuel moaned as he threw back the hot blankets. He sucked at his dry lips and sat up, back against the wall. ‘There’s no need to shout. Why didn’t you wake me earlier?’ he asked of Goodfellow.

‘I tried,’ the spectacled magician replied. ‘You grumbled and threw a cup at me. Then you just rolled over again and went back to sleep.’

‘Oh,’ Samuel said, accepting the matter, before returning his attention to his grey-haired teacher. ‘What news?’

‘No news,’ Master Glim confessed. ‘Master Goodfellow here told me about your roaming about all last night. I don’t have to tell you how foolish that was. Eric and I are more than capable of looking for a few books on our own.’

Samuel held up his hands in defence. His head was still groggy and his eyelids heavy as anvils. ‘I thought perhaps I could find something you could not—besides, I was going crazy being locked in here day after day, night after night.’

‘Well, if you’re caught you’ll be more than crazy—you’ll be imprisoned or dead or worse,’ Master Glim said with genuine concern. He sighed and shook his head once more. ‘You seem to have a problem following intelligent suggestions. So, I don’t suppose you did manage to find anything useful?’

Samuel gained his feet and stretched himself out as he made for one of the chairs by the ramshackle table. ‘No.’

‘Then I don’t think we will be able to follow our original plan,’ Master Glim announced. ‘After speaking to Lord Goodwin and Lomar, it does seem as if we are running out of time. There is no point meddling with the Council any more as the existence of this relic makes them redundant, as far as the war is concerned. I can’t see that we have any other choice. We must find a way to destroy this newfound relic: the Argum Stone.’

‘I’m not sure such a thing
can
be destroyed,’ Samuel said.

‘Its chamber is nearly atop the inside of the High Tower,’ Master Glim said. ‘We could push it out the window and let it crash down. Such a fall should break anything.’

‘Do you think the Staff of Elders could be destroyed so easily?’ Samuel asked, leaving Master Glim to nod thoughtfully. ‘I have another idea.’

‘Perhaps you’re right. I’m listening.’

‘We make our way into the High Tower and find all the books that Ash has been hoarding and steal them back. Without the knowledge of how to awaken the Argum Stone, they will never be able to use it.’

‘That will be incredibly dangerous,’ Goodfellow stated. ‘If we are caught, there will be no doubt we are acting as traitors—we could be executed.’

Samuel nodded. ‘I realise that, but we have come to the time where we must begin taking risks. If we can steal away whatever notes they are using to research the Argum Stone, it may actually avert the war and countless lives will be saved. At the very least, their efforts will be delayed and we can go back to original plan via the Council.’

Master Glim mulled over the idea for a few moments. ‘I see what you are saying, Samuel. If they have not learned to use the thing by now, then they are surely having some difficulty. If we can steal their resources away, they may
never
manage it.’

‘Exactly, but such an important thing will surely be well guarded,’ Samuel said, ‘and there are only the four of us—five, if we include Eric.’

‘We don’t need a lot of people,’ Master Glim said. ‘Quite the opposite, in fact. We want to sneak in there and be out again before anyone notices. If we draw the palace guards’ attention upon ourselves, we are probably done for. We should ask Lord Goodwin to assist. If he can organise a distraction for Master Ash to get him out of that chamber, then all the better. You can kill him another time. At present, we do not need any complications.’

Samuel nodded. ‘Yes, I realise that. I’m sure I can hold my vengeance a little longer, but you will need to contact Lord Goodwin yourself.’

‘I will try to speak with him now, and then I will return. Haste is of all importance.’ With that, Master Glim stood. ‘Take care, both of you, and don’t forget—stay here!’

Goodfellow and Samuel said farewell and their teacher disappeared out the door and down into the street.

‘Are you hungry?’ Samuel asked Goodfellow after a few moments.

Goodfellow nodded. He had begun tidying up the squalid room again, folding Samuel’s blankets into neat squares and forming them into a pile beside his own.

‘Good,’ Samuel said, standing and stretching his arms out wide to get the blood flowing through his limbs. ‘I’ll make breakfast.’

‘It’s dinner,’ Goodfellow corrected, as Samuel began cutting them some bread with a guilty smile.

Master Glim returned after only a couple of hours had passed, looking over his shoulder as he slipped through the doorway in his plain commoner’s clothes. The night market was in full swing outside with coloured lamps strung high back and forth across the streets. The crowd was thick and creating a great hubbub as they argued over bargains and shouted for their dinners.

‘I thought I was being followed,’ he said with a sigh of relief as he sat back at the table.

‘So, what news?’ Samuel asked.

‘Lord Goodwin has uncovered a remarkable amount of information for us. It is true that the thing is, in its current state, useless. The Archmage has been arguing with the Emperor over the matter and, luckily for us, both of them have a tendency to shout when they get upset. The Emperor has given them only a few days more, but the Archmage seems confident it is time enough—which means they are nearly ready. Lord Jarrod has been in charge of the whole project of finding and recovering the Argum Stone, but Master Ash seems to be doing most of the groundwork. There is also a small surprise: it seems Master Dividian has also been seen frequenting the relic’s chamber, so it seems he is also involved in all this.’

‘That explains why we can’t find anything useful in the Great Library,’ Samuel stated. ‘That weasel Dividian has probably been stealing anything relevant for years. They’ve all been working together.’

‘So I assume,’ Master Glim agreed, ‘but I guess it’s not really stealing if he is doing it for the Archmage. It’s just that we don’t like it.’

‘So are we going ahead?’ Goodfellow queried.

‘Yes,’ Master Glim confirmed. ‘Lord Goodwin has organised an emergency session of the Magicians’ Council, beginning within the very hour. He is demanding that the details of the relic be revealed, on the grounds that it could be a danger to the city if improperly used. Fortunately, most of the other councillors are so curious to hear about it that they have supported his call. Hopefully, this should be enough to draw Master Ash away from the chamber.’

‘We’re going tonight?’ Goodfellow asked, looking at Samuel with disbelief.

‘Yes, at once,’ Master Glim replied. ‘We cannot afford to wait any longer for the Grand Master. Master Pot and Master Lomar will meet us at the palace. From there, we will go directly to the High Tower and take whatever books and notes they have and just hope that, without that information, they cannot continue with their work. If we meet any resistance, we will try to overcome it as best we can.’

‘Can’t we just take the Argum Stone?’ Goodfellow asked.

‘No. It’s far too big,’ Samuel told him. ‘They sealed the thing inside the room. It won’t even fit through the doorway and spells cannot affect it. We’d need ropes and equipment and a score of men just to lift it.’

‘It all sounds dangerous,’ Goodfellow stated nervously.

Master Glim looked at Goodfellow momentarily. ‘Actually, it would be best if you stayed here. When we return, it’s possible we may be followed, so we will leave the books with you and continue on into the markets. At least, that way, if we are caught, the books are not lost and we can lead any pursuers away.’

Goodfellow seemed hesitant. ‘Are you sure?’ he asked.

‘Of course,’ Master Glim confirmed. ‘Someone must stay and it may as well be you. Samuel and I are both needed in the palace.’

Goodfellow breathed a sigh of relief. ‘Very well. I’ll stay. I must say I am rather glad.’

Master Glim smiled knowingly before turning to Samuel. ‘There’s just one more thing. If we are caught, or cannot escape in time, the books must be destroyed.’

‘Destroy the books?’ Samuel said with disbelief. ‘They’re irreplaceable! If they really do contain knowledge of the Ancients, they may be the only remaining copies in existence!’