No, she wasn’t feverish, her glands were not swollen, her throat didn’t hurt. She could Read that there was absolutely nothing wrong with her health. So why did she feel half frightened? What of? Maybe she was just tired.
But she wasn’t sleepy. She didn’t like this book, she decided, stretching. Her eyes fell on the pile of scrolls. Maybe she should read and Read one tonight. It had become a habit, after all.
She picked up the next one in sequence-and found Portia discovering a way to influence political decisions. A senator who had risen from poverty had allowed himself to be bribed for a surprisingly small sum by merchants wanting him to vote their way on an issue on which he had no personal opinion. The Academy treasury was not large, but Portia could afford that much. The next time an issue of importance to Readers came up, Portia approached him, delicately.
It worked! His vote swung two others, and the issue came out in favor of the Readers.
There were other senators amenable to bribes… but they were far too expensive for even the Master of Masters to afford. Unless, that is, the Academy could find a way to enrich its coffers.
Portia remembered a merchant who had dropped hints to her that knowing the plans of one of his competitors could be worth a considerable sum. At the time, she had scathingly ejected him from her office. But if she was to be better prepared the next time she needed money…
She struck a deal with the merchant, and made sure she Read some of his most private and personal secrets. Only as insurance, she insisted to herself, should he ever threaten to expose her. Never would she breach the Readers’ Code to reveal such secrets.
She put out of her mind the fact that she had broken it to obtain them in the first place.
Her brother died, and her nephew became Emperor.
In Portia’s opinion, the boy was as close to an idiot as the royal family had ever produced. He drank, he gambled, he ignored his pretty but fatuous wife and chased after any other attractive woman who crossed his path.
Portia began to study how to throw attractive women in his way. Not prostitutes. Mostly discreet young wives of men who would be powerful, men who knew how to pretend they didn’t know should they find out just how their wives were helping their careers along. It was surprisingly easy to play on the greed and vanity of young women raised solely to be entertaining and decorative, to make them think their actions were clever, even loyal to their husbands. And of course the Emperor’s attentions were flattering.
But the Emperor must not become a laughingstock. Liaisons with women who would keep them secret kept his attention from women who might be less discreet. Portia was actually preserving the dignity of the royal family.
Julia Read that Portia knew in her heart that she wanted the Emperor to retain the respect of the Senate and the populace so that his decrees would not be questioned. Those decrees were often to the great advantage of Readers… or at least of the Master of Masters among Readers.
At last Portia found an entree into military planning sessions, bribing and pressuring the Emperor’s strategists into urging the Emperor to try battle plans she devised, putting Readers to more efficient use than ever before.
The Aventine army began to win! They drove the savages back steadily for the first time in generations, reclaiming lands thought lost forever.
The Emperor became a hero to the people. Portia was a heroine to the strategists, who no longer had to be bribed and pressured to seek her advice. Triumphantly, she recognized that the Readers’ Code might be meant for other Readers, but not for the Master of Masters. Her powers, her wisdom, had set her above the others-and she had acted well. The Aventine Empire was better off for her manipulations.
For once, she lost her resentment of having been born female, unable to rule, and then being torn from her family when her Reading manifested, and forced into a life of sworn poverty and public service. Using the Reading power that had ruined her life, she triumphed over adversity.
If she could not be Empress in her own right, she could rule Tiberium through the Emperor-and the fool would never know that he was merely her tool!
She took to having her Reader’s garments made of silk rather than linen, and began to use the accumulated wealth of her Academy to provide luxuries, not only for herself, but for the girls and women in her care. She deserved the finest foods, the softest bed, the richest clothing, the most precious gems. If the world truly understood what she had done for her country, it would agree.
Years passed, and Portia extended her power. There was too much to do alone. She found a few select Master Readers who understood how she helped both the Readers’ system and the Aventine Empire.
Occasionally someone discovered what they were doing, but such Readers could either be drawn into the circle or exiled in one way or another. Young upstarts often found themselves on the Path of the Dark Moon, but a circle of Master Readers made certain they would be quite happy there.
The scroll ended. Julia put it aside and lay back, wondering what had gone wrong. Portia was so successful, so strong, so intelligent. She worked with human nature, just as Adepts did. As far as Julia could see, Portia was far better qualified than her foolish nephew to rule the Aventine Empire.
Just as Julia was far better qualified than the child Aradia carried to be Lenardo’s heir.
Practically on cue, Aradia’s screams erupted through the cold silence of the night. Julia Read her sobbing in Devasin’s arms again, and felt contempt. If you could see Aradia now, Father, you would see that she is no fit wife for you- and any child of hers not fit to be your heir!
Aradia woke feeling cold, even though blankets were piled over her and the fire was burning. She sat up, conscious of her awkward body, and felt cold air move in behind her to chill her spine.
Her breath clouded in the air of her bedroom.
Wrapping the blankets around her, she thrust her feet into felt slippers and went over to the fire. It heated only a tiny area, and she felt the chill air on her back even as she sat down facing the fire and held out her hands to it.
How could it be so cold? Especially inside? The calendar said it was nearly spring!
Ordinarily, this time of year brought sunny days interspersed with cold rain, occasionally sleet or a few flakes of snow. She had never known such bone-penetrating cold to come so late.
Devasin came in with an armload of warm clothing, saying, “I’ve never felt it so cold! You’d think it was the middle of winter instead of nearly spring.”
“I’m sure the weather watchers are working on it,” said Aradia.
“I certainly hope so!” Devasin replied with a shiver. “All the fountains are frozen, and so are the water pipes. Every fire talent in town is out thawing them.”
Devasin helped Aradia dress in wool over silk, woolen stockings, two undertunics, a robe over her usual outer woolen dress. Still she was chilly as she went to breakfast despite Devasins offer to bring it to her room. “Walking is good for me,” she insisted. “Besides, I must get ready for Lilith. “
Tomorrow. Tomorrow her friend would be here, a powerful Lady Adept, able to ward off-
Ward off what?
If only their enemy would show himself!
Herself?
At the thought, Aradia tried to Read the child in her womb. But with no more powerful Reader to help her, all she could tell was that her daughter seemed healthy, and was sleeping. No wonder, after tormenting me all night.
No-that was a dream. It all came from feeling so weak, with her powers diminished. When Lilith arrived she would feel safer, and perhaps the dreams would stop altogether.