Eventually, exhausted, he gave up. This is it, thought Tom.
Shortly thereafter, he smashed into the ground at terminal velocity.
Chapter 5
“Well what are we going to do?” Jehenna asked, as she looked up from the missive she had just read. Her gaze was directed at Lenamare, who was reclining in a thickly upholstered red chair behind his massive oak desk. His hands were steepled in front of him, his eyes lightly surveying the stacks of paper and books on his desk.
He looked up, but not at her; he looked over her shoulder, out the tower window. It was open, the velvet curtains drawn aside to let the spring sunshine into the richly appointed room. This was Lenamare’s private study. Towering bookcases lined the walls, ancient tomes, carefully tended and dustless, crammed the shelves. Here and there, between books, were assorted implements of magic: skulls, vials of colorful, yet potent, chemicals, thuribles, beakers, cymbals, chalk and bone.
The floor was carpeted with a deep red pile rug. Four elegantly carved chairs were placed strategically around the room. The two small tables in the room, near the chairs were, like the desk, overflowing with manuscripts and scrolls. Lenamare was the headmaster of the school, he could live as sumptuously as befitted his glorious position and he did. The accouterments, however, were only that; his truly prized possessions were not the elegant and expensive furniture and rugs that he owned, no, Lenamare’s pride and what he considered wealth, rested in the books and papers scattered across the room. For in these books was knowledge, and knowledge led to power.
He looked thoughtfully out the window. “What can we do? You know I can never submit to that pompous moron, Exador, even if the Archimage of Turelane backs him. I will not turn my school over to the bastards in that guild. If they want my knowledge and my school, and the other thing, let them beg for it. Let them pay the price.”
“Exador says he’s willing to use force to get what he wants. If he wants the school, he’ll probably succeed.”
“You know, as well as I, it’s not the school he wants. No, that is only a cover. All that legal mumbo jumbo in there is just a pretext, completely made up. They don’t dare let the rest of the world know what they want, and what we have.” His gaze switched over to the bookcase on his right, behind which was a special, secret, magically protected safe.
“Well, whatever, I bet he’s not above acquiring his own new school, in the process of getting the book. And more to the point, whatever else he wants, he’ll be here in a few weeks.” Jehenna pointed out.
“We’ll be ready; this arrogant note has given us warning. We will not give him what he wants. Prepare the school for siege... and, just in case, prepare our escape route.
“I promise you. Exador will not get that book! It is mine and I swear to Hierelan, I’ll fight to keep it, even if I have to destroy everything else I own to save it.” Lenamare leaned forward and hit the desk with his fist to emphasize his point.
“Is it really worth losing everything?” Jehenna asked, knowing even so, that it was more than worth it.
“Exador thinks so, as does the Archimage. However, hopefully it won’t come to that; Exador can’t be expecting us to call a fourth order demon to our defense. He’s got a little surprise coming.”
Chapter 6
Jennifer paid little attention to the thin soup poured into her bowl by Grubeck the cook. She was still too keyed up by today’s events to give the cook a hard time over the dinner offering as she normally did. She picked up her wooden spoon and turned to look around the small dining chamber that the older students shared. Rex and Alvea were seated at a small table near the only window in the room. She hurried over to their table so she could join them.
She sat her bowl down on the rough round wooden table where the other two students were sitting, and pulled out a third stool from under the table. The room was partially full. Howard and Levi were sitting at the table across the room and Willis, Bromagni and Cleo were at the third table in the room. Yrgeddin and Warren had yet to show up for dinner. On the far wall, from which she came, stood Grubeck, with his soup tureen, slouching boredly over the table from which he worked.
Rex looked up at Jenn and smiled, Alvea also smiled to her, but it was obvious to Jenn that the girl was more interested in making sure Rex didn’t look too closely at Jenn. Alvea was actually pretty nice, but she was jealous of what she considered hers, and she considered Rex to be hers. “Nothing like a droll experiment to draw out one’s appetite, is there?” Rex asked Jenn as she sat down.
“I still can’t believe Master Lenamare actually brought in something that huge and ferocious this afternoon.”
“Well, he is an extraordinarily gifted wizard of the highest caliber.” Alvea said in her best imitation of Jehenna’s sultry voice.
“Truly...” sniffed Rex imitating Master Lenamare.
“Even so, I think even he was a bit surprised when the demon blasted him.”
“Blasted him? Damn near knocked the shit out of him, you mean,” Rex said pointedly.
“Well, giving him the benefit of the doubt, he did manage to hang on, and bring it in.”
“Gods, can you believe it? A fourth order demon. There hasn’t been a new one that powerful in practically ages. And, we helped bind it.” Alvea voiced the general feeling of awe the students felt at their accomplishment. “The creature must surely be centuries old. It was immensely powerful.”
“I have to admit, I really never believed old Lenamare and Jehenna could rake in anything so powerful, let alone without more preparation.” Rex conceded.
“I know. I’m still so excited. I never expected to see one like that until I was old and gray,” Jenn said.
“It almost makes one believe Lenamare’s incredible ego might be justified,” Rex said, wistfully.
“Hierelan forbid. Nothing could be that big,” laughed Jennifer.
“So, what’s he going to do with it?” asked Alvea. “Now that he’s got it.”
“Who knows, I mean, you don’t just use a fourth order demon to bring in well water,” Jenn said, still grinning.
“Lenamare might,” giggled Alvea. They all laughed at that.
“Actually, if what my friends in town say is true; we may need it.” Rex looked at the two girls seriously.
“What do they say?” asked Jenn
“Exador’s coming.”
“Ooh. Well, that wouldn’t be good. How sure are you?”
“Just rumors, but Exador and Lenamare have never gotten along, and I could see Exador deciding that he wanted Lenamare’s school.” Rex looked knowingly over at Alvea. Alvea had a serious expression on her face now. She knew of Exador, her home town was only a few miles from Exador’s tower, and like all of the people near it, she knew of his passionate desires and expansionist machinations.
This was the first Jenn and Alvea had heard of this. It was slightly disturbing that Rex hadn’t told them sooner of these rumors. He knew they’d want to know. Alvea had told them all stories of Exador and his men. Jenn certainly didn’t relish the thought of falling into the hands of Exador or his men. Not, of course, that she or Alvea meant anything to him. He had no idea they even existed, it was simply the reputed brutality of Exador’s legions that scared her.
Jenn looked over at Alvea, she’d need to talk with her later. Being from the south, she didn’t know much more about Exador than she’d heard from rumors and stories since she’d arrived here six years ago. In addition to Alvea’s stories, she’d heard other stories from Grubeck and other older students, who had known of Exador’s and Lenamare’s conflicts of interest.