"Let's try something a bit harder. You see the large red-bound volume in the middle of the top shelf?"
As there was only one book bound in red, he said, "Yes."
"Look at the first page-I mean, Read the first page to me."
"I can't." "Oh," she said disappointedly.
"It's not that I can't Read it," explained Lenardo, "it's that I can't read it. Although I speak your language, I have never learned your alphabet."
"Here," she said urgently, thrusting the wax tablet into his hands, "copy it down! It doesn't matter if you don't know what it means!"
The tablet's surface did not show the rub-marks of the stylus; it was as smooth as if the wax had been remelted. Concentrating, he began to copy the characters in the book, letters made up all of straight lines, intended to be carved, not written.
Aradia watched avidly, until he had copied three lines. "That's enough," she said and went to the bookcase, stretching up on tiptoe for the book. Just as Lenardo was about to go reach it for her, it conveniently tilted forward and fell into her hands.
Eagerly, she opened it to the first page and compared what was written there with Lenardo's version. "You write with the precision of a scribe," she said. "It's perfect."
She looked up at him, her face flushed. "Lenardo, if we could only work together…"
"We can," he said, pressing his advantage. "Aradia, Drakonius is looking for me. I assume that that means danger to you if he finds out where I am. I know it means danger to me."
"How did he find out about you?" she asked suspiciously.
"His Reader knows me."
"Have you been in contact?"
"No. I've been too ill to search for him… and I do not know whether Galen is working freely for Drakonius or is being forced to do so."
"Of course," she said. "How stupid of me. You came here seeking this other Reader, Galen." She tilted her head, studying him. "To join him? Or to remove him from your enemy's arsenal of weapons?"
"Whatever my original motivation," he replied, "I now see that he cannot be left in Drakonius' power, even if he is there willingly. And that means I need your help, Aradia. I will Read Drakonius for you if you will help me remove Galen from his power."
"You realize that I am trying to extricate my people and myself from Drakonius' power?"
"I had surmised as much."
She searched his face, and he could feel empathically how her longing to trust him deepened. Then she said, "I am powerless to move against Drakonius. He knows that. I dare not leave my father for more than a day at a time. I cannot lead my army, even in defense… unless you will help me."
'To do what?"
"To cure my father!"
"Aradia, there's no way-"
"You can Read the exact location of his tumor, and I can remove it!"
"No, Aradia. My surgical skills are good enough for emergency measures, but even the finest surgeon dare not cut into the human brain. It would kill your father at once."
"Cut into-? What are you talking about?"
"Removing the tumor."
"By cutting? No, Lenardo! I am an Adept. I shall just- remove it! You must draw it for me, or make a model hi wax. It must be exact-even more precise than these letters -but you can do it, can't you?"
"I… don't know," he replied, caught up in the idea. "I said I would help you with healing-but this. If you were off by a hair's breadth, you would kill him. The shock might kill him anyway."
"He is dying, Lenardo! If we do nothing, he will be dead within the fortnight." She lowered her eyes. "For three days I have been strengthening his body again, hoping you could do… what you have proved today. You are fully recovered, are you not?"
"No. You don't understand the precision required. I would have to fast and meditate-" "How long?" "At least two days."
"Then start now!" Her eyes were glittering with tears. Lenardo saw his chance of gaining Aradia-and Wulf-ston-as allies.
It was not mere selfishness, though, he realized; he wanted to use his abilities in this strange new way to save a life, but he wondered what Aradia would do to him if he failed. She looked so frail and delicate, and she commanded such power. He could circumvent any command she planted hi his mind, but he could do nothing against physical attack. He remembered Wulfston saying, "The best thing I could do would be to stop your heart right now."
Dared he risk his life now that he knew where Galen was?
Then Aradia said, "Lenardo, if you save my father's life, I will grant you your freedom. I will form an alliance with you, to our mutual advantage, to remove Galen from Drakonius' power."
It was everything he could have asked-unless he failed. But he could not consider the possibility of failure.
"Very well," said Lenardo, "I will do it. You understand that while removing the tumor may allow Nerius to live, I cannot predict whether he will recover his faculties."
"I understand," she replied. "His life is all I ask of you. Now, as I have your word, you have the freedom of the castle-within reason. Do not enter anyone's private rooms uninvited… although I suppose you could Read anything you wanted, right from here."
"First, the number of dresses in your chest does not interest me," said Lenardo. "Second-and more important -it is forbidden to intrude on another's privacy out of mere curiosity."
"But if you were spying on an enemy?" "For the time being, Aradia, I shall not consider you my enemy. Drakonius, however, may be enemy to both of us-and you know he is spying on you. Aradia, as I do not know Drakonius' specific location, I cannot Read from here, cannot contact Galen to find out if he is Drakonius' ally or prisoner. If you could show me on a map where Drakonius is-"
"I don't know," she said. "He moves constantly, but I can tell you the general area. He will be somewhere in the Western Hills, probably along the river."
"I cannot Read that far from here-not in my present condition, and even if I were at peak performance I could not do so without a specific location."
"I too would like to know exactly where Drakonius is," Aradia mused, "and exactly what he is doing. We can get nearer by riding out to the border tomorrow. Would that help?"
"Yes, indeed. At least I'd have a better chance."
"Then go and rest. We'll have a long ride tomorrow. Is there anything you need?"
"There's something I don't need-any more meat with my meals. Otherwise… could I have some different clothes?"
"Of course. The tailor is working on others already."
"I mean… could I have something less… exposed? I've noticed that Wulfston's clothes are of much the same design, but they're cut fuller, the tops longer."
Her smile became wolfish again. "Wulfston gives his own instructions to the tailor. But very well, Lenardo, I'll take care of it."
"Thank you, Aradia."
"You're welcome. One thing more-in public, your proper form of address to me is 'my lady.'"
"Yes, my lady," he replied, aware that the title was to remind people of her power. But he could give her that now. It was part of a pact that would soon be fulfilled- and then he would be free and have help in his quest for Galen.
Aradia and Lenardo set out at dawn the next day- alone. Lenardo was momentarily surprised, until he realized that an Adept required no guard. So he was surprised again when Aradia took him into the guard room and girded on him the same sword he had taken the night of his escape.
"I trust you know how to use it?" she asked.