“Have you told Dirdra that?” asked Melissa, who had come up just in time to hear this last exchange.
“She ought to know that you cannot restore her brother as she knew him. However, I think that she would gladly undertake the task of teaching him, if you would return his understanding.”
The moment Melissa’s attention was back on him, Maldek’s charm returned. “You are right, Melissa. I will tell her.”
“And restore Kwinn-as much as you are capable of?” she pursued.
He looked down at her, speculation in his blue eyes, thoughts carefully shielded. “Would you like me to do that?”
“I would like to see Dirdra obtain what she has made such a long, hard journey for. You said we would each receive what we had come for, Maldek. You are teaching me your healing skills. You have reunited Astra with her mother, and brought Zanos’ brother to him. What did you plan for Dirdra, if not to restore Kwinn?”
“What does she plan for me?” he countered. “Do you think she owes me nothing?”
“Her loyalty,” said Melissa, “as your subject- which she has already shown you by returning, even though you had abused her and her family.”
“She returned for her brother, not for me.”
“Then gain her respect and loyalty by restoring him!” exclaimed Melissa. “If you won’t, once I have learned to reach that healing power you have shown me, I will use it to restore Kwinn myself. And if I cannot learn it, I heard what the healer at the hospital said about sending people she can’t cure to Rokannia. I’m sure she would help Kwinn.”
“You would defy me, Melissa?” Maldek asked.
“I am not your subject-I came to this land seeking knowledge. You have freely offered me that knowledge. If you now wish to rescind that offer-”
“No, I do not. When we return to the castle, you shall have another lesson. But now, let us go to the guild hall and see how plans are progressing for Rokannia’s visit.”
“Is she coming soon?” asked Torio.
“In twelve days. My people will celebrate our victory, in which none of them died. You must admit that there I have achieved something no other Lord of the Land ever has: although I maintain an army as a secondary defense, I no longer have to send them into battle. In my land, mothers need no longer fear that their sons will be called to die.”
No, thought Torio, only that they will be turned into mindless automatons. But he ceased Reading as he thought it, so that Maldek would not catch his thought-and in that moment while he was blind, a cart rumbled by in the busy street.
The sound was magnified by the enclosing stone buildings, and for one moment, not Reading, Torio felt again the horror of being crushed to death-
“Torio!”
Melissa grasped his hand and pulled him out of the way. “You were going to walk right into that wagon!
What thought is so important to keep hidden?”
Of course he resumed Reading immediately, and found Maldek’s face saying, “I told you so,” even though he did not broadcast the thought. There was something else in the Master Sorcerer’s eyes, too-some speculation that made Torio wince in anticipation. But how could he be more vigilant than he already was?
In the middle of the night, Torio woke with a start in a cold sweat, absolute terror clutching his gut.
Gray came and licked his face, and he clung to the dog, taking comfort in the warm, unquestioning reality of the creature.
The dream was gone. He could not remember anything but mindless terror. All he knew was that it was a dream he had had often as a child-a dream laden with guilt, as if all the horrors of the world were to be laid at his door.
But he could never remember it, and as he grew up it came less frequently, and only at times of stress.
He had dreamed it after the battle at Adigia, in which Decius lost his leg, and again after the earthquake at Gaeta and the fall of Tiberium.
Each time he had dreamed it when something he had said or done had ended in harm. But yesterday-he could not remember anything he had said or done that had hurt anyone. Was he afraid of having antagonized Maldek? Perhaps that was it. Whether the Master Sorcerer’s attempts to reform were sincere or for some ulterior purpose, what did it matter as long as people were healed and none were turned orbu-at least for a time? He should put aside his skepticism, and allow Maldek’s people whatever benefits the Lord of their Land might give them, however temporary.
Three days later, Bryen’s hand was the size of a half-grown child’s, and he could move it freely. “It will simply grow now, until it reaches normal size in a few weeks,” Maldek told him.
“So now what?” Bryen asked, looking from the hand up at Maldek. “I can’t believe you done this just for my sake.”
“As a matter of fact, I didn’t do it for you at all,” Maldek explained. “Come with me, Bryen. There is someone I want you to meet.”
Zanos was with Torio in the courtyard, practicing with broadswords-and winning easily because Torio’s attention was divided.
“What’s the matter with you today?” the gladiator asked. “You’re giving me no more challenge than Gray could, trying to wield a sword with his teeth!”
At the mention of his name, Gray woofed and wagged his tail. The first time he had seen Zanos apparently attack Torio he had come between them, growling and threatening-but Torio had finally made him understand that it was a game, so now he sat and watched, waiting for his turn to play.
Knowing that Maldek and Melissa were bringing Bryen to the courtyard, Torio let himself concentrate on the match and began to give Zanos a bit of competition. The broadsword was a much better weapon for the gladiator’s strength than for Torio’s speed, but Zanos insisted every man ought to know how to fight with whatever weapon was at hand, so Torio swung and ducked, and almost caught Zanos off guard with a feint, drawing a delighted laugh from the gladiator.
“That’s the way! But a good broadswordsman would-” He came in under Torio’s guard-but the younger man jumped back and pivoted, swinging sideways at Zanos’ exposed biceps.
The gladiator whirled just in time and took the bl blow on his heavy chest padding, bringing him within reach of Torio’s neck.
The practice sword merely stung, but Torio protested, “That move would work in the arena, or any time you’re wearing armor-but if you weren’t shielded, my strike would have killed you.”
“If I weren’t shielded, I wouldn’t have allowed you so close,” Zanos replied. “But I concede-we hadn’t defined whether we were supposedly wearIing armor or not.”
“I’ve never worn armor,” said Torio. “You have two sets of reflexes, Zanos-one for arena-style combat and one for other fighting. How do you keep them apart?”
“Reflexes aren’t enough. You know that,” laughed Zanos, with a stabbing blow that Torio easily parried.
“You’re thinking all the time, Torio-but at the same time you act without deliberating. You have a natural talent-I could have made a gladiator out of you!”
Zanos thrust. Torio deflected his sword and swung again-but his arms were growing tired after a long exercise with the weighted practice broadsword. Zanos could probably go on all day.
He Read Zanos Read his fatigue and start to lay on, driving Torio back toward the wall. The Reader retreated, merely keeping up his guard and trying to let his muscles revive for-
One last flurry of blows!
Zanos grinned as Torio turned on him. “Good! Very good! / would have you, with my strength- but unless you came up against another gladiator, you’d win with that strategy, Torio.” And he dropped the tip of his sword to the ground, as a sign that the match was over.
“And what would you two do in an even match?” a voice asked, and Bryen strode across the courtyard.
“Maldek, is this what you had to show me- the perfect match for the victory games?”
The gambler circled the two panting men, saying, “I want to see you with light swords-or do either of you know how to use a pikestaff? What about wrestling? The local farmers like that-they’ll bet everything that’s left from their last harvest!”