“Aha!” Fitch said. “Correct.”
Joel blushed. He’d spoken too quickly.
“So,” Fitch said to Melody, “if you’re not going to use another Osborn, which would you use instead?
“Um … the Sumsion Defense?”
Joel nodded. Sumsion was a quick defense that was open on the sides. It was often used by people who preferred offensive chalklings—which would be the main way to defeat someone with Osborn. You’d send your chalklings to attack the exposed flanks.
Melody gave Joel a triumphant smirk as Fitch used his chalk to erase his drawing.
Oh, that’s it! Joel thought. “Do another, Professor.”
“Hum. Shouldn’t you be working on those ledgers?”
“Just give me one more chance to beat her,” Joel said.
“Very well then. Both of you, get out your chalk.”
Joel hesitated. He didn’t have any chalk on him at the moment. “Can I … borrow a piece?” he whispered sheepishly to Melody.
She rolled her eyes, but handed him one. They both knelt on the ground next to one another. Fitch began drawing. Joel watched, trying to guess which defense he was going to go for. A circle, so it wasn’t Osborn. Fitch then placed a smaller circle at the very top, crossed with Lines of Forbiddance.
Sumsion, Joel thought. It’s the Sumsion Defense again.
Sumsion had a Line of Forbiddance at the front, which—once in place—would block Fitch from drawing further on that side. The Sumsion Defense, then, started with a very strong front side, but that front couldn’t be protected. The Rithmatist would spend their time drawing chalklings at the sides and sending them out to attack.
I need to strike hard at that front, Joel thought. Break through in the place where he thinks he’s strong, but can’t protect himself.
That probably meant Ballintain was the best. Joel, however, didn’t draw that one. He wanted something more dramatic. He scribbled furiously on the rough wood floor, constructing a nine-point circle with a large number of bound chalklings around it, giving himself a very strong defense. He didn’t bother with Lines of Forbiddance to anchor himself. He went straight into drawing Lines of Vigor to launch at the very front of Fitch’s circle.
“All right,” Fitch said, standing. “Let us see here. Hum…”
Joel glanced to the side. Melody had drawn the Ballintain Defense, and done a fairly good job of it, for her. The lines were wobbly, and the circle lopsided, but she’d gotten each part in the right place.
“Yes indeed,” Fitch said. “That’s actually quite good, my dear. You may not have an eye for circles, but you can think like a Rithmatist.” Fitch hesitated, then leaned down to inspect her work more closely. “And, my! Will you look at that chalkling! Indeed!”
Joel leaned over. Most Rithmatists used simplistic chalklings. Snakes, spiders, occasionally a dragon. Fitch himself favored more intricate drawings—they were stronger, apparently, than ones with fewer lines. Joel hadn’t been able to study a lot of chalkling theory.
Melody’s single chalkling—there was only room for one on Ballintain—was incredibly detailed and complex, despite the small scale. The tiny bear was shaded with shadows, had little lines for fur, and had perfect proportions. It walked back and forth across the wood in front of her circle, connected to the bind point by a tiny chalk chain, each link drawn individually.
“Wow,” Joel said despite himself.
“Yes indeed,” Fitch said. “And Ballintain was the correct choice in this instance, I believe—though something with a very strong defense against chalklings would have been good as well.”
Fitch glanced at Joel’s circle. “Ah, a nine-pointer? Showing off a little, are we?”
Joel shrugged.
“Hum,” Fitch continued. “Not bad, Joel, I must say. The third point is a few degrees off, but the others are within reasonable limits. Is that a Hill Defense?”
“A modified one.”
“No Lines of Forbiddance?”
“You drew Sumsion,” Joel said. “So you probably weren’t going to use many Lines of Vigor—not unless you’re an expert at reflecting them, but you didn’t set yourself up to do that. So you couldn’t have pushed me about. That means I didn’t need the stabilization.”
“Excellent point,” Fitch said. “Unless, of course, I were to notice what you’d done. Remember, I could always dismiss the Line of Forbiddance and attack you from the front by surprise!”
“That would take you a few seconds,” Joel said. “I’d notice and stabilize my defense.”
“Assuming you were watching carefully,” Fitch said.
“I would be,” Joel said. “Trust me.”
“Yes … I believe that you would be. Well, that’s certainly impressive. I think that both of you might very well have defeated me!”
Doubtful, Joel thought. He’d seen Fitch draw, and the man was good. Uncertain of himself in a duel, true, but quite good. Still, Joel suspected that the professor wasn’t trying to be patronizing, just encouraging.
Judging from Melody’s response, it was working. She actually seemed excited to be drawing. “What’s next?” she asked.
“Well, I suppose we can do a few more,” Professor Fitch said, making his lines disappear. Melody did the same.
Joel just stared down at his. “Um…” he said. “Do you have an eraser?”
Fitch looked up, surprised. “Oh! Well, hum, let me see.…”
After about five minutes of searching through the room’s scholarly debris, Fitch managed to produce an eraser. Joel used it, but it didn’t work all that well. The lines just smudged on the floor, which hadn’t been designed for chalk drawing.
Joel felt his face redden as he brushed harder.
“Perhaps we should have you draw on a board from now on, Joel…” Fitch said, digging out a small chalkboard.
Joel looked down at the poorly erased chalk drawing in front of him. It seemed like a sharp and distinct reminder of what he was. No matter how hard he tried or studied, he’d never be a Rithmatist, able to make his chalk lines come alive or vanish with a thought.
“Maybe I should get back to my research,” Joel said, standing.
“Oh, do a few more with us,” Fitch said, wagging the board as he proffered it. “You’ve worked too hard on those census reports, and it will be good for Miss Muns to have some competition.”
Joel’s breath caught in his throat. It was the first time that a Rithmatist had actually offered to let Joel participate. He smiled, then reached out to take the board.
“Excellent!” Fitch said. He seemed to find the prospect of teaching them far more exciting than research.
Over the next few hours, they went over a dozen more examples of defenses and counters. Fitch drew more complicated circles, challenging Joel and Melody to discuss two or three ways to attack each one. There were no actual duels. Professor Fitch seemed to shy away from such things.
Instead, he would draw, explain, and coach. They talked about which defenses were best against multiple opponents. They discussed why it was important to think about being surrounded—since on the Nebrask battlefield, a Rithmatist might have to fight in several directions at the same time. They also discussed timing, drawing to their strengths, and some general theory. All of this was interspersed with more drawings.
Joel threw himself into it with excitement. Though this wasn’t the deep Rithmatic lecture he’d been hoping for, it was actual drawing with actual Rithmatists. It was wonderful.