Little helpers "When did Labdaris die?" asked Elizabeth. She'd pulled a notepad in front of her and was writing down equations in the calculus of magic. The symbols appeared to writhe on the page after she'd written them, only calming down after a few minutes. The ink was black as it came out of the pen, but when it dried it left behind purple script. "He didn't," said Arthur, not looking at her. "He vanished?" "Um, no." "He's run off to another dimension?" She set the pen down now. "That was a bit careless wasn't it? Or were these books only published after he fled?" "Um, oh, he didn't flee," said Arthur. Elizabeth's gaze turned fiery. "Where is he, exactly?" she said. "We think he's teaching in Poland or Bulgaria," said Arthur. He started stacking books up. "We have some sources, though it's obviously rather dangerous to be over there, and it seems like he's found himself some... little... helpers." He visibly wilted under the intensity of Elizabeth's gaze. "That's preposterous," she said. Her eyes were wide and her hands had clenched into fists. "He wrote -- he did all this! -- and he's living and teaching and there are no consequences?" She slammed a fist down on the table and made a couple of clumsily stacked piles fall over. "I'm going to talk to Lord Vileburn about this." "That would be a good idea," said Arthur. "He was part of the committee that made the decision not to pursue Labdaris." He looked at Elizabeth and immediately wished he hadn't. She looked like she wanted to turn him to stone. "Really?" she said with all the grace and charm of a cobra. She stood, abruptly, bumping against the table and scraping it across the stone floor. More books toppled. "But later," she said, sitting back down again. "Whatever I think of him, what he did has been done. Retribution can wait a few more hours if it's been waiting years already." She pulled her notepad back in front of her. "So, Ladbaris chained spells, and figured out how to conceal what he was doing by killing people. But it sometimes fails and that knowledge isn't... why don't Labdaris's pupils know this as well as we do?" There was silence. "Arthur!" After more silence Arthur stood up. "I think you need to talk to Lord Vileburn," he said. "I'll come back and help you when you have, but... you deserve better than getting it piece by piece from me. Ask Lord Vileburn." He walked out of the room, and Elizabeth watched him go. Then she flung herself back in her chair and crossed her arms. "Men," she muttered under her breath.
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Little helpers
"When did Labdaris die?" asked Elizabeth. She'd pulled a notepad in front of her and was writing down equations in the calculus of magic. The symbols appeared to writhe on the page after she'd written them, only calming down after a few minutes. The ink was black as it came out of the pen, but when it dried it left behind purple script.
"He didn't," said Arthur, not looking at her.
"He vanished?"
"Um, no."
"He's run off to another dimension?" She set the pen down now. "That was a bit careless wasn't it? Or were these books only published after he fled?"
"Um, oh, he didn't flee," said Arthur.
Elizabeth's gaze turned fiery. "Where is he, exactly?" she said.
"We think he's teaching in Poland or Bulgaria," said Arthur. He started stacking books up. "We have some sources, though it's obviously rather dangerous to be over there, and it seems like he's found himself some... little... helpers." He visibly wilted under the intensity of Elizabeth's gaze.
"That's preposterous," she said. Her eyes were wide and her hands had clenched into fists. "He wrote -- he did all this! -- and he's living and teaching and there are no consequences?" She slammed a fist down on the table and made a couple of clumsily stacked piles fall over. "I'm going to talk to Lord Vileburn about this."
"That would be a good idea," said Arthur. "He was part of the committee that made the decision not to pursue Labdaris." He looked at Elizabeth and immediately wished he hadn't. She looked like she wanted to turn him to stone.
"Really?" she said with all the grace and charm of a cobra. She stood, abruptly, bumping against the table and scraping it across the stone floor. More books toppled.
"But later," she said, sitting back down again. "Whatever I think of him, what he did has been done. Retribution can wait a few more hours if it's been waiting years already." She pulled her notepad back in front of her. "So, Ladbaris chained spells, and figured out how to conceal what he was doing by killing people. But it sometimes fails and that knowledge isn't... why don't Labdaris's pupils know this as well as we do?"
There was silence.
"Arthur!"
After more silence Arthur stood up. "I think you need to talk to Lord Vileburn," he said. "I'll come back and help you when you have, but... you deserve better than getting it piece by piece from me. Ask Lord Vileburn." He walked out of the room, and Elizabeth watched him go. Then she flung herself back in her chair and crossed her arms.
"Men," she muttered under her breath.
Greg - I think that I like Elizabeth very much. She's quite... passionate, isn't she?
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