The White Order (The Saga of Recluce #8)(50)

Once this evil deed was accomplished, more of the dark mages appeared, as if from the shadows, and stood behind Creslin, and gloom darkened the very sun.

A handful of stalwart blades, seeing the power of Creslin and the darkness that cloaked him and the faceless dark mages, swore such a powerful oath, yet resolved to stand firm against the evil, seeking a means by which they could return Recluce to the white fold, and peace and prosperity.

Megaera the wily, putting on perfumes and essences, enchanted them, and then, once under her spell, when they revealed their stalwart nature and fidelity to the Duke of Montgren and to the White Way of Truth, she laughed.

She turned her powers upon them and burned them, saying to all that such stalwarts had attempted to force themselves upon her, and that she had but defended her virtue.

Creslin and the dark mages declared that it was so, and so it was recorded, save in the true records of the Guild ...

Colors of White

(Manual of the Guild at Fairhaven)

Preface





White Order





XXXVI




Cerryl checked the ink, then laid out the quills, and finally took down the thin and worn brown leather volume Tellis had given him two days earlier. While far shorter than the Trade volume he and Tellis had finally finished for some merchant at the grain exchange, The Science of Measurement and Reckoning almost made reading the histories of Candar a pleasure.

He glanced toward the showroom, wondering where Tellis might be, and whether he should open the front door-or at least the shutters. The master scrivener had not been at the table when Cerryl had eaten his gruel, and Beryal had said nothing, just urged Cerryl to eat and get on with his business.

“Open the front shutters! You'd think...” Tellis's voice rasped from the front showroom.

Cerryl set the Measurement volume on the copy stand and hurried to comply.

Tellis dragged himself over to the workroom table and slumped onto the stool. After a moment, acting as though each movement caused great pain, he stood and shuffled to the chest, unlocking it and extracting something. Then he shuffled back to the table and looked morosely down at the faded green velvet wrapped around what appeared to be a thin volume.

“Is there anything I can do, ser?”

“Suppose you have to. Promised this... I'd be doing this myself, but this flux ...” Tellis coughed, then held his forehead and closed his eyes for a moment.

“I can do it, ser,” Cerryl said, glancing at the green velvet.

“I know. Dependable, you are.” Tellis massaged his forehead once more, then looked up. “Master Muneat wanted this as soon as I finished it.” Cerryl stepped over to the worktable. A slim volume bound in green leather lay on a square of green velvet. He knew vaguely that Tellis had been working on the book, but it was one of those the scrivener kept to himself.

“Do not be opening it.”

“But what is it... if I might ask, ser?”

“It is ... verse ... of a particular sort.” Tellis flushed.

“Oh...”

“It's called The Wondrous Tales of the Green Angel. And I don't know why.” Tellis coughed, almost retching, drawing himself erect after a foment. “But Muneat, he wanted it... and matters have been slower than I would have liked ... don't turn down a pair of golds for a volume of less than fourscore sheets ...”

Two golds?

“I promised, and it needs be delivered.” Tellis looked at Cerryl.

“You can deliver a volume, can you not?”

“Yes, ser ... ah ... where am I going?”

“Master Muneat's. You know the houses past the exchange? Past the jewelers' row?” Tellis tried to clear his throat.

“Yes, ser, just past the market square?”

“His is the first house on the far side, the very first one. There is a fountain with two birds in the courtyard before the front door. You go to the front door.” Tellis paused, then swallowed hard. “This must go only to the hand of master Muneat himself. He is short, not much taller than you are, and he has a wide white mustache, and he is mostly bald.”

“What-”

“You just tell whoever opens the door that you must deliver it to his hand, and his alone, and that you will wait-or return whenever he deems fit. You be most polite, but only to his hand-or return.”

“Yes, ser.”

“And wear your good tunic. Go get it on and return.”

When Cerryl returned, Tellis had wrapped the volume in the velvet, then tied the cloth with thin strips of vellum, so that none could see the volume. Cerryl picked it up, wishing he'd known of it... just to see what such wondrous tales were. Green angels? He'd heard of the black angels of Westwind, but not green angels.

“You go straight there, and come straight back. You hear?”

“Yes, ser. Straight to master Muneat's. The first house past the market square on the far side. A fountain with two birds.”

“Good...”

Cerryl bowed again, then gingerly picked up the wrapped volume. Tellis did not move, and the apprentice slipped away and out through the showroom door.

The air on the street was cold, but the bright sun helped warm Cerryl as he walked down the way of lesser artisans toward the square. The shutters were still closed at the weaver's, though he could hear the shuttling of the big loom when he passed.