Stolen Magic(7)

. . . Smarter than both of us, Elodie thought.

“. . . which I doubt.”

The high brunka bent over so her head was in her lap, a pathetic pose. A tiny rainbow flickered from her right hand.

Was she ill?

“The snow is dwindling,” His Lordship reported.

A minute passed in silence. Elodie wanted to pat the high brunka’s shoulder.

ITs smoke tinted faintly gray, meaning IT was faintly sad. Sympathy for the high brunka? Elodie wondered. Or for the people on the mountain that might explode?

High Brunka Marya sat up, serenity in place again. “We’ll pay whatever you believe reasonable. I trust your fairness.”

The corners of ITs mouth turned up.

Greedy dragon! Elodie thought.

Sometimes IT deduced her thoughts. “Self-interest is not precisely greed, Lodie. Self-interest is reasonable. Greed exceeds the bounds of reason.”

“I can leave now.” His Lordship knelt by Nesspa and rubbed his neck. “Be good, Nesspie. I’ll be back soon.” He stood and began to raise his arms.

“Wait!”

Masteress Meenore had stopped His Lordship in time. He lowered his arms.

“Upon your arrival, ask the brunka and his bees if they know of anyone who might be angry at them, exceedingly angry, or angry at anyone else on the mountain, or angry at the mountain itself, although they may consider that question odd. Ask also if anyone has recently left Zertrum.”

“Ask . . .” Elodie paused, not liking to offend the high brunka, but this wasn’t a time to worry about that. “Ask if the brunkas refused aid to anyone recently.”

“We never deny help lightly, lamb.”

“Excellent, Elodie. Your Lordship, make them answer you.”

Count Jonty Um’s expression darkened. Elodie knew he hated to be feared, and now he was being told to take advantage of the terror.

Masteress Meenore knew, too. “You are a count—nobility. Use that if you can. But if you must, frighten them. You may save lives.”

The high brunka said, “How soon will you be there?”

“Before dawn.”

“Will you stay to help people off the mountain? Most folks live in the valley or on the lower slopes, but several families built their cottages high, to be with their flocks.” The high brunka clasped her hands in supplication. “Please help them.”

“You must not. You may be tempted by your unaccountably kind nature and by the direness of people’s need. Resist! I require the answers to my questions if my inquiry is to succeed.”

His Lordship raised his arms.

Elodie braced herself. She hated the shifts because His Lordship’s face bore such a look of agony. “High Brunka, it may not hurt as much as it seems to. He doesn’t say.”

“Thank you for telling me, lamb.”

His mouth opened in a silent scream; his eyes became slits; his nose wrinkled; his nostrils flared. His body vibrated, became a shrinking blur overwhelmed by his blue cloak and blue cap. His silver pendant on its golden chain slid off the pile of apparel. The ogre seemed to have disappeared.

High Brunka Marya breathed, “Where . . .”


The mound shook, jounced, bounced. Elodie pulled away the yards of cloth to reveal a yellow bird ruffling his feathers. Elodie saw His Lordship’s intelligence shining out of his deeply set eyes.

“Why doesn’t he go?” High Brunka Marya said.

Elodie remembered first. “He’s waiting for you to wind your medal around his neck.”

“Ah, yes.” She did so, and the swift tolerated her hands. She finished and stood.

Elodie, who hadn’t stopped watching her friend, saw the thought fade from the bird’s eyes.

Was he frightened to find himself in a stable, so close to a human, a dragon, a brunka?

He cheeped a high, whistling chirp and flew out into the night.





CHAPTER FIVE



The swift circled the stable once and flew north, his being almost overcome by the burdens the ogre had placed on him: a feeling, two images, and two memories. The feeling: urgency. The images: a volcanic mountain peak that looked like a gaping fish and a building with two chimneys and an attached stable. The memories: a long-haired dog and a girl with big eyes and a wide, expressive mouth.

The wind had died to a bare breeze. The snowflakes were shimmering sparkles. In his heart, urgency paired with the joy of flight.





CHAPTER SIX



Elodie missed her friend instantly. With careful fingers, she brushed hay off his beautiful cloak. Fly safely. Hurry back.

“Madam, a few questions before you and Elodie leave me.”

Leave IT? Of course, for the Oase. She was no use out here.

“When was the Replica stolen?” IT asked.

“I’m not sure. Within the last three days, certainly.”

Three days? Zertrum might already be about to spew! Lambs and calves! IT should have asked this before His Lordship left! Elodie squeezed his cloak, which filled her arms. What had they sent him into?

“Since then, has anyone departed the Oase?” IT asked.

“No one. I discovered the theft late this afternoon after the storm began. We have guests, which we rarely do this time of year—”

“Mmm.”

ITs Mmm always meant something. Elodie felt sure this one meant that these guests might have come in order to commit the theft.